Senate Improves S. 3304, Action Needed to Pass Bill This Week

Advocacy works! The U.S. Senate improved S. 3304, adopting some of the elements of H.R. 3101 and "hotlined" the bill to be passed by unanimous consent this week. Call your Senators TODAY. Ask them to support passage of S. 3304.

UPDATE:  The U.S. Senate passed the improved S. 3304 on August 5, 2010.  S. 3304 will now go to the U.S. House of Representatives.  We expect the House will pass S. 3304 soon.

S. 3304 is the sister bill to H.R. 3101. Both bills are called the "Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act." H.R. 3101 passed the House on July 26 by a vote of 348 to 23. In addition to the support of the original co-sponsors -- Senators Pryor (D-AR), Kerry (D-MA), Dorgan (D-ND), and Conrad (D-ND) -- S. 3304 is also supported by Senators Hutchison (R-TX), Ensign (R-NV), and Schumer (D-NY). 

We did not get everything we want in H.R. 3101, but we did get an improved S. 3304.

Like H.R. 3101, S. 3304 will:

• Require access to Internet services that are built-in to mobile telephone devices, like smart phones, if achievable.
• Authorize the FCC to require 7 hours per week of video description on the top 4 network channels and top 5 cable channels nationwide.

Like H.R. 3101, S. 3304 will also:

• Require captioned television programs to be captioned when delivered over the Internet.
• Require accessible advanced communications equipment and services.
• Allocate up to $10 million per year for equipment used by individuals who are deaf-blind.
• Require televised emergency information to be accessible to individuals who are blind or have low vision.
• Require devices of any size to be capable of displaying closed captioning, delivering available video description, and making emergency information accessible.
• Require accessible user controls for televisions and set-top boxes, and easy access to closed captioning and video description.
• And more.

Contact your Senators TODAY. Tell them to support the passage of S. 3304.