[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3954 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3954

  To terminate the ability of eligible telecommunications carriers in 
  certain States to use State eligibility determination processes in 
    place of the National Verifier to determine the eligibility of 
                    consumers for Lifeline service.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 26, 2026

   Ms. Ernst introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To terminate the ability of eligible telecommunications carriers in 
  certain States to use State eligibility determination processes in 
    place of the National Verifier to determine the eligibility of 
                    consumers for Lifeline service.

    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 ``No Lifeline for Dead People Act''.

SEC. 2. MANDATORY USE OF NATIONAL VERIFIER TO DETERMINE LIFELINE 
              ELIGIBILITY.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible telecommunications carrier.--The term 
        ``eligible telecommunications carrier'' means a common carrier 
        designated as an eligible telecommunications carrier under 
        section 214(e) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
        214(e)).
            (2) Lifeline service.--The term ``Lifeline service'' means 
        voice telephony service or broadband internet access service 
        provided under the program set forth in subpart E of part 54 of 
        title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor 
        regulation.
            (3) National verifier.--The term ``National Verifier'' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 54.400 of title 47, Code 
        of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.
    (b) Mandatory Use of National Verifier.--An eligible 
telecommunications carrier may not provide Lifeline service to a 
consumer unless the carrier has used the National Verifier to verify 
the eligibility of the consumer for Lifeline service.
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