CBO Scores Senate’s Satellite Television Access and Viewer Rights Act

Under current law, satellite carriers pay royalty fees for the right to transmit certain television signals to their subscribers without obtaining permission from copyright holders. The Satellite Television Access and Viewer Rights Act (S. 2799) would extend provisions of current law that allow satellite carriers to transmit copyrighted material but would not extend the license that allows transmission without specific authorization from the copyright holders. That license will expire on December 31, 2014. The bill also would direct the Federal Communications Commission to amend certain regulations affecting television stations and cable and satellite carriers. Based on information from the FCC, CBO estimates that implementing S. 2799 would cost about $2 million over the 2015-2019 period for the required reports and regulatory actions, assuming the availability of appropriated funds. Further, the FCC is authorized to collect fees to offset its operating costs each year; therefore, we estimate that implementing S. 2799 would have a negligible effect on net discretionary spending each year.