Satellite Television Extension Act of 2010
Public Law 111-151 · S. 3186 · 111th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Mar 26, 2010 · Science, Technology, Communications
Sponsor: Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
Cosponsors: None
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.
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Extends through April 30, 2010, the adjustment of royalty fees for the secondary transmission of the primary analog transmissions of network stations and superstations. Extends through such date the moratorium on copyright liability for subscribers not receiving a signal of Grade A intensity of a local network television broadcast station and receiving signals of network stations affiliated with the same network, if such subscribers had satellite service of such network signal terminated between July 11, 1998, and October 31, 1999.
Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to extend through April 30, 2010, the exemption of a subscriber from the originating station consent requirement for retransmission of broadcasting station signals if the subscriber receives the retransmitted signals directly to a home satellite antenna, is located outside the station's local market, and resides in an unserved household.
Extends through May 1, 2010, the requirement that certain Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations prohibit: (1) a television broadcast station that provides retransmission consent from engaging in exclusive contracts for carriage or failing to negotiate in good faith; and (2) a multichannel video programming distributor from failing to negotiate in good faith for retransmission consent.
Committees
The record shows no committee referral for this bill.
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
The record lists no related bills.
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. 12 actions.
- Mar 26, 2010Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 111-151.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Mar 25, 2010FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Maffei asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
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
No amendments to this bill are on record.
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.