US: draft bill requiring Congress approval for the IANA stewardship transition

US senator Ted Cruz is circulating a draft bill that, if enacted, would prevent the US government from transitioning its stewardship over the Domain Name System (DNS) towards the global multistakeholder community, without Congress approval. According to the proposed legislation, titled ‘Protecting Internet Freedom Act’, the responsibility of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration with respect to the DNS and the authoritative root zone file could cease to be in effect only if authorised by Congress through a Federal statute.