Wikipedia:SOPA initiative/Legislative timeline

Rough Legislative Timeline
Jimmy asked that we provide an estimated timeline for the critical legislative steps regarding SOPA. As a supplement to the appendix to my blog, we are setting out below some rough estimates as to possible dates for some of the key legislative steps. As you may know, it is extremely hard to predict timelines in Congress. Below are just one possible set of dates. This timetable assumes success for the proponents at each stage. There are a number of points where there could be either (1) a failure (back to the drawing boards for new legislation) or (2) a referral back to the Judiciary Committee for more work.

With those caveats in mind, here are my guesses for now:


 * House Judiciary Committee Markup
 * Only partially completed and adjourned, December 16: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/updates/2896


 * House Judiciary Committee Markup on December 21
 * Postponed. See: http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/markups112.html


 * House Returns for Second Session of the 112th Congress
 * January 17, 2012 (6:30 p.m. EST)


 * House Judiciary Committee Markup
 * Postponed until about February


 * House Oversight Committee (scheduled by Rep. Issa ) expert hearing on SOPA
 * Cancelled


 * Senate Cloture Vote on PROTECTIP & Senate Vote
 * January 23-24, 2012 - See http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57345187-281/senate-will-vote-next-month-on-protect-ip-copyright-bill/
 * This is an IMPORTANT read: http://www.publicknowledge.org/blog/pipa%E2%80%99s-january-24th-vote-and-how-filibuster-w


 * House Manager’s Amendment
 * Possible amendments to the House SOPA bill that were not voted on in committee – January 30, 2012
 * New bill submitted to the floor – second week in February 2012


 * House Rules Committee Hearing
 * Third week in February 2012


 * House Floor Time
 * Second week March 2012


 * Conference Committee
 * Dependent on action on PROTECTIP in the Senate - likely late March/early April 2012.


 * Conference Bill to the Floor of the House
 * Early-Mid-April 2012


 * Sent for Presidential Signature
 * http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/200133-gop-chairman-expects-obama-to-sign-anti-piracy-bill
 * http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111226/23082117192/would-obama-veto-sopa-extremely-doubtful.shtml

Geoffbrigham (talk) 20:01, 20 December 2011 (UTC)

Updates
- Stephen LaPorte (WMF) 03:47, 18 January 2012 (UTC)
 * Amendments in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 3261 Offered by Mr. Smith of Texas
 * Stop Online Piracy Act Markup to Resume in February