April 9, 2025
Ms. Lee of Florida (for herself and Mr. Veasey) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
To amend section 1362 of title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the destruction of broadband internet access service.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Stopping the Theft and Destruction of Broadband Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Prohibiting destruction of broadband internet access service
Section 1362 of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
(1)
by inserting , including facilities used to provide broadband internet access service
after means of communication
;
(2)
by inserting or by any other person or entity
after operated or controlled by the United States
;
(3)
by striking used or intended to be used for the military or civil defense functions of the United States
; and
(4)
by adding at the end the following:
For purposes of this section, the term
broadband internet access service—(1)
means a mass-market retail service by wire or radio that provides the capability to transmit data to and receive data from all or substantially all internet endpoints, including any capabilities that are incidental to and enable the operation of the communications service, but excluding dial-up internet access service; and
(2)
includes any service that the Federal Communications Commission finds to be providing a functional equivalent of the service described in paragraph (1).