Freedom For Consumer Choice Act
Latest action. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Freedom for Consumer Choice Act - States U.S. government policy with regard to: (1) the promotion of the widespread availability of communications services; (2) the promotion of the integrity of communications facilities through investment and innovation in advanced communications networks; and (3) the economic regulation of communications markets.
Makes it unlawful for providers of electronic communication services to engage or participate in: (1) unfair methods of competition in or affecting electronic communications networks and services; or (2) unfair or deceptive practices in or affecting such networks and services.
Authorizes the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), by rule, to define the acts or practices that shall constitute such unfair methods of competition or unfair or deceptive acts or practices.
Bars the FCC from having any authority to issue rules that declare unlawful an act or practice on the grounds that it is an unfair method of competition or unfair or deceptive act or practice, except that the FCC may declare an act or practice unlawful if: (1) marketplace competition is insufficient to adequately protect consumer welfare; and (2) such act or practice causes or is likely to cause substantial injury to consumers, is unavoidable by consumers themselves, and is outweighed by countervailing benefits to consumers or to competition.
Terminates any rule promulgated under this Act five years after its effective date unless the FCC makes an affirmative determination that such rule continues to be necessary.
Grants the FCC the authority to hear complaints from any party injured by a violation of the prohibitions under this Act and to award damages to such party if such a violation has occurred.
Sets forth specified additional authorities of the FCC.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on July 21, 2010. 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 July 21, 2010: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- 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 111th Congress (2009-10), 383 of the 10,778 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 3.6 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?
James DeMint (R-SC) introduced it on July 21, 2010, and 8 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They are 8 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 July 21, 2010, 5895 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 5895 days ago, on July 21, 2010.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 111th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2011 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
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers