ILLINOIS (WAND) – An Illinois lawmaker is pushing to set up net neutrality in the state.
State Rep. Ann Williams filed House Bill 4819 on Thursday. The legislation is called the Broadband Procurement and Disclosure Act.
In December, the Federal Communications Commission voted to end former President Barack Obama’s net neutrality law, which forced all internet service providers (ISPs) to treat all web content equally. With the repeal, ISPs gained the ability to control content and the speeds at which people access it.
Williams’ bill would require ISPs to honor net neutrality rules as they work with state agencies. It would make ISPs disclose how they manage internet practices.
“Today, an open internet has never been more necessary or vital,” Williams said. “If the FCC is going to choose to move us backward, Illinois will push forward in order to protect net neutrality and keep companies responsible and transparent to their consumers. I am proud to sponsor this legislation and look forward to building a statewide coalition to ensure its passage.”
A total of 21 state attorneys in the U.S. combined to file a lawsuit pushing to cancel out the FCC’s net neutrality repeal decision. Net neutrality started in America in 2015.
