Proposed Bill Would Keep Net Neutrality in Washington State

Since December, prior to the FCC voting to end net neutrality, Washington state legislators have been pushing for and crafting a bill that would essentially keep the rule within our state boundaries.

HB (house bill) 282 is set for hearings and discussion in Olympia this week and next. The bill would be the first in the U.S. If passed, it would allow the state to take legal action and sue any ISP (internet service provider) who commits the following actions:

• blocking a Washington customer from using any internet site
• deliberately slowing internet data speeds for certain users.
• it would also cover the other areas previously dealt with by net neutrality.

The bill, according to KING-5 TV, would also prevent 'favoring' certain content over others. The bill would not only allow the state to sue the ISP but also recover damages. The bill, introduced by several Democratic legislators, has widespread bi-partisan support including a number of Mid-Columbia legislators.

And again to refresh, this is the basic definition of net neutrality, according to Google Dictionary and other sources:

'the principle that Internet service providers should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favoring or blocking particular products or websites."