NATOA ACTION ALERT

A TALE OF TWO TELECOMMUNICATIONS BILLS

ISSUE:
I. House of Representatives
The Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement (COPE) Act of 2006 under consideration in the House would strip local governments of their authority to franchise their public rights-of-way for video/cable services and impose a national franchising scheme. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would oversee and second-guess all local rights-of-way management practices and customer service issues. It would allow new market entrants to pick and choose the neighborhoods they want to serve while bypassing all others completely.

II. Senate
The Communications, Consumer’s Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006 (S. 2686), as currently drafted, while seeming to protect local authority still does not address the telecommunications concerns of cities. In essence, the bill would strip local communities’ franchising authority and grant it to the FCC. Furthermore, it fails to keep local governments financially whole by decreasing franchise fee revenue and PEG and I-Net support. Again, while ostensibly prohibiting redlining, the bill would allow providers to choose the neighborhoods they want to serve while bypassing others completely. Finally, the legislation fails to protect state and locally imposed telecommunications taxes that are not imposed in lieu of rights-of-way compensation.

STATUS:
House of Representatives
The Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement (COPE) Act of 2006 (H.R. 5252) appears to be headed for a final House floor vote in early June.

Senate
The Communications, Consumer’s Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006 (S. 2686) is currently pending before U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

ACTION NEEDED!!
House of Representatives
PLEASE contact your House members today (www.house.gov) Simply dial the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121, ask for your Representative’s office and urge them to vote “NO” on the final COPE bill, OR schedule an appointment to meet with your representative while they are back home during the District Work Period, May 29th through June 2nd.

Senate
PLEASE contact your Senator today (www.senate.gov) and let them know the bill should not proceed as introduced! Urge them to oppose the bill as currently drafted and to work with NATOA and our coalition partners in supporting amendments that would protect consumers, maintain local franchising authority, and keep local governments whole. Simply dial the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your Senator’s office OR schedule an appointment to meet with your
Senator while they are back home.

If you have questions, please contact NATOA Executive Director, Libby Beaty, at (703) 519-8035.