Cable Consumer Rights Act of 2003

The Cable Consumer Rights Act of 2003 was a legislative proposal designed to restore the government's authority to regulate cable television prices. The bill sought to repeal parts of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that had removed federal and local oversight of cable service rates.

If enacted, the bill would have allowed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and local franchising authorities to set limits on how much cable companies could charge customers for their services. The primary goal was to provide a mechanism for controlling rising subscription costs by reinstating regulatory rules that existed prior to 1996. Ultimately, the bill did not move past the committee stage and did not become law.