[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4927 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4927

    To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit franchising 
authorities from requiring approval for the sale of cable systems, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 8, 2025

  Mrs. Houchin (for herself and Mr. Goldman of Texas) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit franchising 
authorities from requiring approval for the sale of cable systems, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Consumer Access to Broadband for 
Local Economies and Competition Act'' or the ``CABLE Competition Act''.

SEC. 2. SALES OF CABLE SYSTEMS.

    (a) In General.--Section 627 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 547) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 627. CONDITIONS OF SALE OR TRANSFER.

    ``(a) Value of Cable System After Revocation of Franchise.--If a 
franchise held by a cable operator is revoked under section 
626(b)(2)(B) and the franchising authority acquires ownership of the 
cable system or effects a transfer of ownership of the system to 
another person, any such acquisition or transfer shall be at fair 
market value.
    ``(b) Limitations on Authority of Franchising Authority With 
Respect To Transfer of Franchise.--
            ``(1) In general.--A franchising authority may not preclude 
        a cable operator from transferring a franchise to any person--
                    ``(A) to which such franchise was not initially 
                granted; and
                    ``(B) with respect to the terms of the franchise 
                that apply to the cable operator, who agrees to accept 
                all such terms in effect at the time of the transfer.
            ``(2) Notification.--In the case of the transfer of a 
        franchise to a person to which such franchise was not 
        originally granted, a franchising authority may require a cable 
        operator to which a franchise was initially granted to, not 
        later than 15 days before the transfer of the franchise, notify 
        the franchising authority in writing of such transfer.
            ``(3) Transfer of a franchise defined.--In this subsection, 
        the term `transfer of a franchise' means the transfer or 
        assignment of any rights under a franchise through any 
        transaction, including through--
                    ``(A) a merger involving the cable operator or 
                cable system;
                    ``(B) a sale of the cable operator or cable system;
                    ``(C) an assignment of the cable operator or a 
                cable system;
                    ``(D) a restructuring of a cable operator or a 
                cable system; or
                    ``(E) the transfer of control of a cable operator 
                or a cable system.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--This section, and the amendment made by 
subsection (a), shall take effect 6 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
    (c) Application.--This section, and the amendment made by 
subsection (a), shall apply to a franchise granted--
            (1) on or after the effective date established by 
        subsection (b); or
            (2) before such date, if--
                    (A) such franchise (including any renewal term 
                thereof) is in effect on such date; or
                    (B) such franchise is expired and cable operator 
                has continued to perform under the provisions of such 
                franchise as if such franchise were not expired.
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