Broadband Data Improvement Act
Public Law 110-385 · S. 1492 · 110th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Oct 10, 2008 · Science, Technology, Communications
Sponsor: Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Cosponsors (22): Sen. Byron Dorgan, Sen. Mark Pryor,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
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.
Title I: Broadband Data Improvement - Broadband Data Improvement Act - (Sec. 103) Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC): (1) to compile a list of geographical areas that are not served by any provider of advanced telecommunications capability (high-speed, switched, broadband telecommunications capability that enables users to originate and receive high-quality voice, data, graphics, and video telecommunications); (2) when census data is available, to determine the population, population density, and average per capita income for each area; and (3) to make certain international comparisons.
Requires the FCC to conduct and make public periodic surveys of consumers in urban, suburban, and rural areas in the large business, small business, and residential consumer markets to evaluate the national characteristics of broadband service capability.
Requires expansion of the American Community Survey conducted by the Bureau of the Census to elicit information, including for native lands, to determine what households own or use a computer, if they subscribe to Internet service and, if so, by dial-up or broadband.
(Sec. 104) Requires the Comptroller General to report to specified congressional committees on additional broadband metrics or standards that may be used by industry or the federal government to provide users with more accurate information about the cost and capability of their broadband connection and to better compare the deployment and penetration of broadband in the United States with other countries.
(Sec. 105) Requires the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, subject to appropriations, to report to specified congressional committees on the impact of broadband speed and price on small businesses.
(Sec. 106) Directs the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) make competitive grants to develop and implement statewide initiatives to identify and track the availability and adoption of broadband services within each state; and (2) create a web page on the Department of Commerce website that aggregates relevant information made available to the public by grant recipients, including hypertext links to any geographic inventory maps created by grant recipients.
Requires that the FCC provide eligible entities electronic access to aggregate data (subject to exception) collected by the FCC from broadband service providers. Defines "eligible entity" as an entity that is: (1) either an agency or instrumentality of a state (or a state's subdivision), a nonprofit organization, or certain independent agencies; and (2) the single eligible entity designated by the state to receive such a grant.
Title II: Protecting Children - Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act - Subtitle A: Promoting a Safe Internet for Children - (Sec. 211) Declares that the issue of Internet safety includes issues regarding the use of the Internet in a manner that promotes safe online activity for children, protects children from cybercrimes, including crimes by online predators, and helps parents shield their children from material that is inappropriate for minors.
(Sec. 212) Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to carry out a nationwide program to increase public awareness and provide education on strategies to promote safe Internet use by children. Requires annual reports to specified congressional committees.
(Sec. 214) Directs the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to establish an Online Safety and Technology working group to review and evaluate: (1) the status of industry efforts to promote online safety for children; (2) the status of industry efforts to promote online safety by service providers and remote computing services by reporting apparent child pornography under specified provisions; (3) the record-keeping practices of electronic communications and remote computing service providers in connection with crimes against children; and (4) the development of technologies to help parents protect their children from inappropriate material on the Internet. Requires the working group to report to the Assistant Secretary and specified congressional committees.
Renders the Federal Advisory Committee Act inapplicable to the working group.
(Sec. 215) Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require elementary and secondary schools with computer access to the Internet to educate minors about appropriate online behavior, including online interaction with other individuals in social networking websites and in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness and response.
Subtitle B: Enhancing Child Pornography Enforcement - (Sec. 221) Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to impose a forfeiture penalty on any person determined by the FCC to have violated specified provisions relating to the sexual exploitation of minors.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee · Senate · hearings by, markup by, referred to, reported by
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.
Related bills
4 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 3627Related bill
Connect The Nation Act
H.R. 3893Related bill
Connect America Now Act
S. 1190Related bill
Connect The Nation Act
S. 1965Related bill
Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 27 actions.
- Oct 10, 2008Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 110-385.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 2, 2008FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Oct 1, 2008FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Sep 30, 2008Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendments to Senate bill.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Sep 29, 2008FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Markey asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged.
- Sep 27, 2008FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Sep 26, 2008FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Sep 16, 2008CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 110-1225.
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Oct 24, 2007CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 441.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Inouye with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 110-204.
- Jul 19, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- May 24, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- CommitteeCommittee · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6860)
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
3 amendments offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 5665SenateSen. Daniel InouyeD-HI· offered Sep 26, 2008Agreed to
To make technical and minor changes to the substitute amendment.
Sep 26, 2008: Amendment SA 5665 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 5664SenateSen. Daniel InouyeD-HI· offered Sep 26, 2008Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Sep 26, 2008: Amendment SA 5664 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
- Agreed to
H.Amdt. 1189HouseRep. Ed MarkeyD-MA-7· offered Sep 29, 2008Agreed to
An amendment to make technical and clarifying changes.
Sep 29, 2008: On agreeing to the Markey amendment (A001) Agreed to without objection.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.