House File 2656 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 2656
BY SCHOLTEN
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to professional sporting league broadcasting
2 blackouts.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 477A.13 Professional sports league
2 —— broadcasting blackout prohibition.
3 1. For purposes of this section, “blackout” means the
4 nonairing of a cable, video, or satellite professional sporting
5 league event broadcast on a local broadcast station.
6 2. For purposes of this section, “sports broadcasting
7 entity” means and includes all of the following:
8 a. An internet-based streaming platform that allows for the
9 live viewing of professional sporting league event broadcasts.
10 b. A person providing cable service or video service in this
11 state.
12 3. For purposes of this section, “professional sporting
13 league” means and includes the national football league,
14 major league baseball, national hockey league, and national
15 basketball association.
16 4. A sports broadcasting entity shall be prohibited from
17 preventing professional sporting league event broadcasting
18 through a blackout to paying customers of the sports
19 broadcasting entity, unless the professional sports team
20 seeking the blackout plays at least one game in the state of
21 Iowa during the season in which the professional sports team
22 is seeking the blackout.
23 EXPLANATION
24 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
25 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
26 This bill relates to professional sporting league
27 broadcasting blackouts.
28 The bill defines “blackout” to mean the nonairing of a cable,
29 video, or satellite professional sporting league event that
30 is broadcast on a local broadcast station. The bill defines
31 “sports broadcasting entity” to mean and include specified
32 internet-based streaming platforms and a person providing
33 cable service or video service in Iowa. The bill prohibits
34 a sports broadcasting entity from preventing professional
35 sporting league event broadcasting through a blackout to paying
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 H.F. 2656
1 customers, unless the professional sporting league team seeking
2 the blackout plays at least one game in the state of Iowa
3 during the season in which the professional sporting league
4 team is seeking the blackout.
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