[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 678 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 678
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 21, 2021
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for a moratorium on
number reassignment after a disaster declaration, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Preserving Home and Office Numbers
in Emergencies Act of 2021'' or the ``PHONE Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. MORATORIUM ON NUMBER REASSIGNMENT AFTER DISASTER DECLARATION.
(a) In General.--Section 251(e) of the Communications Act of 1934
(47 U.S.C. 251(e)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(5) Moratorium on number reassignment after disaster
declaration.--
``(A) In general.--In the case of a number assigned
to a subscriber for the provision of fixed wireline
voice service at a location in a designated area during
a covered period--
``(i) the number may not be reassigned,
except at the request of the subscriber; and
``(ii) the assignment of the number may not
be rescinded or otherwise modified, except at
the request of the subscriber.
``(B) Extension at request of subscriber.--During
the covered period, at the request of a subscriber
described in subparagraph (A), the prohibition in
subparagraph (A) shall be extended for the number for 1
year after the date on which the covered period
expires.
``(C) Subscriber right to cancel and resubscribe.--
``(i) In general.--In the case of a number
described under subparagraph (A) or (B), if the
subscriber assigned to such number demonstrates
to the provider of the service (or, under
subclause (II), any other provider of fixed
wireline voice service that serves the local
area) that the residence where the number is
located is inaccessible or uninhabitable--
``(I) the provider may not charge
the subscriber an early termination or
other fee in connection with the
cancellation of such service, if
cancelled during the covered period or
the extension of the period described
in subparagraph (B); and
``(II) if the subscriber cancels
the service during the covered period
or the extension of the period
described in subparagraph (B), the
provider (or any other provider of
fixed wireline voice service that
serves the local area)--
``(aa) shall permit the
subscriber to subscribe or
resubscribe, as the case may
be, to fixed wireline voice
service with the number at the
residence or at a different
residence (if such number is
available in the location of
such different residence); and
``(bb) may not charge the
subscriber a connection fee or
any other fee relating to the
initiation of fixed wireline
voice service.
``(ii) Cancellation without demonstration
of inaccessibility or uninhabitability.--If a
subscriber cancels the provision of service
assigned to a number described in subparagraph
(A) or (B) and does not demonstrate to the
provider of such service that the residence
where the number is located is inaccessible or
uninhabitable as described under clause (i),
the number is no longer subject to the
prohibition under subparagraph (A) or (B).
``(D) Identification on commission website.--The
Commission shall publicly identify on the website of
the Commission each designated area that is in a
covered period, not later than 15 days after the
submission of a public designation by a State under
subparagraph (E)(iii) with respect to such area. In
identifying a designated area under subparagraph
(E)(iii), a State shall consult with providers of fixed
wireline voice service that serve such area and
coordinate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency
to reasonably limit the designated area to areas that
have sustained covered damage.
``(E) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
``(i) Covered damage.--The term `covered
damage' means, with respect to an area--
``(I) damage that renders
residences in such area inaccessible or
uninhabitable; or
``(II) damage that otherwise
results in the displacement of
subscribers from or within such area.
``(ii) Covered period.--The term `covered
period' means a period that--
``(I) begins on the date of a
declaration by the President of a major
disaster under section 401 of the
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.
5170) with respect to a designated
area; and
``(II) ends on the date that is 1
year after such date.
``(iii) Designated area.--The term
`designated area' means a geographic area for
which a State has submitted a public
designation to the Commission, within 15 days
after a declaration by the President of a major
disaster under section 401 of the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) with respect to
such area, stipulating that the State has
determined that--
``(I) covered damage was sustained
in such area; and
``(II) the prohibitions described
in this paragraph are necessary and in
the public interest.
``(iv) Voice service.--The term `voice
service' has the meaning given the term `voice
service' in section 227(e)(8).''.
(b) Amendment of FCC Rules Required.--Not later than 180 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications
Commission shall amend its rules to reflect the requirements of
paragraph (5) of section 251(e) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47
U.S.C. 251(e)), as added by subsection (a).
(c) Applicability.--Paragraph (5) of section 251(e) of the
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 251(e)), as added by subsection
(a), shall apply with respect to a major disaster declared by the
President under section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) after the date that is
180 days after the date on which the Commission announces that the
Commission is capable of publicly identifying a designated area on the
website of the Commission under subparagraph (D) of such paragraph (5).
(d) Order of Amendment Execution.--If this Act is enacted before
October 17, 2021, section 3(a) of the National Suicide Hotline
Designation Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-172) is amended, effective on
the date of the enactment of this Act, by striking ``adding at the
end'' and inserting ``inserting after paragraph (3)'', so that the
paragraph (4) that is to be added by such section to section 251(e) of
the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 251(e)) appears after
paragraph (3) of such section 251(e) and before the paragraph (5) added
to such section 251(e) by subsection (a) of this section.
Passed the House of Representatives July 20, 2021.
Attest:
CHERYL L. JOHNSON,
Clerk.