U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today applauded the U.S. House of Representatives bipartisan passage of his legislation to protect Montana small businesses from burdensome regulations found in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) 317-page “net neutrality” rules.
“Hardworking small business owners are already facing uncertainty and more red tape because Washington can’t get its act together,” Daines stated. “The last thing small businesses need is bureaucrats hundreds of miles away telling them what they need to do – it harms the bottom line and job creation.”
Daines led the effort in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives to extend a temporary exemption from the FCC’s so-called “enhanced transparency requirements,” which would require internet service providers to disclose an excess of information about their network performance, some of which may require investing in new equipment and hiring an engineer.
On December 13, Daines urged the FCC to take action and extend the exemption.
The exemption is supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration, American Cable Association, Rural Wireless Association, Competitive Carriers Association, Wireless Internet Service Providers Association, CTIA – The Wireless Association, Rural Broadband Provider Coalition, NTCA – the Rural Broadband Association, and WTA – Advocates for Rural Broadband.
The House of Representatives previously passed this legislation in the 114th Congress on March 16, 2016 with a vote of 411-0.
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