[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2815 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2815

   To provide for the nationwide designation of 2-1-1 as a toll-free 
   telephone number for access to information and referrals on human 
   services, to encourage the deployment of the toll-free telephone 
                    number, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 29, 2000

Mr. Cleland (for himself and Ms. Snowe) introduced the following bill; 
    which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide for the nationwide designation of 2-1-1 as a toll-free 
   telephone number for access to information and referrals on human 
   services, to encourage the deployment of the toll-free telephone 
                    number, 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. NATIONWIDE DESIGNATION OF TOLL-FREE TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR 
              ACCESS TO HUMAN SERVICES INFORMATION AND REFERRAL.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) N-1-1 codes, or 3-digit abbreviated dialing telephone 
        numbers, provide Americans with easy, efficient, nationwide 
        access to emergency and nonemergency information that serves 
        the public interest.
            (2) Individuals and families often find it difficult to 
        navigate the complex and ever growing maze of human services 
        agencies and programs and often spend inordinate amounts of 
        time in trying to identify the agency or program that provides 
        a service that may be immediately or urgently required.
            (3) Americans desire to volunteer and become involved in 
        their communities, and this desire, together with a desire to 
        donate to organizations which provide human services, are among 
        the reasons to call a center which provides information and 
        referrals on human services.
            (4) The number ``2-1-1'' is easy-to-remember and 
        universally recognizable and would serve well as the 
        designation of a telephone service for linking individuals and 
        families to information and referral centers which could, in 
        turn, make critical connections between individuals and 
        families in need and appropriate human services agencies, 
        including both community-based organizations and government 
        agencies.
            (5) United Ways and other non-profit and governmental 
        centers that provide information about and referrals to human 
        services have secured funding for the establishment, 
        implementation, and current operation in the United States of 
        three centers that provide such information and referrals and 
        are accessed through the telephone number 2-1-1.
            (6) United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, Contact Helpline of 
        Columbus, Georgia, and United Way of Connecticut currently 
        utilize the telephone number 2-1-1 for the purpose of access to 
        information about and referral to human services.
            (7) Since United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta and United Way 
        of Connecticut switched from 10-digit telephone numbers for 
        access to their centers of information and referral on human 
        services to the telephone number 2-1-1 for access to such 
        centers, the volume of calls received at such centers has 
        increased by approximately 40 percent. The centers of United 
        Way of Metropolitan Atlanta and United Way of Connecticut each 
        handled approximately 200,000 calls in 1999.
            (8) Rapid deployment nationwide of the telephone number 2-
        1-1 as a means of access to information about and referral to 
        human services requires coordination among State governments 
        and the information and referral centers of many localities.
            (9) Alabama, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Utah have 
        approved petitions for the implementation of the telephone 
        number 2-1-1 statewide for that purpose, and implementation of 
        the use of that number for that purpose is underway. 
        Jurisdictions in Louisiana and Tennessee have also designated 
        the use of 2-1-1 for that purpose.
            (10) Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin are 
        considering petitions to designate the telephone number 2-1-1 
        for that purpose.
            (11) Florida and Virginia have developed statewide models 
        for telephone access for that purpose.
            (12) The use of 2-1-1 for that purpose is being considered 
        by nearly every other State.
    (b) Designation of Toll-Free Human Services Access Telephone 
Number.--
            (1) 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 new paragraph:
            ``(3) Human services access telephone number.--
                    ``(A) Designation.--The Commission, and each 
                commission or other entity to which the Commission has 
                delegated authority under this subsection, shall 
                designate 2-1-1 as a toll-free telephone number within 
                the United States for access to information and 
                referral centers for information about and referral to 
                providers of human services, including information and 
                referrals for purposes of volunteering and making 
                donations.
                    ``(B) Applicability.--The designation under 
                subparagraph (A) shall apply to wire and wireless 
                telephone service.
                    ``(C) Payment of Costs.--The costs of a 
                telecommunications carrier in providing access to a 
                provider of information and referrals through the 
                telephone number designated under this paragraph shall 
                be borne by the provider of such information and 
                referrals.
                    ``(D) Call location information.--Nothing in this 
                paragraph shall be construed to require any 
telecommunications carrier to provide call location information to a 
provider of information or referrals on human services through the 
telephone number designated under this paragraph.
                    ``(E) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
                            ``(i) Human services.--The term `human 
                        services' means services as follows:
                                    ``(I) Services that assist 
                                individuals in becoming more self-
                                sufficient, in preventing dependency, 
                                and in strengthening family 
                                relationships.
                                    ``(II) Services that support 
                                personal and social development.
                                    ``(III) Services that help ensure 
                                the well-being of individuals, 
                                families, and communities.
                            ``(ii) Information and referral center.--
                        The term `information and referral center' 
                        means a center that--
                                    ``(I) maintains a database of 
                                providers of human services in a State 
                                or locality; and
                                    ``(II) assists individuals, 
                                families, and communities in 
                                identifying, understanding, and 
                                accessing such providers and the human 
                                services offered by such providers.''.
            (2) Transition.--The Federal Communications Commission 
        shall provide for the implementation within a reasonable period 
        of time of the designation required by paragraph (3) of section 
        251(e) of the Communications Act of 1934, as added by paragraph 
        (1) of this subsection, throughout the areas of the United 
        States where the designation is not in effect as of the date of 
        the enactment of this Act.
    (c) Support for State Efforts.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission shall encourage and support 
        efforts by States to develop and implement the use of the toll-
        free telephone number 2-1-1 for access to providers of 
        information and referrals on human services.
            (2) Activities.--In providing encouragement and support 
        under paragraph (1), the Commission shall--
                    (A) consult with appropriate State officials, 
                including State human services agencies, and 
                appropriate representatives of the telecommunications 
                industry, United Ways, Alliance of Information and 
                Referral Systems (AIRS), AIRS affiliates, law 
                enforcement and emergency service providers, and local 
                non-profit and governmental information and referral 
                centers; and
                    (B) encourage States to coordinate statewide 
                implementation of the use of the telephone number in 
                consultation with such representatives.
            (3) Prohibition on imposition of obligations or costs.--
        Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to authorize or 
        require the Commission to impose an obligation or cost on any 
        person.
    (d) Provision of Call Information.--Section 222(d) of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 222(d)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``or'' at the end of paragraph (2);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (3) and 
        inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) to provide call information when required by 
        applicable law.''.
                                 <all>