[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 428 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

  1st Session
                                 S. 428

To amend the Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1999, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 30, 2007

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1999, 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 ``IP-Enabled Voice Communications and 
Public Safety Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. DUTY TO PROVIDE 911 AND E-911 SERVICE.

    (a) In General.--The Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act 
of 1999 (47 U.S.C. 615 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``SEC. 7. IP-ENABLED VOICE SERVICE PROVIDERS.

    ``(a) In General.--It shall be the duty of every IP-enabled voice 
service provider engaged in interstate or foreign communication to 
provide 9-1-1 service, including enhanced 9-1-1 service, to its 
subscribers in accordance with the orders of the Commission.
    ``(b) Access to 911 Components.--
            ``(1) Regulations.--Within 90 days after the date of 
        enactment of the IP-Enabled Voice Communications and Public 
        Safety Act of 2007, the Commission shall issue regulations 
        granting IP-enabled voice service providers rights of access to 
        911 components that are comparable to the rights of access to 
        911 components granted to commercial mobile service providers. 
        In promulgating the regulations, the Commission shall take into 
        account any technical or network security issues that are 
        specific to IP-enabled voice services.
            ``(2) Delegation of enforcement to state commissions.--The 
        Commission may delegate authority to enforce the regulations 
        issued under paragraph (1) to State commissions or other State 
        agencies or programs with jurisdiction over emergency 
        communications.
    ``(c) Savings Clause.--Nothing in the IP-Enabled Voice 
Communications and Public Safety Act of 2007 shall be construed as 
repealing or otherwise altering, modifying, affecting, or superseding 
Federal regulations obligating an IP-enabled voice service provider to 
provide 9-1-1 service or enhanced 9-1-1 service.''.
    (b) Definitions.--Section 6 of the Wireless Communications and 
Public Safety Act of 1999 (47 U.S.C. 615b) is amended by adding at the 
end thereof the following:
            ``(8) IP-enabled voice service.--The term `IP-enabled voice 
        service' means a service that--
                    ``(A) enables real-time, 2-way voice 
                communications;
                    ``(B) requires a broadband connection from the 
                user's location;
                    ``(C) requires Internet protocol-compatible 
                customer premises equipment; and
                    ``(D) permits users generally to receive calls that 
                originate on the public switched telephone networks and 
                to terminate calls to the public switched telephone 
                network.
            ``(9) IP-enabled 9-1-1 service.--The term `IP-enabled 9-1-1 
        service' means any 9-1-1 service provided by an IP-enabled 
        voice service provider, including enhanced IP-enabled 9-1-1 
        service.
            ``(10) Enhanced ip-enabled 9-1-1 service.--The term 
        `enhanced IP-enabled 9-1-1 service' means any enhanced 9-1-1 
        service so designated by the Federal Communications Commission 
        in its Report and Order in WC Docket Nos. 04-36 and 05-196, or 
        any successor proceeding.
            ``(11) 911 component.--The term `911 component' means any 
        equipment, network, databases (including automatic location 
        information databases and master street address guides), 
        interface, selective router, trunkline, or other related 
        facility necessary for the delivery and completion of 911 or E-
        911 calls and information related to such calls to which the 
        Commission requires access pursuant to its rules and 
        regulations.''.

SEC. 3. PARITY OF PROTECTION FOR PROVISION OR USE OF IP-ENABLED VOICE 
              SERVICE.

    Section 4 of the Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 
1999 (47 U.S.C. 615a) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``carrier,'' in subsection (a) and 
        inserting ``carrier or an IP-enabled voice service provider,'';
            (2) by striking ``its'' the first place it appears in 
        subsection (a) and inserting ``their'';
            (3) by striking ``service shall'' in subsection (b) and 
        inserting ``service, or IP-enabled voice service, shall'';
            (4) by striking ``wireless.'' in subsection (b) and 
        inserting ``wireless or IP-enabled.'';
            (5) by striking ``communications,'' in subsection (c) and 
        inserting ``communications or IP-enabled voice service 
        communications,''; and
            (6) by striking ``wireless.'' in subsection (c) and 
        inserting ``wireless or IP-enabled.''.

SEC. 4. STATE AUTHORITY OVER FEES.

    Nothing in this Act, the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 
et seq.), the Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1999 (47 
U.S.C. 615a), or any Federal Communications Commission regulation or 
order shall prevent the imposition on, or collection from, a provider 
of IP-enabled voice services of any fee or charge specifically 
designated by a State, political subdivision thereof, or Indian tribe 
for the support of 911 or E-911 services if that fee or charge--
            (1) does not exceed the amount of any such fee or charge 
        imposed on or collected from a provider of telecommunications 
        services; and
            (2) is obligated or expended in support of 911 and E-911 
        services, or enhancements of such services, or other emergency 
        communications services as specified in the provision of State 
        or local law adopting the fee or charge.

SEC. 5. MIGRATION TO IP-ENABLED EMERGENCY NETWORK.

    (a) In General.--Section 158 of the National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 942) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (d) and (e) as subsections 
        (e) and (f), respectively;
            (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
    ``(d) Migration Plan Required.--
            ``(1) National plan required.--No more than 180 days after 
        the date of the enactment of the IP-Enabled Voice 
        Communications and Public Safety Act of 2007, the Office shall 
        develop and report to Congress on a national plan for migrating 
        to a national IP-enabled emergency network capable of receiving 
        and responding to all citizen activated emergency 
        communications and improving information sharing among all 
        emergency response entities.
            ``(2) Contents of plan.--The plan required by paragraph (1) 
        shall--
                    ``(A) outline the potential benefits of such a 
                migration;
                    ``(B) identify barriers that must be overcome and 
                funding mechanisms to address those barriers;
                    ``(C) include a proposed timetable, an outline of 
                costs and potential savings;
                    ``(D) provide specific legislative language, if 
                necessary, for achieving the plan;
                    ``(E) provide recommendations on any legislative 
                changes, including updating definitions, to facilitate 
                a national IP-enabled emergency network;
                    ``(F) assess, collect, and analyze the experiences 
                of the PSAPs and related public safety authorities who 
                are conducting trial deployments of IP-enabled 
                emergency networks as of the date of enactment of the 
                IP-Enabled Voice Communications and Public Safety Act 
                of 2007; and
                    ``(G) document solutions that a national IP-enabled 
                emergency network will provide for 9-1-1 access to 
                those with disabilities.
            ``(3) Consultation.--In developing the plan required by 
        paragraph (1), the Office shall consult with representatives of 
        the public safety community, groups representing those with 
        disabilities, technology and telecommunications providers, and 
        others it deems appropriate.''; and
            (3) by striking ``services.'' in subsection (b)(1) and 
        inserting ``services, and, upon completion of development of 
        the national plan for migrating to a national IP-enabled 
        emergency network under subsection (d), for migration to an IP-
        enabled emergency network.''.
    (b) Availability of PSAP Information.--The Federal Communications 
Commission may compile a list of public safety answering point contact 
information, testing procedures, and classes and types of services 
supported by public safety answering points, or other information 
concerning necessary 911 components, for the purpose of assisting 
providers in complying with this section, and may make any portion of 
such information available to the public if such availability would 
improve public safety.
                                 <all>