[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 12 (Monday, January 23, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H579-H581]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              SECURING ACCESS TO NETWORKS IN DISASTERS ACT

  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 588) to direct the Federal Communications 
Commission to conduct a study on network resiliency during times of 
emergency, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 588

       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 
     the public safety benefits and technical feasibility and cost 
     of--
       (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 9-1-1 services, without requiring any 
     login credentials, during times of emergency when mobile 
     service is unavailable;
       (2) the provision by non-telecommunications service 
     provider-owned WiFi access points of public access to 9-1-1 
     services during times of emergency when mobile service is 
     unavailable; and
       (3) other alternative means of providing the public with 
     access to 9-1-1 services during times of emergency when 
     mobile service is unavailable.

     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--
       (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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Michael F. Doyle) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and 
extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 588.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 588 includes a provision to facilitate the repair 
of communications infrastructure in the wake of a disaster.
  We know how critical communications can be following a disaster for 
first responders and everyone that is impacted. I commend the bill's 
sponsor for pursuing this legislation, and I thank the Energy and 
Commerce Committee for working with the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee on this language.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentlewoman from 
Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn) be permitted to control the remainder of the 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 
such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 588, the Securing Access to 
Networks in Disasters Act, or the SANDy Act, introduced by Ranking 
Member Frank Pallone. This bill is all about making sure that the 
communication networks that so many Americans rely on are as resilient 
as they can be.
  Disaster is going to strike and networks are going to go down. The 
purpose of this bill is to ensure that when those networks go down, the 
network operators have the resources they need to get things back 
online as quickly as possible.
  The bill also requires the FCC to conduct a study on the future of 
network resiliency, and how new and existing technologies can be used 
during our times of need to communicate with loved ones or call for 
help.
  This is a commonsense piece of legislation that passed 389-2 in the 
last Congress, and I urge all Members to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  When disaster strikes, there is a lot of hard work to be done, and 
every second counts. First responders go into action for those that 
need help. Relief organizations and volunteers rush in to begin the 
process of cleaning up. Utilities and service providers must be on the 
ground repairing damaged infrastructure.
  All of these mission-critical tasks require a functioning 
communications network. People turn to the network for potentially 
lifesaving information and rely on its functionality to reach emergency 
services.
  We are here today to consider this bill. Representative Pallone--I 
want to give some credit to him--has been a champion of following the 
eye-opening effects of Superstorm Sandy. He has worked tirelessly on 
this legislation since October 2012.
  In total, the Sandy storm resulted in roughly $74 billion in damages 
in the U.S. alone. Sometimes we forget the magnitude of that storm. 
Damage to power and communications infrastructure, it knocked out about 
25 percent of the cell sites in its path. In some of the hardest-hit 
counties, 50 percent of those sites were down.
  When the networks go down, public safety communications and emergency 
response services are threatened. In order for the networks to get back 
up and running, telecommunications providers need access to critical 
resources and permission to enter the disaster area.

[[Page H580]]

  The chaos immediately following a major disaster makes it challenging 
to obtain resources and entry to the affected area. What we saw after 
Sandy were communication providers being turned away from the disaster 
area and denied resources because they were not considered essential to 
the recovery effort. This bill seeks to change that.
  In the wake of Sandy, and as a result of repair workers being barred 
from the recovery effort, communication networks remained offline for 
hours and, in some cases, days longer than need be. This left those who 
were still vulnerable in the disaster area without critical information 
and no means to call for help.
  There are numerous entities that are essential for the rescue and 
recovery phase following a disaster. The affected area needs power. 
Water is critical. The bill would clarify that communications networks 
are also an essential service.
  Whether it be wireline, mobile telephone, Internet, radio or 
television, communication services play a key role in facilitating 
recovery. In some cases it can be the difference between life and 
death. By defining these types of providers as essential, 
telecommunication companies will be granted the access and resources 
needed to get their networks back online.
  The bill would also require the FCC to conduct a study on the 
feasibility and benefits of making WiFi access points available to the 
general public to access 911 services during times of emergency.
  I would also like to recognize that the original version of this bill 
included a number of wireless provisions designed to increase 
preparedness. These provisions were removed, however, because the five 
largest wireless carriers voluntarily adopted these provisions.
  H.R. 588, in its current form, combined with the voluntary framework 
established by the wireless carriers, leaves us with a strong, 
bipartisan bill that will improve the resiliency of our Nation's 
communications infrastructure to avoid a recurrence of the widespread 
and extended service outages, as experienced in the aftermath of 
Superstorm Sandy.

  I thank our colleagues from the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure for working with us on this bill, and I urge the support 
of my colleagues for the legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time 
as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), the 
primary sponsor of the bill, a friend and colleague, and the ranking 
member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I 
would like to start today by congratulating him on taking the reins of 
the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. That subcommittee is 
a critical part of the Energy and Commerce Committee and serves an 
important role for Congress as a whole. Congresswoman Eshoo left big 
shoes to fill, but I am confident that, with Ranking Member Doyle and 
his longtime expertise in this area, the subcommittee is in capable 
hands.
  I also thank our colleague from Tennessee, who is now the chairwoman 
of the subcommittee. The gentlewoman basically summarized what I was 
going to say about this bill, so I will try not to be too repetitive. 
But I do want to ask support for my bill, H.R. 588, the Securing Access 
to Networks in Disasters Act, or SANDy Act.
  Superstorm Sandy had a traumatic effect on my district back in New 
Jersey, and we saw firsthand how critical communication networks can be 
damaged during emergencies. Broadcast and cable networks provide 
crucial information that helps us stay out of harm's way, and phone and 
Internet access makes sure we can call for help and keep track of our 
loved ones.
  Unfortunately, when Sandy ripped through the Northeast, many of these 
networks went down when we needed them most. Across the region, nearly 
1 in 4 cell towers were knocked out. But in some of the hardest-hit 
areas of New Jersey, as many as half of the towers were actually down. 
Many of them stayed down for weeks. That is why I have spent the past 
several years figuring out what went right and what went wrong.
  Initially, I worked with the Nation's largest wireless carriers and 
the Federal Communications Commission to put together a voluntary 
resiliency framework. That framework, as Mrs. Blackburn mentioned, 
makes sure that if one cell network goes down, like AT&T did during 
Sandy in my district, its customers can access another network, like 
Verizon, that was still operational.
  Everyone, I think, should be able to call for help as long as any 
signal is available.
  Mr. Speaker, the voluntary resiliency framework will save lives 
during major emergencies in the future, and I would like to thank the 
wireless carriers and the FCC for working with me to craft that 
comprehensive agreement. Having these networks operational can mean the 
difference between life and death during an event like Superstorm 
Sandy.
  The other major problem during Sandy was the inability of 
communications services to repair their equipment. The SANDy Act will 
recognize the critical role that wireline and mobile telephone, 
Internet, radio, and TV broadcast, cable and satellite services play 
during emergencies.
  For example, ``The RAT,'' which is a radio station at the Jersey 
Shore, switched from music to 24-hour news coverage right after Sandy, 
and that helped people to access vital services in the days after the 
storm.
  These providers will receive, pursuant to the SANDy Act, priority 
access to otherwise restricted areas during emergencies like other 
utilities to help them repair and maintain their communications 
equipment during disasters.
  The SANDy Act will begin a process to provide 911 services over WiFi 
hotspots during emergencies.
  Mr. Speaker, this is truly a commonsense, bipartisan bill. It passed 
the House last Congress on a vote of 389-2. I urge all Members to 
support the bill.
  I understand the bill has been scheduled for a markup in the Senate 
tomorrow. So, hopefully, once they do their work, we can get this bill 
to the President and signed into law.
  Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I have no more 
speakers, so I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank Mr. Pallone for his 
diligence in solving this problem not only for his constituents there 
in New Jersey after Superstorm Sandy, but many of my family were down 
in south Mississippi and we know what happened in Katrina with those in 
the Gulf region around New Orleans and over in south Mississippi and 
the loss of communications that were there.

  This week we are seeing it in Mr. Carter's district in Georgia, 
again, the impact that a storm has when people cannot reach their loved 
ones and when they cannot get in contact to let people know the 
services that they needed or the injury that they are experiencing. So 
we are fortunate to be able to bring this bill forward. We extend our 
condolences and concerns to Mr. Carter for what is going on in his 
district.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Carter) to speak on the bill.
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
588, the Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act because it will 
help to strengthen and reinforce our networks during times of 
emergency.
  Representing the entire coast of Georgia, I am no stranger at what a 
working network means for the coordination of rescue and recovery 
efforts. Hurricane Matthew made landfall and had a significant impact 
on multiple States along the Southeastern seaboard, including Georgia. 
I personally toured many of the hardest-hit areas in my district and I 
have seen devastation that natural disasters, such as hurricanes, can 
inflict on areas such as ours.
  Of course, just this past weekend, Mr. Speaker, we witnessed 
tornadoes in south Georgia, tornadoes that brought about tremendous 
devastation and the loss of life.
  However, our first responders and emergency specialists are there to 
heed the call and assist in helping people who are most in need.
  Ranking Member Pallone's legislation would direct the Federal 
Communications Commission to conduct a

[[Page H581]]

study on network resiliency during times of emergency and distress. 
Under this bill, the study done by the FCC would be made publicly 
available on their Web site and would include public safety benefits 
and the costs of implementing new alternatives that will aid in 
contacting and coordinating emergency services during those difficult 
times.
  I urge my friends and colleagues to support this legislation because 
I have seen firsthand not only what disasters can do to an area, but 
the importance of our emergency services in having the networks and 
communication means to coordinate relief.
  Strengthening our network resiliency is a benefit to everyone across 
our great country.

                              {time}  1645

  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 588, 
``Securing Access to Networks in Disaster Act'', which requires the 
Federal Communications Commission to submit to Congress and publish on 
the FCC website a study on the: public safety benefits, technical 
feasibility, and cost of providing the public with access to 9-1-1 
services during times of emergency when mobile service is unavailable.
  As a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, I am well 
aware of the importance of telephone service during disasters.
  The Securing Access to Networks in Disasters (SANDy) Act seeks to 
ensure the resiliency of the nation's communications networks during 
emergencies.
  Acquiring cellphone service during a massive natural or manmade 
disaster is often difficult, if not impossible, and this is why this 
piece of legislation is so essential.
  During the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that destroyed the 
World Trade Center in New York City, cellphone service was severely 
disrupted, forcing many callers to repeatedly dial to get through to 9-
1-1 emergency services.
  On that day, some of the most tragic, heart wrenching calls came from 
those trapped in the Twin Towers.
  It is not only during terrorist attacks that cellphone services are 
severely disrupted, but also natural disasters such as Hurricane 
Katrina, which claimed the lives of over 1,800 people.
  The SANDy Act would ensure that during an emergency, consumers' cell 
phones work on other carriers' networks if a consumer's own network 
goes down.
  H.R. 588 would give priority to calls to 9-1-1 services and emergency 
alerts.
  It also would increase coordination between wireless carriers, 
utilities, and public safety officials by creating a directory of the 
contact information for relevant disaster response officials.
  The bill would require the FCC to report to Congress regarding 
whether additional outage data should be provided in times of 
emergency.
  In addition, the bill requires the FCC to report to Congress on the 
viability of providing 9-1-1 services over Wi-Fi hotspots during 
emergencies.
  H.R. 588 would be of immense benefit to the 18th Congressional 
District and the greater Houston area.
  On April 17-18, 2016, Houston experienced a historic flood event that 
claimed the lives of eight people; damaged over 1,150 households; 
disrupted hundreds of businesses; closed community centers, schools, 
and places of worship due to flood waters.
  On April 25, President Obama granted the request for federal 
Individual Assistance for Harris County residences and business owners 
who were affected by severe weather and flooding.
  Unfortunately, that was not the end of the story of flooding in 
Houston for 2016--in early June another record setting rainfall led to 
catastrophic flooding throughout the Houston area.
  I am grateful to President Obama and the great work of those at the 
Department of Homeland Security who worked tirelessly to help people 
after both 2016 flood events.
  I spoke on the House Floor several times about the floods and the 
suffering caused by the waters that came through our communities--
damaging homes, our schools, places of business, and our places of 
worship.
  The flooding problems in the Houston area are frequent, widespread, 
and severe, with projects to reduce flood risks in place that are 
valued at several billion dollars
  In 2015, the Houston and surrounding area experienced widespread 
historic flooding.
  The importance of being able to contact emergency responders in the 
case of natural disasters is critical in order to save the lives of 
those directly affected by such events.
  The SANDy Act would provide telecommunication access to victims of 
natural and man-made disasters.
  The SANDy Act amends the Stafford Act to ensure that all 
communications providers:
  1. Have the ability to access relevant disaster stricken areas during 
emergencies to restore service; and
  2. Are included in the universal credentialing program for essential 
service providers
  The SANDy Act would recognize the critical role that all 
communications providers--broadcasters, cable, and telecommunications--
serve in emergencies, but most notably, the bill would ensure consumers 
have access to wireless service even if their cellphone service 
provider's wireless network goes down.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 588, the 
``Securing Access to Networks in Disaster Act.''
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 588.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________