[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 126 (Monday, July 19, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H3660]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HELPING PEOPLE MAINTAIN THEIR PHONE NUMBERS IS A GOOD STEP TOWARD 
                                NORMALCY

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to see that this week we are 
taking up H.R. 678, the PHONE Act.
  This bipartisan piece of legislation is common sense and helps real 
people after natural disasters.
  This bill would place a moratorium on phone companies reassigning 
people's landline phone numbers when their house is destroyed by a 
natural disaster, such as forest fires, which I am having so many of in 
my district.
  I have heard countless stories of people whose houses are burned down 
in wildfires that continue to get charged for their landline phone 
number, or their number is reassigned to a new customer.
  This bill would help alleviate some stress and give people one less 
thing they have to deal with.
  I am proud to cosponsor a bill that is stepping up and providing a 
solution to help out wildfire victims and other natural disaster 
victims.
  The goal of recovery is to bring back a sense of normalcy, and 
helping people maintain their phone number is a good step.

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