OLYMPIA – Protecting net neutrality in Washington state took a major step forward today with advancement of legislation by the House Committee on Technology & Economic Development. On a bipartisan vote, House Bill 2282 was moved out of the committee and one step closer to a vote by the full House. The measure protects Washington consumers’ access to a free and open internet.
“The net neutrality rules have been protecting a free and open internet for some years now, and we want to maintain these protections for Washington consumers even after they go away at the federal level,” said Rep. Drew Hansen, D-Bainbridge Island, who sponsored the measure.
The bill protects Washington consumers from:
- Blocking of lawful content by internet service providers;
- “Throttling,” or slowing down, of lawful content by internet service providers; and
- Favoring of certain content over others by internet service providers due to special deals (“paid prioritization”)
Last month, the Federal Communications Commission removed net neutrality protections at the federal level, something Hansen calls, “a bad decision.”
Watch Rep. Hansen’s remarks at Governor Inslee’s net neutrality press conference on the FCC’s decision here.