[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 135 (Friday, December 8, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H9256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         CALL HOME ACT OF 2006

  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take 
from the Speaker's table the Senate bill (S. 2653) to direct the 
Federal Communications Commission to make efforts to reduce telephone 
rates for Armed Forces personnel deployed overseas, and ask for its 
immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the Senate bill, as follows:

                                S. 2653

       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 ``Call Home Act of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. TELEPHONE RATES FOR MEMBERS OF ARMED FORCES DEPLOYED 
                   ABROAD.

       (a) In General.--The Federal Communications Commission 
     shall take such action as may be necessary to reduce the cost 
     of calling home for Armed Forces personnel who are stationed 
     outside the United States under official military orders or 
     deployed outside the United States in support of military 
     operations, training exercises, or other purposes as approved 
     by the Secretary of Defense, including the reduction of such 
     costs through the waiver of government fees, assessments, or 
     other charges for such calls. The Commission may not regulate 
     rates in order to carry out this section.
       (b) Factors To Consider.--In taking the action described in 
     subsection (a), the Commission, in coordination with the 
     Department of Defense and the Department of State, shall--
       (1) evaluate and analyze the costs to Armed Forces 
     personnel of such telephone calls to and from American 
     military bases abroad;
       (2) evaluate methods of reducing the rates imposed on such 
     calls, including deployment of new technology such as voice 
     over internet protocol or other Internet protocol technology;
       (3) encourage telecommunications carriers (as defined in 
     section 3(44) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
     153(44))) to adopt flexible billing procedures and policies 
     for Armed Forces personnel and their dependents for telephone 
     calls to and from such Armed Forces personnel; and
       (4) seek agreements with foreign governments to reduce 
     international surcharges on such telephone calls.
       (c) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Armed forces.--The term ``Armed Forces'' has the 
     meaning given that term by section 2101(2) of title 5, United 
     States Code.
       (2) Military base.--The term ``military base'' includes 
     official duty stations to include vessels, whether such 
     vessels are in port or underway outside of the United States.

     SEC. 3. REPEAL OF EXISTING AUTHORIZATION.

       Section 213 of the Telecommunications Authorization Act of 
     1992 (47 U.S.C. 201 note) is repealed.

     SEC. 4. PUBLIC SAFETY INTEROPERABLE COMMUNICATIONS GRANTS.

       Pursuant to section 3006 of Public Law 109-171 (47 U.S.C. 
     309 note), the Assistant Secretary for Communications and 
     Information of the Department of Commerce, in consultation 
     with the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, 
     shall award no less than $1,000,000,000 for public safety 
     interoperable communications grants no later than September 
     30, 2007 subject to the receipt of qualified applications as 
     determined by the Assistant Secretary.

  The Senate bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the 
third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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