Bill > S4173

This bill, the CALM Modernization Act of 2022, amends the existing CALM (Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation) Act to include video streaming services. The key provisions are: 1) It establishes a rebuttable presumption that broadcast stations, cable operators, and other video distributors are in compliance with CALM Act regulations if they install and use the required equipment. The FCC can rebut this presumption based on factors like the number and patterns of loud commercial complaints. 2) It requires the FCC to issue regulations prohibiting video streaming services from transmitting commercial audio louder than the accompanying video content, similar to the existing CALM Act regulations. The new regulations must take effect within 180 days, with a possible 1-year extension for streaming services facing financial hardship. 3) It empowers the FCC to enforce the CALM Act and new streaming regulations as part of the Communications Act, including through forfeiture penalties without prior citation. 4) It directs the GAO to analyze the effectiveness of the CALM Act in moderating commercial loudness and evaluate the FCC's ability to enforce it, and to recommend policy solutions as appropriate.