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This information on this page is for archival purposes. Though the COPE Bill passed in the House, the Senate version of the bill stalled and never became federal law.

Name: S.2686: Communications, Consumers' Choice and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006 - also referred to as the Steven's Bill
Read S.2686 Draft III (released June 20 2006 - 159 pages)
Read S.2686 Draft II (released June 9 2006 - 151 pages)
Read S.2686 Draft I (released May 2006 - 135 pages)
Read HR.5252 revision (released August 2006 - 287 pages)

Status: This Bill failed to pass in the 109th Congress of 2006 and is dead in its current form. Introduced by the Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska. The draft was introduced May 1, and hearings begin May 18th. The third draft of S.2686 with over 200 amendments considered, was passed June 28 in a 15-7 vote. Sen Stevens then renamed the bill HR 5252 to expedite passage (and create confusion). Presently HR 5252 lacks enough Senate supporters to be introduced on the Senate floor, but it poses a dangerous situation should the bill pass and reach conference committee.

Senate Commerce Committee Hearing and Markup Schedule
links include archived media

Communications Reform Bill Hearing I
Thursday, May 18th
10:00 am commerce.senate.gov

Communications Reform Bill Hearing II
Thursday, May 25th
10:00 am commerce.senate.gov

S. 2686, Communications Reform Bill (as revised) Hearing III
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
10:00 AM

Full Committee Markup - S. 2686 - Communications Reform Bill
Thursday, June 22, 2006
10:00 AM

About the Steven's Bill
A bi-partisan Draft Bill, but with the expressed reservations of the co-sponsor, Commerce ranking member Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii. Much like COPE in regards to PEG access, it's bad. The Steven's Bill goes further into other telecom issues and therefore may create delays in hearings and eventual mark-up. At present (6/18) the Bill has improved with each draft, it will be interesting to see what stays in the Bill during Mark-up.

An initial review of the first Draft by Stifel-Nicolaus can be downloaded as a PDF.

Additional Senate Bills
Read Sen. Inouye Draft Bill that addresses some of the shortcomings of the Stevens' S.2686 Bill.
Read Franchise Reform Act of 2006 (S. 2989) introduced by Sen. Hutchinson (R-TX). This legislation would institute a state-issued franchise scheme for cable or video service, similar to the Texas State Video Franchise.

Additional S. 2686 information at:
Benton Foundation
Free Press
NATOA on S.2686