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[Page S3267]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MEASURING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF BROADBAND ACT OF 2019
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee be discharged from
further consideration of S. 1289 and that the Senate proceed to its
immediate consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 1289) to require the Secretary of Commerce to
conduct an assessment and analysis of the effects of
broadband deployment and adoption on the economy of the
United States, and for other purposes.
There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the
Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. McCONNELL. I further ask unanimous consent that the bill be
considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no
intervening action or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The bill (S. 1289) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading,
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:
S. 1289
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 ``Measuring the Economic
Impact of Broadband Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS REGARDING THE EFFECT OF THE
DIGITAL ECONOMY ON THE ECONOMY OF THE UNITED
STATES.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
of the Senate;
(B) the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the
Senate;
(C) the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of
the Senate;
(D) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives;
(E) the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of
the House of Representatives; and
(F) the Committee on Small Business of the House of
Representatives.
(2) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary''
means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications
and Information.
(3) Broadband.--The term ``broadband'' means an Internet
Protocol-based transmission service that enables users to
send and receive voice, video, data, or graphics, or a
combination of those items.
(4) Digital economy.--
(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the term
``digital economy'' has the meaning given the term by the
Secretary in carrying out this section.
(B) Considerations.--In establishing a definition for the
term ``digital economy'' under subparagraph (A), the
Secretary shall consider--
(i) the digital-enabling infrastructure that a computer
network needs to exist and operate; and
(ii) the roles of e-commerce and digital media.
(5) Digital media.--The term ``digital media'' means the
content that participants in e-commerce create and access.
(6) E-commerce.--The term ``e-commerce'' means the digital
transactions that take place using the infrastructure
described in paragraph (4)(B)(i).
(7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Commerce.
(b) Biennial Assessment and Analysis Required.--Not later
than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and
biennially thereafter, the Secretary, in consultation with
the Director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the
Department of Commerce and the Assistant Secretary, shall
conduct an assessment and analysis regarding the contribution
of the digital economy to the economy of the United States.
(c) Considerations and Consultation.--In conducting each
assessment and analysis required under subsection (b), the
Secretary shall--
(1) consider the impact of--
(A) the deployment and adoption of--
(i) digital-enabling infrastructure; and
(ii) broadband;
(B) e-commerce and platform-enabled peer-to-peer commerce;
and
(C) the production and consumption of digital media,
including free media; and
(2) consult with--
(A) the heads of any agencies and offices of the Federal
Government as the Secretary considers appropriate, including
the Secretary of Agriculture, the Commissioner of the Bureau
of Labor Statistics, the Administrator of the Small Business
Administration, and the Federal Communications Commission;
(B) representatives of the business community, including
rural and urban internet service providers and
telecommunications infrastructure providers;
(C) representatives from State, local, and tribal
government agencies; and
(D) representatives from consumer and community
organizations.
(d) Report.--The Secretary shall submit to the appropriate
committees of Congress a report regarding the findings of the
Secretary with respect to each assessment and analysis
conducted under subsection (b).
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