[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3998 Reported in House (RH)]

<DOC>





                                                 Union Calendar No. 453
114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3998

                      [Report No. 114-583, Part I]

To direct the Federal Communications Commission to commence proceedings 
   related to the resiliency of critical telecommunications networks 
           during times of emergency, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 16, 2015

 Mr. Pallone introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
  Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

                              May 23, 2016

Additional sponsors: Mr. Sires, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Pascrell, and 
                               Mr. Payne

                              May 23, 2016

   Reported from the Committee on Energy and Commerce with amendments
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

                              May 23, 2016

    The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure discharged; 
committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 
                       and ordered to be printed
    [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on 
                           November 16, 2015]


_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Federal Communications Commission to commence proceedings 
   related to the resiliency of critical telecommunications networks 
           during times of emergency, 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 ``Securing Access to Networks in 
Disasters Act''.

SEC. 2. STUDY ON NETWORK RESILIENCY.

    Not later than 36 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Commission shall submit to Congress, and make publically available 
on the Commission's website, a study on--
            (1) making telecommunications service provider-owned WiFi 
        access points, and other communications technologies operating 
        on unlicensed spectrum, available to the general public for 
        access to 911 services, without requiring any login 
        credentials, during times of emergency when mobile service is 
        unavailable; and
            (2) whether non-telecommunications service provider-owned 
        WiFi access points can provide public access to 911 services 
        during times of emergency.

SEC. 3. ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS DURING FEDERALLY DECLARED 
              EMERGENCIES.

    Section 427(a)(1)(A) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5189e(a)(1)(A)) is amended by 
striking ``telecommunications service'' and inserting ``wireline or 
mobile telephone service, Internet access service, radio or television 
broadcasting, cable service, or direct broadcast satellite service''.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act and for purposes of the rules required by this 
Act--
            (1) the term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission;
            (2) the term ``mobile service'' means commercial mobile 
        service (as defined in section 332 of the Communications Act of 
        1934 (47 U.S.C. 332)) or commercial mobile data service (as 
        defined in section 6001 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job 
        Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1401));
            (3) the term ``WiFi access point'' means wireless Internet 
        access using the standard designated as 802.11 or any variant 
        thereof; and
            (4) the term ``times of emergency'' means either an 
        emergency as defined in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford 
        Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122), 
        or an emergency as declared by the governor of a State or 
        territory of the United States.
            Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to direct the 
        Federal Communications Commission to conduct a study on network 
        resiliency during times of emergency, and for other 
        purposes.''.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 453

114th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 3998

                      [Report No. 114-583, Part I]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To direct the Federal Communications Commission to commence proceedings 
   related to the resiliency of critical telecommunications networks 
           during times of emergency, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                              May 23, 2016

   Reported from the Committee on Energy and Commerce with amendments

                              May 23, 2016

    The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure discharged; 
committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 
                       and ordered to be printed