[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 132 (Thursday, August 3, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4815-S4816]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IMPROVING RURAL CALL QUALITY AND RELIABILITY ACT OF 2017
Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 19, S. 96.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 96) to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to
ensure the integrity of voice communications and to prevent
unjust or unreasonable discrimination among areas of the
United States in the delivery of such communications.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be
considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be
considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The bill (S. 96) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was
read the third time, and passed, as follows:
S. 96
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 ``Improving Rural Call Quality
and Reliability Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. ENSURING THE INTEGRITY OF VOICE COMMUNICATIONS.
Part II of title II of the Communications Act of 1934 (47
U.S.C. 251 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``SEC. 262. ENSURING THE INTEGRITY OF VOICE COMMUNICATIONS.
``(a) Registration and Compliance by Intermediate
Providers.--An intermediate provider that offers or holds
itself out as offering the capability to transmit covered
voice communications from one destination to another and that
charges any rate to any other entity (including an affiliated
entity) for the transmission shall--
``(1) register with the Commission; and
``(2) comply with the service quality standards for such
transmission to be established by the Commission under
subsection (c)(1)(B).
``(b) Required Use of Registered Intermediate Providers.--A
covered provider may not use an intermediate provider to
transmit covered voice communications unless such
intermediate provider is registered under subsection (a)(1).
``(c) Commission Rules.--
``(1) In general.--
``(A) Registry.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this section, the Commission shall promulgate
rules to establish a registry to record registrations under
subsection (a)(1).
``(B) Service quality standards.--Not later than 1 year
after the date of enactment of this section, the Commission
shall promulgate rules to establish service quality standards
for the transmission of covered voice communications by
intermediate providers.
``(2) Requirements.--In promulgating the rules required by
paragraph (1), the Commission shall--
``(A) ensure the integrity of the transmission of covered
voice communications to all customers in the United States;
and
``(B) prevent unjust or unreasonable discrimination among
areas of the United States in the delivery of covered voice
communications.
``(d) Public Availability of Registry.--The Commission
shall make the registry established under subsection
(c)(1)(A) publicly available on the website of the
Commission.
``(e) Scope of Application.--The requirements of this
section shall apply regardless of the format by which any
communication or service is provided, the protocol or format
by which the transmission of such communication or service is
achieved, or the regulatory classification of such
communication or service.
``(f) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall
be construed to affect the regulatory classification of any
communication or service.
``(g) Effect on Other Laws.--Nothing in this section shall
be construed to preempt or expand the authority of a State
public utility commission or other relevant State agency to
collect data, or investigate and enforce State law and
regulations, regarding the completion of intrastate voice
communications, regardless of the format by which any
communication or service is provided, the protocol or format
by which the transmission of such communication or service is
achieved, or the regulatory classification of such
communication or service.
``(h) Exception.--The requirement under subsection (a)(2)
to comply with the service quality standards established
under subsection (c)(1)(B) shall not apply to a covered
provider that--
``(1) on or before the date that is 1 year after the date
of enactment of this section, has certified as a Safe Harbor
provider under section 64.2107(a) of title 47, Code of
Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation; and
``(2) continues to meet the requirements under such section
64.2107(a).
``(i) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Covered provider.--The term `covered provider' has
the meaning given the term in section 64.2101 of title 47,
Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto.
``(2) Covered voice communication.--The term `covered voice
communication' means a
[[Page S4816]]
voice communication (including any related signaling
information) that is generated--
``(A) from the placement of a call from a connection using
a North American Numbering Plan resource or a call placed to
a connection using such a numbering resource; and
``(B) through any service provided by a covered provider.
``(3) Intermediate provider.--The term `intermediate
provider' means any entity that--
``(A) enters into a business arrangement with a covered
provider or other intermediate provider for the specific
purpose of carrying, routing, or transmitting voice traffic
that is generated from the placement of a call placed--
``(i) from an end user connection using a North American
Numbering Plan resource; or
``(ii) to an end user connection using such a numbering
resource; and
``(B) does not itself, either directly or in conjunction
with an affiliate, serve as a covered provider in the context
of originating or terminating a given call.''.
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