[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7000 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7000

To require any eligible telecommunications carrier receiving universal 
 service support for the provision of services for rural, insular, and 
high cost areas to offer automatic roaming services to any technically 
                    compatible carrier upon request.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 23, 2008

  Mr. Waxman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require any eligible telecommunications carrier receiving universal 
 service support for the provision of services for rural, insular, and 
high cost areas to offer automatic roaming services to any technically 
                    compatible carrier upon request.

    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 ``Universal Roaming Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. ROAMING REQUIREMENTS FOR RECIPIENTS OF HIGH COST UNIVERSAL 
              SERVICE SUPPORT.

    Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(m) Automatic Roaming Requirement.--
            ``(1) In general.--Any eligible telecommunications carrier 
        under subsection (e) that receives, on or after the end of the 
        180-day period that begins on the date of enactment of the 
        Universal Roaming Act of 2008, Federal universal service 
        support, as described in paragraph (2), and any affiliate of 
        such eligible telecommunications carrier, shall be required to 
        offer automatic roaming services without territorial limitation 
        or restriction on just and reasonable terms, consistent with 
        sections 201 and 202, to a carrier--
                    ``(A) that requests such services on behalf of its 
                subscribers; and
                    ``(B) that provides technically compatible 
                equipment to its subscribers.
            ``(2) Supported services.--The requirement in paragraph (1) 
        of this subsection shall only apply to an eligible 
        telecommunications carrier and such carrier's affiliate if 
        either such carrier or such affiliate receives support for the 
        provision of services for rural, insular, and high cost areas 
        supported under subsection (c)(1), as modified pursuant to 
        subsection (c)(2).
            ``(3) Opt-out procedure.--
                    ``(A) Notification.--An eligible telecommunications 
                carrier required to offer automatic roaming under 
                paragraph (1) may notify the Commission that the 
                carrier shall cease to seek and obtain universal 
                service support with regard to the provision of 
                services for rural, insular, and high cost areas.
                    ``(B) Obligations and support cease.--Such carrier 
                shall not be subject to the requirements of paragraph 
                (1) and shall cease to receive universal service 
                support with regard to the provision of services for 
                rural, insular, and high cost areas at the end of the 
                90-day period that begins on the date that the 
                Commission receives the notification under subparagraph 
                (A), provided that such carrier and all of the 
                affiliates of such carrier cease to receive such 
                universal service support.
            ``(4) Dispute resolution.--The Commission shall adjudicate 
        any dispute about terms or technical compatibility pursuant to 
        existing Commission procedures implementing section 208.
            ``(5) No rate regulation.--Nothing in this subsection shall 
        be construed as prescribing particular rates for the provision 
        of automatic roaming services.
            ``(6) Definition of automatic roaming.--The term `automatic 
        roaming' shall have the meaning given such term in the 
        Commission's regulations.''.
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