The Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 or STELA is one of the

acts of the 111th United States Congress The acts of the 111th United States Congress include all laws enacted and treaties ratified by the 111th United States Congress, which lasted from January 3, 2009 to January 3, 2011. Such acts include public and private laws, which were enacted ...

. It renewed the Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act of 2004 and the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act of 1999 (SHVIA), which govern the retransmission of broadcast television content by satellite companies. The act renewed statutory licenses that allow satellite TV companies to retransmit broadcast stations to their customers for five years. The licenses had been set to expire at the end of May 2010, and the bill also included measures to modernize and simplify licensing processes and encourage satellite providers to make more local content available. The bill was initially sponsored by Sen.

Jay Rockefeller John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV (born June 18, 1937) is a retired American politician who served as a United States senator from West Virginia (1985–2015). He was first elected to the Senate in 1984, while in office as governor of West Virg ...

, a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

from

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

, and co-sponsored by Sen.

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party (Unite ...

, a

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

Democrat. It cleared the

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation The United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is a standing committee of the United States Senate. Besides having broad jurisdiction over all matters concerning interstate commerce, science and technology policy, a ...

in November 2009. It was reintroduced as , this time by Sen. Pat Leahy of Vermont, on May 7, 2010, and passed the same day. On May 12, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010. Provisions set to expire on May 31, 2010, were extended to December 31, 2014, and new provisions will sunset on December 31, 2014. On May 6, 2014, Rep.

Greg Walden Gregory Paul Walden (born January 10, 1957) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1999 to 2021. He is a Republican. Walden is the son of three-term Oregon State Representative Paul E. Walden. In October 2019 ...

introduced the

STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014 (H.R. 4572; 113th Congress) The STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014 () is a bill related to the regulation of satellite broadcasting in the United States. The bill was introduced into the United States House of Representatives during the 113th United States Congress. Backgro ...

, a bill that would extend some of the provisions of STELA 2010.

References

{{US-fed-statute-stub United States federal communications legislation Acts of the 111th United States Congress Federal Communications Commission