S. 517 · 113th Congress · enacted
Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act
Became Public Law No: 113-144.
Latest official action 2014-08-01 · Enacted
The bill, briefly
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the Senate on July 10, 2014. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act - Repeals a Library of Congress (LOC) rulemaking determination, made upon the recommendation of the Register of Copyrights, regarding the circumvention of technological measures controlling access to copyrighted software on wireless telephone handsets (mobile telephones) for the purpose of connecting to different wireless telecommunications networks (a practice commonly referred to as "unlocking" such devices). Reestablishes, as an exemption to provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) prohibiting such circumvention, a previous LOC rule permitting the use of computer programs, in the form of firmware or software, that enable used wireless telephone handsets to connect to a wireless telecommunications network, when circumvention is initiated by the owner of the copy of such computer program solely to connect to such a network and access to the network is authorized by the network operator, thus permitting unlocked phones. Directs the Librarian of Congress, upon the recommendation of the Register, to determine whether to extend such exemption to include any other category of wireless devices in addition to wireless telephone handsets (e.g., tablets and other mobile broadband-e…
Congressional Research Service · 2014-08-01
Who reported lobbying on this bill?
Amount spent specifically on this bill: not disclosed
The reports below name this bill and disclose an organization’s overall lobbying expenses or a firm’s client income for the period. They can cover many bills and issues. These amounts are not payments to the bill or its politicians.
No matching lobbying report is imported yet. This is not evidence that no lobbying occurred.
2,409 latest lobbying reports imported. Some source imports are still in progress.
Politicians behind the bill
Sponsors and cosponsors from the official source, limited to members currently in office. Campaign amounts are cycle-wide and are not payments for this bill.
Cosponsor
Chuck Grassley
Senate · IA · Republican
$57,500PAC receipts · 2025–2026
Cosponsor
Mike Lee
Senate · UT · Republican
$241,000PAC receipts · 2025–2026
Cosponsor
Amy Klobuchar
Senate · MN · Democratic
$116,500PAC receipts · 2025–2026
Cosponsor
Sheldon Whitehouse
Senate · RI · Democratic
$55,000PAC receipts · 2025–2026
Cosponsor
John Thune
Senate · SD · Republican
$857,250PAC receipts · 2025–2026
Cosponsor
Michael F. Bennet
Senate · CO · Democratic
$31,000PAC receipts · 2025–2026
Cosponsor
Richard Blumenthal
Senate · CT · Democratic
$109,550PAC receipts · 2025–2026
Cosponsor
Christopher A. Coons
Senate · DE · Democratic
$1,411,794PAC receipts · 2025–2026
10 of 10 source cosponsor records retrieved; only current officials and unwithdrawn sponsorships appear.
PAC donors to the listed sponsors
These are all-cycle contributions to the listed sponsors’ and cosponsors’ campaigns. FEC does not attribute them to this bill. A donation plus sponsorship does not establish why a politician acted.
MORTGAGE BANKERS ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (MORPAC)$31,250
AMERICAN COUNCIL OF ENGINEERING COMPANIES (ACEC/PAC)$20,000
John Thune · Cosponsor · $13,000
Richard Blumenthal · Cosponsor · $5,000
Christopher A. Coons · Cosponsor · $2,000
Official PAC recordENTERPRISE HOLDINGS, INC. / ENTERPRISE MOBILITY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$19,000
VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (VERIZON PAC)$17,000
John Thune · Cosponsor · $10,000
Richard Blumenthal · Cosponsor · $4,500
Christopher A. Coons · Cosponsor · $2,500
Official PAC recordINTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS INTERESTED IN REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION PAC$16,000
Amy Klobuchar · Cosponsor · $3,500
Sheldon Whitehouse · Cosponsor · $2,500
John Thune · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordIHEARTMEDIA, INC. PAC$15,500
John Thune · Cosponsor · $5,000
Richard Blumenthal · Cosponsor · $5,000
Christopher A. Coons · Cosponsor · $5,500
Official PAC recordCHARTER COMMUNICATIONS INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$15,000
DAIRY FARMERS OF AMERICA, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE; AKA DFA-PAC$15,000
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY AEROSPACE EMPLOYEE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (GE AEROSPACE PAC)$15,000
THE CAPITAL GROUP COMPANIES INC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$15,000
THE FARM CREDIT COUNCIL POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$15,000
WALMART INC. PAC FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT$15,000
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (NABPAC)$14,050
Mike Lee · Cosponsor · $2,500
Amy Klobuchar · Cosponsor · $500
Sheldon Whitehouse · Cosponsor · $5,000
John Thune · Cosponsor · $1,000
Richard Blumenthal · Cosponsor · $5,050
Official PAC recordSAMMONS ENTERPRISES INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$14,000
John Thune · Cosponsor · $14,000
Official PAC recordAMERICAN AIRLINES INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (AAPAC)$12,500
AMERICAN RESORT DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION RESORT OWNERS COALITION PAC (ARDA-ROC PAC)$12,500
CONOCOPHILLIPS SPIRIT PAC$12,500
HUMANA INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$12,500
MORGAN STANLEY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$12,500
NATIONAL RURAL LETTER CARRIERS' ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$12,500
THE AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER COMMITTEE FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT$12,500
WSP USA INC. PAC$11,500
COZEN O'CONNOR POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$11,000
Mike Lee · Cosponsor · $5,000
John Thune · Cosponsor · $5,000
Christopher A. Coons · Cosponsor · $1,000
Official PAC recordINVESTMENT COMPANY INSTITUTE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (ICI PAC)$11,000
Mike Lee · Cosponsor · $1,000
Michael F. Bennet · Cosponsor · $5,000
Christopher A. Coons · Cosponsor · $5,000
Official PAC recordNATIONAL MARINE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION AND MARINE RETAILERS ASSOCIATION BOAT PAC$10,500
Mike Lee · Cosponsor · $1,000
Sheldon Whitehouse · Cosponsor · $2,000
John Thune · Cosponsor · $5,000
Christopher A. Coons · Cosponsor · $2,500
Official PAC recordA NEW DIRECTION PAC$10,000
Christopher A. Coons · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordADVANCING DEMOCRACY AND MOBILIZATION PAC$10,000
Christopher A. Coons · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordALLY FINANCIAL INC. ADVOCACY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$10,000
ALSOPAC$10,000
Christopher A. Coons · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordAMERICAN BANKERS ASSOCIATION PAC (BANKPAC)$10,000
Christopher A. Coons · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordAMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE COUNTY & MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES P E O P L E$10,000
Christopher A. Coons · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordAMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, AFL-CIO COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL EDUCATION$10,000
Christopher A. Coons · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordAMERICAN FOREST & PAPER ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$10,000
AMERICAN GAS ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$10,000
AMERICAN MOBILIZATION PAC$10,000
Christopher A. Coons · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordARRAY DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE, INC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$10,000
BLACK & VEATCH POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (BLACK & VEATCH PAC)$10,000
John Thune · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordBLUE WAVE PROJECT$10,000
Christopher A. Coons · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordBP CORPORATION NORTH AMERICA INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (BP NORTH AMERICA EMPLOYEE PAC)$10,000
CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORP. ASSOC. POLITICAL FUND$10,000
Christopher A. Coons · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordThe largest 40 donor totals appear here. Open each politician for their complete, paginated PAC donor list.
What happened after enactment?
Dated agency-reported implementation and uptake measures are shown with their scope. They do not by themselves establish causal success. If no evidence is listed, the outcome is not established.
Measured outcome: not established
Enactment alone does not show whether a law improved its intended outcome. We need a dated evaluation, observed result or verified implementation record before claiming success or failure.