Television Decoder Circuitry Act of 1990
Public Law 101-431 · S. 1974 · 101st Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Oct 15, 1990 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Cosponsors (16): Sen. John McCain, Sen. Daniel Inouye,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Television Decoder Circuitry Act of 1990 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require that any television with at least a 13-inch screen which is manufactured, or imported for use, in the United States be equipped with built-in decoder circuitry designed to display closed-captioned TV transmissions.
Prohibits shipping in interstate commerce, manufacturing, assembling, or importing any such television except pursuant to rules prescribed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Requires such rules to provide performance and display standards for such built-in decoder circuitry.
Directs the FCC, as new video technology is developed, to ensure that closed-captioning service continues to be available to consumers.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Energy and Commerce Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Communications Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.
- Oct 15, 1990Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 101-431.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 4, 1990PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 1, 1990FloorFloor · A similar measure H.R. 4267 was laid on the table without objection.
- FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Markey asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Sep 24, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Sep 5, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Aug 2, 1990FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- Jul 25, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Jun 27, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Jun 20, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Communications Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Nov 21, 1989CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.