H.R. 3452: FANS Act
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H.R. 3452: FANS Act
113th Congress · introduced 2013-11-12 · Sports and Recreation · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2013-11-12 · official record
- Who proposed it: Rep. Higgins, Brian [D-NY-26] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
FANS Act
Plain summary
Furthering Access and Networks for Sports Act or the FANS Act - Amends the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 to deny the antitrust exemption for joint agreements covering the telecasting of sports contests to any league of clubs participating in professional football, baseball, basketball, or hockey contests that does not: (1) expressly prohibit sponsored telecast licensees of such league, and any agreement with any video licensee, from intentionally removing the live content of such league from a multichannel video programming distributor when such removal occurs during, or is related to a negotiation regarding, carriage of the league's games by such distributor; or (2) make a sponsored telecast of a game that is played in the home territory of a member club available to consumers, using an Internet platform, in any territory in which the game is not available for private viewing through a local television broadcast station or any available multichannel video programming distributor. Repeals the exception that allows the antitrust exemption for such a joint agreement that prohibits televising games within the home territory of a member club on a day when such club is playing at home. Amends the Clayton Act to: (1) subject the conduct, acts, practices, or agreements of persons in the business of organized professional major league baseball (currently, only such conduct, acts, practices, or agreements directly relating to or affecting employment of major league baseball players at the major league level) to the antitrust laws to the same extent that such conduct, acts, practices, or agreements engaged in by persons in any other professional sports business affecting interstate commerce are subject to such laws; and (2) repeal provisions granting only a major league baseball player standing to sue. Eliminates provisions specifying that such Act does not create, permit, or imply a cause of action by which to challenge under the antitrust laws: (1) the relationship between the Office of the Commissioner and franchise owners, the marketing or sales of the entertainment product of organized professional baseball, and the licensing of intellectual property rights owned or held by organized professional baseball teams; or (2) any conduct, acts, practices, or agreements protected by the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
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If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.
A “Nay” vote
If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.
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Alternatives
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Rep. Higgins, Brian [D-NY-26] · 0 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.
Words on this page, explained (2)
- Exemption
- A rule that removes certain people, property or activities from a tax or requirement.
- Sponsor and cosponsor
- The sponsor is the member who introduces a bill and leads it. Cosponsors are other members who sign on to show support.
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-113hr3452.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/113/hr>
Record fed-us-cong113-hr3452 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113