WASHINGTON - Network neutrality surfaced in Congress on Thursday when Reps. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Chip Pickering, R-Miss., introduced the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008.

Markey's office told Ars Technica the proposed act aims to "ensure that the historic open-architecture nature of the Internet will be preserved and fostered for the consumers, content providers and high-tech innovators of the future."

According to a draft version, the act would not try to legislate network neutrality. It adds a "broadband policy" section to the Communications Act to lay out a few general principles.

The act would call for the FCC to look into whether Internet service providers are "blocking, thwarting or unreasonably interfering" with consumers' ability to use any device and access any website.

The act also would direct the FCC to hold at least eight public "broadband summits" around the country to "assess competition, consumer protection and consumer choice issues related to broadband Internet access services."

The FCC also would be directed to make it simple for people to submit comments online.

SaveTheInternet.com, a group that supports network neutrality, has called the bill "a blow to the gatekeepers."

While the law would direct the FCC to hold public hearings on these issues, the commission announced on Thursday that it plans to hold at least one public hearing on "broadband network management practices," with an eye toward ruling on Comcast's practices.

The public hearing will be held at 10 a.m. Feb. 26 at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Mass.