Bill · S. 328· Senate(119-S-328)
Stop Sports Blackouts Act
- Introduced
- 1/30/2025
- Last activity
- 1/30/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Sponsored by
- Christopher Murphy
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Stop Sports Blackouts Act," aims to amend the Communications Act of 1934. It directs the Federal Communications Commission to create new regulations regarding rebates for video programming blackouts. These regulations would require providers to issue rebates to subscribers when access to certain video programming is denied due to specific negotiations. The bill covers negotiations related to retransmission consent of television broadcast stations or the carriage of other video programming.
Yes· 3 of 4
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?+6
The bill requires video providers to issue rebates to subscribers when access to agreed-upon programming is denied due to negotiations.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+3
The bill provides financial compensation via rebates to households when they lose access to paid video programming.
Would middle-income households be better off under this?+3
The bill ensures subscribers receive rebates if they are denied access to content they agreed to receive during their subscription period.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Mandatory Rebates for Lost Access: Under Section 2(b)(1), the bill requires a provider to issue a rebate to a subscriber if they are denied access to video programming that they agreed to receive at the time of subscription or renewal. This ensures people are compensated when they cannot access the content they are paying for due to a "covered negotiation."
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Establishment of Rebate Amounts: Section 2(b)(2) directs the Commission to establish the appropriate amount for these rebates, which provides a formal structure for how much money should be returned to the consumer.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+3Good For Middle Class Households+3
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+6
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+2
- 1/30/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.