HCR 23 - AS INTRODUCED
2000 SESSION
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 23
A RESOLUTION urging the United States Congress to allow greater state and local regulation of cable television services and greater choice for cable television subscribers.
SPONSORS: Rep. Larrabee, Merr 9
COMMITTEE: State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs
This house concurrent resolution urges the United States Congress to enact legislation allowing states and local franchising authorities to regulate the rates that cable television providers may charge to subscribers and requiring cable television providers to permit subscribers to select and decline individual channels.
00-2566
03/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand
A RESOLUTION urging the United States Congress to allow greater state and local regulation of cable television services and greater choice for cable television subscribers.
Whereas, television has become a medium of great importance as a source of information and entertainment to the citizens of New Hampshire; and
Whereas, cable television often provides the only access to quality television signals in many areas of New Hampshire; and
Whereas, cable television services in New Hampshire are not subject to effective competition; and
Whereas, the price of cable television services has been increasing at a rate that is significantly higher than the rate of increase for other goods or services; and
Whereas, increases in the price of cable television services have been due, in part, to the addition of services that many cable subscribers do not utilize; and
Whereas, federal law does not regulate cable television rates and gives cable providers virtually unlimited discretion in the packaging of service tiers; and
Whereas, federal law prohibits state and local regulation of cable television rates and the packaging of service tiers; and
Whereas, the New Hampshire Constitution grants the general court authority "to enact laws to prevent the operations within the state of all persons and associations, and all trusts and corporations, foreign or domestic, and the officers thereof, who endeavor to raise the price of any article of commerce or to destroy free and fair competition in the trades and industries through combination, conspiracy, monopoly, or any other unfair means; to control and regulate the acts of all such persons, associations, corporations, trusts, and officials doing business within the state; to prevent fictitious capitalization; and to authorize civil and criminal proceedings in respect to all the wrongs herein declared against"; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
That the general court respectfully urges the United States Congress to enact legislation allowing states and local franchising authorities to regulate the rates that cable television providers may charge to subscribers, including charges for any and all tiers of service; and
That the general court respectfully urges the United States Congress to enact legislation requiring cable television providers to permit subscribers to select and decline individual channels that they desire to have or not to have, so that subscribers are not forced to buy programming that they do not want simply to be able to have programming that they do want; and
That copies of this resolution, signed by the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate, be forwarded by the house clerk to the President of the United States, to the President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, to the chairpersons of the committees of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives having jurisdiction over telecommunications, and to each member of the New Hampshire Congressional delegation.