On Thursday, October 15, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved by voice vote, H.R. 2994, the Satellite Home Viewer Reauthorization Act of 2009.

Prior to final passage, the Committee approved two amendments. The first amendment was a manager's amendment offered by Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (CA-30) that made changes to the version of the bill the House Telecommunications, Technology, and the Internet Subcommittee approved earlier this year. The second amendment was offered by Rep. Anna Eshoo (CA-14) and would require the DISH Network to carry local public television stations in high definition if they carry other local stations in high definition. The manager's amendment passed by voice vote and the Eshoo amendment was approved by a vote of 31-20. Rep. Bart Stupak (MI-01) also offered, but then withdrew, an amendment that would require both satellite providers to deliver local-into-local programming in every market in the country within one year. Rep. Stupak withdrew his amendment after receiving assurances from the DISH Network that DISH would provide local-into-local service in every market in the country within two years, if not sooner.

The Senate Commerce Committee is next to act on this legislation and once it approves its version of this bill, the House and Senate Commerce and Judiciary members will meet to merge all four versions of this reauthorization into one bill and pass it in both chambers of Congress.