[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2725 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2725

 To require the Federal Communications Commission to adopt regulations 
    to protect subscribers to Internet protocol telephone services 
concerning the use of such services with alarm, security, and personal 
                      emergency response systems.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 14, 2007

Mr. Engel (for himself and Mr. Stearns) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Federal Communications Commission to adopt regulations 
    to protect subscribers to Internet protocol telephone services 
concerning the use of such services with alarm, security, and personal 
                      emergency response systems.

    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 ``Alarm Customer VOIP Notification Act 
of 2007''.

SEC. 2. REGULATIONS REQUIRED.

    (a) Commission Proceeding Required.--Within 45 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission shall 
commence a rulemaking to adopt regulations that will protect 
subscribers to VOIP services who utilize alarm, security, or personal 
emergency response systems in conjunction with VOIP services.
    (b) Minimum Contents of Regulations.--The rules required by this 
section shall ensure that subscribers to VOIP service are informed by 
clear and conspicuous disclosure by a VOIP service provider and by a 
manufacturer of VOIP equipment in all sales and instructional 
materials, and again before installation or number activation, of the 
steps the subscribers need to take to maintain the proper functioning 
of any alarm, security, or personal emergency response system that the 
subscriber intends to utilize in conjunction with VOIP service to 
provide monitoring services. Such steps shall include that each such 
customer should--
            (1) arrange with his or her emergency response system 
        provider, if any, to test such system after installation;
            (2) notify his or her emergency response system provider as 
        soon as the VOIP service is installed; and
            (3) maintain a 24-hour battery backup for customer premises 
        equipment installed in connection with the VOIP service in 
        order for the signaling of such system to function in the event 
        of a power outage.
    (c) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) VOIP service.--The term ``VOIP service'' means a 
        service that--
                    (A) provides real-time voice communications 
                transmitted through end user equipment using Internet 
                protocol, or a successor protocol, for a fee or without 
                a fee;
                    (B) is offered to the public, or such classes of 
                users as to be effectively available to the public 
                (whether part of a bundle of services or separately); 
                and
                    (C) has the capability to originate traffic to, or 
                terminate traffic from, the public switched telephone 
                network.
            (2) Emergency response system.--The term ``emergency 
        response system'' means an alarm or security system, or 
        personal security or medical monitoring system, that is 
        connected to an emergency response center by means of a 
        telecommunications carrier or VOIP service provider.
            (3) Emergency response center.--The term ``emergency 
        response center'' means an entity that monitors transmissions 
        from an emergency response system.
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