A bill to amend title 17, United States Code, to clarify the definition of the local service area of a primary transmitter in the case of a low power television station.
Public Law 99-397 · H.R. 3108 · 99th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Aug 27, 1986 · Commerce
Sponsor: Rep. Robert Kastenmeier (D-WI-2)
Cosponsors (13): Rep. Rick Boucher, Rep. Ronald Marlenee,
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- 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.
Amends the copyright law to redefine the local service area of a primary transmitter in the case of a low power television station for secondary transmission purposes.
Eliminates certain notice of identity and notice of change requirements for cable systems.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Judiciary Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet 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. 15 actions.
- Aug 27, 1986Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-397.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Aug 20, 1986PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Aug 15, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments.
- Aug 9, 1986FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Jul 28, 1986FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- Jun 3, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
- May 6, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Judiciary Committee
- Jan 22, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Aug 5, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Jul 30, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
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.