Senate Majority Leader Duff Announces Plans to Introduce Connecticut Net Neutrality Legislation in 2018 Session

Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) today announced that he will introduce legislation in the 2018 legislative session of the General Assembly aimed at protecting Connecticut businesses and consumers from the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) rollback of net neutrality rules.

“Small businesses and consumers will be the biggest losers as a result of the FCC’s damaging discarding of net neutrality rules,” said Senator Duff. “Preserving open internet is good for Connecticut’s businesses, startups, students and consumers.”

During the Obama administration, the FCC voted to adopt strong, open Internet rules to ensure that Americans reap the economic, social and civic benefits of an open Internet, including the preservation of net neutrality.

Senator Duff will seek to draft legislation to hold companies to their commitments not to block websites, throttle speeds, or impose prioritization pricing and to establish a process for internet service providers (ISPs) to certify that they will not engage in practices inconsistent with net neutrality principles.

Additionally, Senator Duff will seek to include language in his proposed legislation to hold companies accountable for warranties made to consumers as well as amend Connecticut’s consumer protection laws to include the principles of net neutrality.

Senator Duff continued, “It is disturbing but not all surprising that once again the Trump Administration appointees have voted against the interests of everyday Americans. You don’t need to be a psychic to predict that the cable giants will raise rates, block content and potentially slow down services for residents across Connecticut. While there is no substitute for federal regulation, we will work at the state level to try mitigate the consequences of this week’s decision.”