All Information (Except Text) for H.R.3998 - Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act114th Congress (2015-2016)

Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act

(Sec. 2) This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to submit to Congress and publish on the FCC website a study on the public safety benefits, technical feasibility, and cost of providing the public with access to 9-1-1 services during times of emergency when mobile service is unavailable, through:

• telecommunications service provider-owned WiFi access points and other communications technologies operating on unlicensed spectrum, without requiring any login credentials;
• non-telecommunications service provider-owned WiFi access points; and
• other alternative means.

The types of emergencies subject to this bill are: (1) occasions or instances under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act for which the President determines that federal assistance is needed to supplement state and local efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part of the United States; or (2) an emergency declared by the governor of a state or U.S. territory.

(Sec. 3) The Stafford Act is amended to expand the categories of essential service providers that may access a disaster site to restore and repair essential services in an emergency or major disaster without being denied or impeded by a federal agency. Services to be considered essential are wireline or mobile telephone service, Internet access service, radio or television broadcasting, cable service, or direct broadcast satellite service.

Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act

This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to commence proceedings on the provision of roaming agreements between mobile service providers to: (1) allow for mobile service at reasonable rates during emergencies when there is a mobile service outage lasting longer than 24 hours, and (2) provide for roaming agreements at no charge for communications during emergencies to or from 911 services.

The types of emergencies subject to this Act are: (1) occasions or instances under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act for which the President determines that federal assistance is needed to supplement state and local efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part of the United States; or (2) an emergency declared by the governor of a state or U.S. territory.

The FCC must create a master point of contact directory for communications between public safety answering points and telecommunications service providers.

The FCC must also submit a study on mobile service providers supplying outage data to public safety answering points and on making WiFi access points available to the public for 911 services during emergencies.

The Government Accountability Office must report on the resiliency of telecommunications networks power utility during emergencies.

The Stafford Act is amended to include all categories of communications service providers (currently, only telecommunications service providers) among the essential service providers that may access a disaster site to restore and repair essential services in an emergency or major disaster without being denied or impeded by a federal agency. Communications services include wireline and mobile telephone, Internet, radio and television broadcasting, cable, and direct broadcast satellite services.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must: (1) ensure that essential service providers have escorts to relevant locations and priority access to relevant resources, and (2) establish a program to provide credentials to essential service providers to facilitate such access.