New Laws Moving Through Congress

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee recently approved 17 bipartisan bills, and a few of them impact the broadband industry. Since these have bipartisan support, it seems like they will have a decent chance of becoming law. The first is S.98 – Rural Broadband Protection Act, sponsored by Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). This law requires the Federal Communications Commission to vet candidates before awarding any funding that comes from the Universal Service Fund, and that is the result of an application made to the FCC for funding. The second law that’s interesting is S.278 – Kids Off Social Media Act sponsored by Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI). This law would prohibit social media platforms from allowing access to any kids under thirteen years old. The law also prohibits the use of personalized recommendation systems for kids. The interesting aspect of the law is that schools have to limit access to social media when using school computers.