Domestic and International Telegraph Act of 1979
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
Domestic and International Telegraph Traffic Act of 1979 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to repeal certain provisions of such act which relate to the domestic and international distribution of telegraph traffic by wire or radio. Declares that during the 12-month period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, no consolidated or merged carrier may engage in any international transmission of telegraph traffic by wire or radio or otherwise engage in any international telegraph operations which are not authorized under the provisions of the Communications Act of 1934. Prohibits any international telegraph carrier from engaging in any domestic distribution of telegraph traffic by wire or radio or otherwise engage in any domestic telegraph operations to the extent that: (1) the nature of such distribution or operations differs from the nature of such distribution or operations as in effect at the beginning of November 1, 1979; or (2) the scope of such distribution or operations exceeds the scope of such distribution or operations as in effect at the beginning of November 1, 1979. Directs each consolidated or merged carrier to: (1) distribute among international telegraph carriers any telegraph traffic by wire or radio destined for any point outside the United States; and (2) divide charges for such traffic in accordance with any formula or practice in effect at the beginning of November 1, 1979.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on November 16, 1979. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on November 16, 1979: Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
LIONEL VAN DEERLIN (D-CA) introduced it on November 16, 1979, and 4 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 2 Democrats, 2 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on November 16, 1979, 17100 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17100 days ago, on November 16, 1979.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers