2018 -- H 7422

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LC003674

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- THE NET NEUTRALITY

PROTECTION ACT OF 2018

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Regunberg, O`Grady, Ruggiero, Ajello, and Filippi

     Date Introduced: February 02, 2018

     Referred To: House Corporations

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Title 39 of the General Laws entitled "PUBLIC UTILITIES AND

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CARRIERS" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

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CHAPTER 19.1

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THE NET NEUTRALITY PROTECTION ACT OF 2018

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     39-19.1-1. Purpose.

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     In the course of its regular obligations, a state or municipality may be involved in the

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purchase and/or funding of broadband Internet access services.

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     Specifically, the state or municipality may purchase Internet access services as the direct

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end user of those services, such as when it purchases them for use by government employees at a

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state or municipal agency. The state or municipality may also purchase Internet access services

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for the benefit of nongovernmental end users, such as through the provision of public Wi-Fi

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access or Internet access services at a public school or library. Finally, the state or municipality

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may provide grant funds to a public-benefit entity, such as a local nonprofit, so it may purchase

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Internet access services for its own employees and/or clients. In each instance, a state or

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municipality's objectives as the direct purchaser or funder of such Internet access services cannot

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be achieved where those access services are provided in a biased manner; to wit, the Internet

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access service provider may unilaterally decide to favor certain Internet content over other

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content. Such content discrimination risks impeding the end users of the state or municipality

 

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purchased or funded Internet access services from receiving full, fair, accurate, and equal access

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to all Internet content, from which they can arrive at independent decisions as to what information

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they favor.

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     Internet access services that fail to provide unbiased access to the Internet, through a

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commitment to the net neutrality principals detailed below, fall far short of satisfying the state or

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municipality's interests in purchasing or funding such services.

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     The purpose of this chapter is to ensure that any Internet access services purchased or

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funded by the state or municipality are provided in an unbiased manner, consistent with net

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neutrality principles, so as to meet the state or municipality's minimum standards as the purchaser

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or funder of such services.

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     39-19.1-2. Definitions.

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     (1)“Broadband Internet access service” shall mean a mass-market retail service by wire

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or radio that provides the capability to transmit data to and receive data from all or substantially

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all Internet endpoints, including any capabilities that are incidental to and enable the operation of

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the communications service, but excluding dial-up Internet access service. This term also

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encompasses any service that the commission finds to be providing a functional equivalent of the

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service described in the previous sentence, or that is used to evade the protections set forth in this

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chapter.

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     (2)‘‘Content, applications, and services'' shall mean all traffic transmitted to or from end

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users of a broadband Internet access service, including traffic that may not fit clearly into any of

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these categories.

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     (3) “Edge provider” shall mean any person or entity that provides any content,

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application, or service over the Internet, and any person or entity that provides a device used for

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accessing any content, application, or service over the Internet.

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     (4) “End user” shall mean any person or entity that uses a broadband Internet access

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service.

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     (5) “Fixed broadband Internet access service” shall mean a broadband Internet access

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service that serves end users primarily at fixed endpoints using stationary equipment. Fixed

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broadband Internet access service includes fixed wireless services (including fixed unlicensed

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wireless services), and fixed satellite services.

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     (6) “Mobile broadband Internet access service” shall mean a broadband Internet access

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service that serves end users primarily using mobile stations.

 

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     (7) ‘‘Paid prioritization'' shall mean the management of a broadband Internet access

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service provider's network to directly or indirectly favor some traffic over other traffic, including

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through use of techniques such as traffic shaping, prioritization, resource reservation, or other

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forms of preferential traffic management, either (i) in exchange for consideration (monetary or

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otherwise) from a third party, or (ii) to benefit an affiliated entity.

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     (8) “Reasonable network management” shall mean a network management practice is a

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practice that has a primarily technical network management justification, but does not include

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other business practices. A network management practice is reasonable if it is primarily used for

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and tailored to achieving a legitimate network management purpose, taking into account the

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particular network architecture and technology of the broadband Internet access

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     39-19.1-3. Prohibition on purchasing or funding biased broadband Internet access

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services.

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     Except as otherwise prohibited by law, neither the state or a municipality, nor any agency

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or subdivisions thereof, shall:

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     (1) Purchase any fixed or mobile broadband Internet access services that are not in full

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compliance with the provisions of this chapter; or

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     (2) Provide funding for the purchase of any fixed or mobile broadband Internet access

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services that are not in full compliance with the provisions of this chapter.

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     39-19.1-4. Transparency.

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     A person or entity engaged in the provision of fixed or mobile broadband Internet access

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services purchased or funded by the state or a municipality shall publicly disclose accurate

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information regarding the network management practices, performance, and commercial terms of

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its broadband Internet access services sufficient for end users of those purchased or funded

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services, including the state or a municipality, to fully and accurately ascertain if the service is in

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compliance with the provisions of this chapter.

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     39-19.1-5. No blocking.

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     A person or entity engaged in the provision of fixed or mobile broadband Internet access

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services purchased or funded by the state or municipality, insofar as such person or entity is so

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engaged, shall not block lawful content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices, subject to

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reasonable network management.

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     39-19.1-6. No throttling.

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     A person or entity engaged in the provision of fixed or mobile broadband Internet access

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services purchased or funded by the state or municipality, insofar as such person or entity is so

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engaged, shall not impair or degrade lawful Internet traffic on the basis of Internet content,

 

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application, or service, or use of a non-harmful device, subject to reasonable network

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management.

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     39-19.1-7. No paid prioritization.

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     A person or entity engaged in the provision of fixed or mobile broadband Internet access

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services purchased or funded by the state or municipality, insofar as such person or entity is so

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engaged, shall not engage in paid prioritization. The state or municipality may waive the ban on

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paid prioritization as to a particular purchased or funded Internet access services only if the

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petitioner demonstrates that the practice would provide some significant public interest benefit

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and would not harm the open nature of the provided Internet access services.

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     39-19.1-8. Unreasonable interference of unreasonable discrimination.

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     Any person or entity engaged in the provision of fixed or mobile broadband Internet

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access services purchased or funded by the state or municipality, insofar as such person or entity

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is so engaged, shall not unreasonably interfere with or unreasonably disadvantage end users'

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ability to select, access, and use broadband Internet access service or the lawful Internet content,

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applications, services, or devices of their choice, or edge providers' ability to make lawful

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content, applications, services, or devices available to end users. Reasonable network

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management shall not be considered a violation of this rule.

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     39-19.1-9. Other laws and considerations.

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     Nothing in this chapter supersedes any obligation or authorization a provider of fixed or

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mobile broadband Internet access service may have to address the needs of emergency

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communications or law enforcement, public safety, or national security authorities, consistent

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with or as permitted by applicable law, or limits the provider's ability to do so. Nothing in this

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chapter prohibits reasonable efforts by a fixed or mobile provider of broadband Internet access

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service to address copyright infringement or other unlawful activity.

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     39-19.1-10. Monopoly exception.

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     Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter, it shall not be a violation of this chapter

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for the state or municipality, or an agency or subdivisions thereof, to purchase or fund fixed

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broadband Internet access services in a geographic location where such services are only

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available from a single broadband Internet access service provider.

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     39-19.1-11. Severability.

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     The provisions in this chapter are severable. If any part or provision of this chapter, or the

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application of this chapter to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the remainder of this

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chapter, including the application of such part or provisions to other persons or circumstances,

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shall not be affected by such holding and shall continue to have force and effect.

 

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- THE NET NEUTRALITY

PROTECTION ACT OF 2018

***

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     This act would establish the Net Neutrality Protection Act of 2018, prohibiting

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unreasonable interference with or unreasonably disadvantaging end users' ability to select, access,

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and use broadband Internet access service or the lawful Internet content, applications, services, or

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devices of their choice, or edge providers' ability to make lawful content, applications, services,

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or devices available to end users.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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