[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 96 (Thursday, June 14, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1291-E1292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        INTRODUCTION OF THE ALARM CUSTOMER VoIP NOTIFICATION ACT

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                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 14, 2007

  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to encourage my colleagues' 
strong support for the Alarm Customer VoIP Notification Act, which I am 
introducing today. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank 
my friend and colleague on the Telecommunications and the Internet 
Subcommittee, Congressman Cliff

[[Page E1292]]

Stearns, who joins me as an original cosponsor of this bill.
  Currently, burglar and fire alarm signals are transmitted from the 
home or business to a central monitoring station over the traditional 
phone line system. In many cases, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) 
phone systems will become a substitute for the current land line 
systems. When a VoIP (broadband) phone system is improperly installed, 
by either a consumer or a cable provider, there is a significant risk 
that existing alarm panels will be bypassed, and will no longer be able 
to send an alert to the alarm monitoring station.
  Unless the consumer is notified and the system is properly tested, 
they will be unaware they no longer have alarm services they are 
relying on to protect their life, health, safety, and property. 
Approximately half of the 26 million alarm consumers will learn that 
their systems are no longer operable when a monthly automatic test is 
run on their system. However, even those with self-testing systems will 
be without alarm monitoring services for up to a month. The other half 
of Americans who have older legacy systems, which cannot be 
automatically tested by a central monitoring station, will only learn 
they no longer have alarm services during an emergency. To make matters 
worse, seniors with home health alert systems, Personal Emergency 
Response Systems--PERS, will be unaware that they have lost their 
health lifeline.
  Consumers who utilize alarm systems have invested significantly to 
ensure that they have the security that burglar, health, safety, and 
fire alarm monitored systems provide. They should be given the 
information needed to ensure continued alarm monitoring services.
  That is why I have introduced the Alarm Customer VoIP Notification 
Act. This bill requires that before a VoIP system is activated, the 
customer be notified that their alarm system needs to be tested and 
that they need to notify the alarm monitoring company. Again, I urge my 
colleagues' support and cosponsorship of this important consumer 
protection bill.

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