,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cjcd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #h1 #bjaf
 ,mr4 ,cruz 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,lee1 and
 ,mr4 ,lankford7 introduced the         
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
  ,a ,,bill  ,to prohibit the ,national 
,telecommunications and ,information    
,administration from allowing the       
,internet ,assigned ,numbers ,authority 
functions contract to lapse unless      
specifically authorized to do so by an  
,act of ,congress4  #a4 ,short title    
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,protecting ,internet ,freedom ,act4    
#b4 ,findings ,congress finds the       
following3 7#a7 ,the ,department of     
,commerce and the ,national             
,telecommunications and ,information    
,administration 7in this section        
referred to as the ,,ntia7 should be    
responsible for maintaining the         
continuity and stability of services    

related to certain interdependent       
,internet technical management          
functions1 known collectively as the    
,internet ,assigned ,numbers ,authority 
7in this section referred to as the     
,,iana71 which includes--  7,a7 the     
coordination of the assignment of       
technical ,internet protocol parameters2
  7,b7 the administration of certain    
responsibilities associated with the    
,internet domain name system root zone  
management2  7,c7 the allocation of     
,internet numbering resources2 and  7,d7
 other services related to the          
management of the ,advanced ,research   
,project ,agency and ,,int top-level    
domains4  7#b7 ,the interdependent      
technical functions described in        
paragraph 7#a7 were performed on behalf 
of the ,federal ,government under a     
contract between the ,defense ,advanced 
,research ,projects ,agency and the     
,university of ,southern ,california as 
part of a research project known as the 
,tera-node ,network ,technology project4

 ,as the ,tera-node ,network ,technology
 project neared completion and the      
contract neared expiration in #aiii1 the
 ,federal ,government recognized the    
need for the continued performance of   
the ,,iana functions as vital to the    
stability and correct functioning of the
 ,internet4  7#c7 ,the ,,ntia may use   
its contract authority to maintain the  
continuity and stability of services    
related to the ,,iana functions4  7#d7  
,if the ,,ntia uses its contract        
authority1 the contractor1 in the       
performance of its duties1 must have or 
develop a close constructive working    
relationship with all interested and    
affected parties to ensure quality and  
satisfactory performance of the ,,iana  
functions4 ,the interested and affected 
parties include--  7,a7 the             
multi-stakeholder1 private sector led1  
bottom-up policy development model for  
the domain name system that the         
,internet ,corporation for ,assigned    
,names and ,numbers represents2  7,b7   

the ,internet ,engineering ,task ,force 
and the ,internet ,architecture ,board2 
7,c7 ,regional ,internet ,registries2   
7,d7 top-level domain operators and     
managers1 such as country codes and     
generic2  7,e7 governments2 and  7,f7   
the ,internet user community4  7#e7 ,the
 ,,iana functions contract of the       
,department of ,commerce explicitly     
declares that all deliverables provided 
under this contract become the property 
of the ,u4,s4 ,government44 ,one of the 
deliverables is the automated root zone4
  7#f7 ,former ,president ,bill         
,clinton's ,internet czar ,ira          
,magaziner stated that the ,united      
,states paid for the ,internet1 the ,net
 was created under its auspices1 and    
most importantly everything researchers 
did was pursuant to government          
contracts44  7#g7 ,under section #c of  
article ,,iv of the ,constitution of the
 ,united ,states1 ,congress has the     
exclusive power to dispose of and make  
all needful ,rules and ,regulations     

respecting the ,territory or other      
,property belonging to the ,united      
,states4  7#h7 ,the 4gov and 4mil       
top-level domains are the property of   
the ,united ,states ,government1 and as 
property1 the ,united ,states           
,government should have the exclusive   
control and use of those domains in     
perpetuity4  #c4 ,maintaining the ,,iana
 functions contract ,the ,assistant     
,secretary of ,commerce for             
,communications and ,information may not
 allow the responsibility of the        
,national ,telecommunications and       
,information ,administration with       
respect to the ,internet domain name    
system functions1 including             
responsibility with respect to the      
authoritative root zone file and the    
performance of the ,internet ,assigned  
,numbers ,authority functions1 to       
terminate1 lapse1 expire1 be cancelled1 
or otherwise cease to be in effect      
unless a ,federal statute enacted after 
the date of enactment of this ,act      

expressly grants the ,assistant         
,secretary such authority4  #d4         
,exclusive ,united ,states ,government  
ownership and control of 4gov and 4mil  
domains ,not later than #fj days after  
the date of enactment of this ,act1 the 
,assistant ,secretary of ,commerce for  
,communications and ,information shall  
provide to ,congress a written          
certification that the ,united ,states  
,government has--  7#a7 secured sole    
ownership of the 4gov and 4mil top-level
 domains2 and  7#b7 entered into a      
contract with the ,internet ,corporation
 for ,assigned ,names and ,numbers that 
provides that the ,united ,states       
,government has exclusive control and   
use of those domains in perpetuity4