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| 2 | + | (In the Senate - Filed January 24, 2025; February 13, 2025, |
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| 3 | + | read first time and referred to Committee on Business & Commerce; |
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| 4 | + | March 26, 2025, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 8, |
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| 5 | + | Nays 3; March 26, 2025, sent to printer.) |
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| 6 | + | Click here to see the committee vote |
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| 4 | 7 | | |
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| 5 | 8 | | |
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| 6 | 9 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 10 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 11 | | relating to entities that provide cable services or video services. |
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| 9 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Sections 66.002(2) and (10), Utilities Code, are |
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| 11 | 14 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 15 | | (2) "Cable service" is defined as set forth in 47 |
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| 13 | 16 | | U.S.C. Section 522(6). The term does not include any video |
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| 14 | 17 | | programming accessed via a service that enables users to access |
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| 15 | 18 | | content, information, e-mail, or other services offered over the |
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| 16 | 19 | | Internet, including streaming content. |
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| 17 | 20 | | (10) "Video service" means video programming services |
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| 18 | 21 | | provided through wireline facilities located at least in part in |
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| 19 | 22 | | the public right-of-way without regard to delivery technology, |
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| 20 | 23 | | including Internet protocol technology. The term [This definition] |
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| 21 | 24 | | does not include: |
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| 22 | 25 | | (A) any video service provided by a commercial |
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| 23 | 26 | | mobile service provider as defined in 47 U.S.C. Section 332(d); |
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| 24 | 27 | | (B) direct-to-home satellite services, as |
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| 25 | 28 | | defined in 47 U.S.C. Section 303(v), that are transmitted from a |
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| 26 | 29 | | satellite directly to a customer's premises without using or |
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| 27 | 30 | | accessing a portion of the public right-of-way; or |
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| 28 | 31 | | (C) any video programming accessed via a service |
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| 29 | 32 | | that enables users to access content, information, e-mail, or other |
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| 30 | 33 | | services offered over the Internet, including streaming content. |
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| 31 | 34 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 32 | 35 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 33 | 36 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 34 | 37 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 35 | 38 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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