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Washington Legislature passes net-neutrality bill

Under the measure, internet providers are prohibited from blocking content or impairing traffic.
Proponents of net neutrality protest against Federal Communication Commission Chairman Ajit Pai outside the American Enterprise Institute before his arrival May 5, 2017 in Washington, DC.  (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington Legislature has passed a measure to implement statewide net-neutrality rules in response to the Federal Communications Commission's recent repeal at the federal level.

The Senate passed the House Bill 2282 Tuesday on a bipartisan 35-14 vote and it now goes to Gov. Jay Inslee, who is expected to sign it. The House passed the measure earlier this month on a 93-5 vote.

Under the measure, internet providers are prohibited from blocking content or impairing traffic. The bill also would require providers to disclose information about their management practices, performance and commercial terms. Violations would be enforceable under the state's Consumer Protection Act.

The FCC voted in December to gut the Obama-era rules that meant to prevent broadband companies such as Comcast, AT&T and Verizon from exercising more control over what people watch and see on the internet.

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