The Oregon House of Representatives passed a bill Monday that aims to restore "net neutrality" protections for the internet, a little more than two months after the Federal Communications Commission voted to remove rules that enforced those protections.

House Bill 4155 would require that state and local governments contract only with internet companies that abide by the principles of net neutrality. That's a concept that suggests internet providers should not give preferential treatment to certain websites.

The House approved the bill by a vote of 40-17, with several Republicans joining Democrats in support. It now moves to the Senate. Gov. Kate Brown has previously signaled her support of net neutrality.

Advocates of an open internet say that removing net neutrality protections could open the door for Comcast and other large companies to charge websites or customers extra for speedy, reliable access to their sites. The FCC established rules enforcing net neutrality during the Obama administration.

Large internet providers say net neutrality amounts to government intrusion in the internet, which could stifle innovation.

Because federal law limits local authority to regulate the internet, Oregon is one of several states that hope to use their government contracts to encourage online service providers to comply with net neutrality guidelines.

Two of Oregon's major internet providers, Frontier Communications and CenturyLink, say government contracts represent an important part of their business. But Comcast's financial statements give no indication that local government contracts are a major source of its revenue.

-- Mike Rogoway; twitter: @rogoway; 503-294-7699