# 119-hr-5290: Cable Transparency Act

119-hr-5290, Cable Transparency Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14] (R-TX); status introduced (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5290
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-5290
- Congress: 119
- Title: Cable Transparency Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-09-10
- Sponsor: Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14] (R-TX)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Streamlines how cable franchising requirements can be changed or ended.** This bill would create a formal process for cable operators to seek elimination or modification of franchise requirements, set firm deadlines for local franchising authorities, and revise how franchise terms and revocations work. - Cable operators would get a defined path to ask to remove or change franchise requirements. Requests must meet completeness rules, can cite "commercial impracticability," and would be judged against a requirement to maintain the mix, quality, and level of cable services in place when the franchise was granted. - Franchising authorities would face strict timelines. They would generally have 120 days to act on complete elimination or modification requests and 90 days after an operator-initiated revocation request for the operator to effect revocation. - Subscribers and local communities would keep protections for public, educational, or governmental access. Except for those services, an authority that misses the deadline would have the elimination or modification deemed to have occurred. - Courts and the Commission would have clear review paths. The bill would provide standards-based judicial review, de novo administrative or judicial review of revocations, and appeal and stay procedures.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Clear rules to end or revoke franchises: benefit, low. If enacted, operators could ask in writing to end a franchise. If the request is complete, the authority must revoke it 90 days after receipt, or it would be deemed revoked the next day. A franchising authority could revoke only for a knowing, willful, substantial failure to meet a material rule, a…
- Faster franchise rule changes for cable: benefit, low. If enacted, cable operators could ask to remove or change a franchise rule. A request would be complete if the operator takes the first step the authority requires and no written notice lists missing items within 30 days. Electronic filings count when sent; in‑person when delivered. The authority w…
- When these cable rules would apply: mixed, low. If enacted, these changes would start six months after the bill becomes law. They would apply to franchises granted on or after that date. They would also apply to older franchises still in effect, and to expired franchises if the operator kept performing under the old terms.

## Related bills

- 119-hr-3816: Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025
- 119-hr-5089: Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025
- 119-hr-137: TCJA Permanency Act
- 119-hr-5582: Patients Deserve Price Tags Act
- 119-hr-4317: PBM Reform Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-5290 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5290)

## Related
- [119-hr-3816: Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3816)
- [119-hr-5089: Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5089)
- [119-hr-137: TCJA Permanency Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-137)
- [119-hr-5582: Patients Deserve Price Tags Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5582)
- [119-hr-4317: PBM Reform Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4317)
- [119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1229)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5290 (as of 2026-04-21).