H.R. 5140: Satellite Television Community Protection and Promotion Act of 2019

116th Congress · introduced 2019-11-18 · Commerce · Latest: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 282.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-11-18 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-10] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 282. 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.

What does this mean?

Official title

Satellite Television Community Protection and Promotion Act of 2019

Plain summary

Satellite Television Community Protection and Promotion Act of 2019 This bill permanently reauthorizes a provision that allows satellite television providers to retransmit distant television signals to unserved households under a statutory license. (A statutory license allows a satellite provider to rebroadcast the signals by paying set fees and without negotiating with the relevant copyright holders.) The bill also limits what constitutes an unserved household under this provision. Under the bill, an unserved household is (1) a household in a local market where any of the four most widely viewed television networks nationwide is not transmitted by any network television station in that market, or (2) a recreational vehicle or commercial truck. The bill removes several categories of households that currently qualify as unserved, such as households that can receive a local broadcast signal but received satellite retransmissions on certain dates. To take advantage of the statutory license, a satellite provider generally must provide retransmissions of local television stations in all designated market areas (DMAs). However, a provider that does not provide such retransmissions of local stations to all DMAs may obtain a temporary statutory license by (1) demonstrating that the provider has made reasonable and good faith efforts to do so, and (2) filing a notice with the Copyright Office.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

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.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Satellite Television Community Protection and Promotion Act of 2019

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-10] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-10] reported raising $258,402 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Statute: A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116hr5140.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/hr>

Record fed-us-cong116-hr5140 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116