TELEPHONES

Amendments

FCC: improve oversight of wireless and broadcast emergency alert systems (S. 3238), S7726, S7735 [17DE]

GAO: conduct a study and submit a report on filing requirements under the Universal Service Fund program (S. 875), S142 [10JA]

Technology: require multi-line telephone systems to have a default configuration that permits users to directly call 9-1-1 without dialing any additional digits or codes (H.R. 582), S615 [5FE], H992 [8FE]

Bills and resolutions

Bureau of Prisons: improve treatment of Federal prisoners who are primary caretaker parents (see H.R. 5575), H3441 [18AP]

Colleges and universities: provide online contact information for sexual assault response and support services and investigation processes and cooperate with local law enforcement on investigative responsibilities (see H. Res. 1064), H8726 [13SE]

Crime: penalize false communications to cause an emergency response (see H.R. 5204), H1476 [7MR]

DEA: allow certain community mental health centers to register as a clinic to allow telemedicine providers to prescribe controlled substances (see H.R. 5594), H3505 [24AP]

Dept. of Commerce: study and report on the state of the Internet-connected devices industry (see H.R. 6032), H4979 [7JN]

Dept. of HHS: provide guidance to States regarding Federal reimbursement for services and treatment for substance use disorders under Medicaid using telehealth services (see S. 2904), S2835 [22MY] (see H.R. 6778), H8169 [12SE]

——— reauthorize poison center national toll-free number, media campaign, and grant program (see H.R. 5329), H1698 [19MR]

Dept. of Homeland Security: place restrictions on searches and seizures of electronic devices at the border by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (see S. 2462), S1243 [27FE]

——— transmit certain documents to the House of Representatives on information produced and disseminated relative to cybersecurity threats posed by ZTE Corp., headquartered in China (see H. Res. 898), H4138 [16MY]

Dept. of Justice: convene an interagency working group to study enforcement of section 227(b) of the Communications Act relative to restrictions on use of automated telephone equipment (see H.R. 7370), H10510 [20DE]

Depts. of the Interior and Agriculture: improve wildfire management operations and safety of firefighters and communities through use of advanced technology (see S. 2290), S138 [10JA]

FCC: allow telecommunications carriers to use high cost universal service support to aid in restoration of telecommunications capabilities in areas which have been declared a major disaster or emergency (see H.R. 4832), H552 [18JA]

——— clarify acceptable 9-1-1 obligations or expenditures relative to wireless communications (see H.R. 6424), H6557 [18JY]

——— clarify prohibitions on making robocalls (see S. 3078), S3982 [18JN] (see H.R. 6026), H4979 [7JN]

——— designate a national dialing short code for users of mobile voice service to reach public safety personnel in critical, but non-emergency, circumstances (see H.R. 5700), H3833 [8MY]

——— establish national standard to determine comparability of mobile and broadband services provided in rural versus urban areas (see S. 2418), S907 [13FE]

——— establish Office of Rural Broadband (see S. 2959), S2924 [24MY]

——— establish Office of Rural Telecommunications (see H.R. 5497), H3209 [12AP]

——— establish radiofrequency radiation site safety information database (see H.R. 7236), H9819 [10DE]

——— expand and clarify prohibition on inaccurate caller identification information and require telephone service providers to offer technology to subscribers to reduce unwanted telephone calls (see S. 2705), S2261 [18AP] (see H.R. 5573), H3441 [18AP]

——— facilitate a spectrum pipeline for commercial use and require a portion of proceeds from spectrum auctions to go to wireless broadband infrastructure buildout in unserved and underserved rural areas (see H.R. 4953), H901 [6FE]

——— improve enforcement and enhance penalties for violations involving illegal robocalls (see S. 3149), S4512 [27JN] (see S. 3655), S7051 [15NO] (see H.R. 7392), H10586 [21DE]

——— improve oversight of wireless and broadcast emergency alert systems (see S. 3238), S5066 [18JY] (see H.R. 6427), H6557 [18JY]

——— increase penalty for fraudulent 9-1-1 calls that result in an emergency response from law enforcement agencies (see H.R. 6003), H4776 [5JN]

——— lengthen statute of limitations for enforcing robocall violations (see S. 2694), S2261 [18AP]

——— prescribe regulations on caller identification information authentication technology (see H.R. 6822), H8725 [13SE]

——— prescribe rules regulating inmate telephone and video service rates (see S. 2520), S1578 [8MR]

——— prohibit debt collectors from making robocalls to individuals’ cell phones (see H.R. 5633), H3705 [26AP]

——— provide for a moratorium on telephone number reassignment after a disaster declaration (see H.R. 7131), H9525 [14NO]

——— reauthorize and provide certain procedural changes to rules to maximize opportunities for public participation and efficient decisionmaking (see H.R. 4986), H1074 [8FE]

——— reduce number of unlawful robocalls and unlawful spoofed calls received by consumers (see H.R. 7151), H9568 [16NO]

——— reform Mobility Phase II challenge process relative to mobile voice and wireless broadband coverage (see S. 2955), S2923 [24MY]

——— reinstate rules regulating inmate telephone service rates, which include immigrant detention facilities, and ensure immigrant parents can call their separated children without charge (see H.R. 6254), H5815 [27JN]

——— require telecommunications carriers to provide call location information to law enforcement during emergencies (see S. 2973), S2924 [24MY] (see H.R. 5983), H4732 [25MY]

FCC/FTC: establish a joint robocaller bounty pilot program (see H.R. 7343), H10336 [19DE]

Federal agencies and departments: provide minimal cybersecurity operational standards for Internet-connected devices purchased by Federal agencies (see H.R. 7283), H10169 [12DE]

FTC: eliminate common carrier exemption for telecommunications companies in order to allow investigation of companies that enable illegal robocalling (see S. 3668), S7190 [28NO]

——— implement and enforce Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act relative to certain common carriers (see H.R. 6943), H9150 [27SE]

——— provide for greater transparency in and user control over treatment of data collected by mobile applications and enhance security of such data (see H.R. 6547), H7721 [26JY]

Information technology: ensure Federal funds for construction or acquisition of broadband facilities are not spent in areas where sufficient broadband is already offered or where network deployment is already funded (see H. Res. 690), H169 [11JA]

——— preempt State and local encryption laws to ensure a uniform, national policy for the interstate issue of encryption technology (see H.R. 6044), H4980 [7JN]

——— prioritize funding for wireless broadband providers in States that have enacted streamlined siting requirements for small cells for fifth generation mobile networks (5G networks) (see H. Res. 689), H169 [11JA]

Medicare: expand use of telehealth services for treatment of opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders (see S. 2901), S2835 [22MY]

National 9-1-1 Education Month: designate (see S. Res. 476), S2262 [18AP]

NIH: study health and developmental effects of technology and media on infants, children, and adolescents (see S. 3286), S5423 [26JY] (see H.R. 6590), H7722 [26JY]

Safety: anniversary of 9-1-1 system (see S. Res. 411), S1165 [15FE]

SEC: require investment advisers who advise a private fund that owns an emergency services company to disclose average response times of emergency vehicles deployed by such company in response to 9-1-1 calls (see H.R. 6155), H5285 [19JN]

——— revise shareholder threshold for registration under Securities Exchange Act for issuers that receive support through certain Federal universal service support mechanisms (see S. 3650), S7051 [15NO] (see H.R. 6745), H7941 [7SE]

Telecommunications: ensure legislation to promote broadband access or communications facilities deployment should treat all broadband and communications facilities in a competitively and technologically neutral manner (see H. Res. 691), H169 [11JA]

——— prohibit the President or a Federal agency from constructing, operating, or offering wholesale or retail services on broadband networks without authorization from Congress (see S. 3255), S5130 [23JY]

——— require phone, cable, and Internet providers to include all charges in the prices they advertise for service and provide remedies for consumers that have been wrongfully charged (see H.R. 6987), H9405 [28SE]

——— streamline siting processes for small cell infrastructure deployment (see S. 3157), S4733 [28JN]

World War I: award a Congressional Gold Medal to female telephone operators of the Army Signal Corps, known as ‘‘Hello Girls’’ (see S. 3136), S4410 [26JN]

Letters

Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services (RAY BAUM’S) Act: Representative Gowdy, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (House), H1409 [6MR]

——— Representative Shuster, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (House), H1409 [6MR]

——— Representative Walden, Committee on Energy and Commerce (House), H1409 [6MR]

Remarks in House

Dept. of Commerce: study and report on the state of the Internet-connected devices industry (H.R. 6032), H9675, H9676 [28NO]

Dept. of Defense: provide access to training manuals, emergency guidance, and other training publications on mobile telephone applications, H4677 [23MY]

Dept. of HHS: reauthorize poison center national toll-free number, media campaign, and grant program (H.R. 5329), H5057–H5059 [12JN]

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: address epidemic of veteran suicide, H9140 [27SE]

——— ensure the VA phone system allows veterans to directly call their local community-based outpatient center for appointments, H4975, H4976 [7JN]

——— study effectiveness of Veterans Crisis Line in preventing veteran suicide (H.R. 4173), H24 [9JA], H8167 [12SE]

FCC: adopt rules to ensure the accuracy of call location information for 9-1-1 calls, H1414 [6MR]

——— encourage spectrum licensees to make unused spectrum available to rural and smaller carriers to expand wireless coverage, H1411 [6MR]

——— ensure the integrity of voice communications and prevent discrimination among areas in the delivery of such communications by requiring providers to register and comply with basic quality standards (S. 96), H990–H992, H1002 [8FE]

——— expand broadband Internet access service to rural areas, H1231 [26FE], H10275 [19DE]

——— improve oversight of wireless and broadcast emergency alert systems (H.R. 6427), H7692 [26JY]

——— reauthorize and provide certain procedural changes to rules to maximize opportunities for public participation and efficient decisionmaking (H.R. 4986), H1398–H1414 [6MR], E271, E272 [7MR]

——— study feasibility of designating a simple, easy-to-remember dialing code to be used for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system (H.R. 2345), H6592–H6595 [23JY], H8167 [12SE]

National security: clarify and improve procedures and accountability for authorizing acquisitions and sharing of foreign intelligence and extend authorities on searching collections of communications (H.R. 3989), H109 [10JA]

Privacy: update privacy protections for electronic communications information that is stored by third-party service providers in order to protect consumer privacy while meeting law enforcement needs, H4593 [23MY]

Safety: anniversary of 9-1-1 system, H1135 [14FE], H1181 [15FE]

Technology: require multi-line telephone systems to have a default configuration that permits users to directly call 9-1-1 without dialing any additional digits or codes (H.R. 582), Senate amendment, H992–H994, H1071 [8FE]

Trump, President: evaluation of potential mobile phone security risks, H4726, H4727 [24MY]

Remarks in Senate

Dept. of HHS: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Suicide Prevention Lifeline funding, S5739, S5741 [21AU]

Dept. of Homeland Security: place restrictions on searches and seizures of electronic devices at the border by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (S. 2462), S1249 [27FE]

Dept. of Justice: incentivize hate crime reporting, provide grants for State-run hate crime hotlines, and establish private rights of action for victims and additional penalties for certain hate crime convictions (S. 662), S3871 [13JN]

Dept. of Transportation: prohibit certain cell phone voice communications during passenger flights, S6468 [3OC]

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: study effectiveness of Veterans Crisis Line in preventing veteran suicide, S4271, S4272 [20JN]

Depts. of the Interior and Agriculture: improve wildfire management operations and safety of firefighters and communities through use of advanced technology, S7901 [19DE]

FCC: establish a methodology for collection of mobile service coverage data (S. 1621), S1320 [1MR]

——— expand broadband Internet access service to rural areas, S900 [13FE]

——— improve oversight of wireless and broadcast emergency alert systems (S. 3238), S7734 [17DE]

——— reform Mobility Phase II challenge process relative to mobile voice and wireless broadband coverage (S. 2955), S2934 [24MY]

——— study feasibility of designating a simple, easy-to-remember dialing code to be used for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system (H.R. 2345), S5560 [1AU], S6214 [18SE]

——— study feasibility of designating a simple, easy-to-remember dialing code to be used for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system (S. 1015), S3867 [13JN], S5675 [16AU]

GAO: conduct a study and submit a report on filing requirements under the Universal Service Fund program (S. 875), S141, S142 [10JA]

Medicare: expand use of telehealth services for treatment of opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders, S6210 [18SE]

National 9-1-1 Education Month: designate (S. Res. 476), S2283 [18AP]

Senior citizens: prevent elder abuse and exploitation and improve the justice system’s response to victims in elder abuse and exploitation cases (S. 178), S7841 [19DE]

Technology: require multi-line telephone systems to have a default configuration that permits users to directly call 9-1-1 without dialing any additional digits or codes (H.R. 582), S615 [5FE], S647 [6FE], S684 [7FE]

Reports filed

Access to Capital Creates Economic Strength and Supports (ACCESS) Rural America Act: Committee on Financial Services (House) (H.R. 6745) (H. Rept. 115–1077), H10168 [12DE]

Dept. of Homeland Security Transmittal of Documents on Information Produced and Disseminated Relative to Cybersecurity Threats Posed by ZTE Corp., in China: Committee on Homeland Security (House) (H. Res. 898) (H. Rept. 115–714), H5020 [8JN]

National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Senate) (S. 1015) (S. Rept. 115–213), S1686 [13MR]

——— Committee on Energy and Commerce (House) (H.R. 2345) (H. Rept. 115–836), H6556 [18JY]

Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services (RAY BAUM’S) Act: Committee on Energy and Commerce (House) (H.R. 4986) (H. Rept. 115–587), H1440 [6MR]

Rural Reasonable and Comparable Wireless Access Act: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Senate) (S. 2418) (S. Rept. 115–345), S6731 [9OC]

Rural Wireless Access Act: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Senate) (S. 1621) (S. Rept. 115–206), S703 [7FE]

State of Modern Application, Research, and Trends of IoT (SMART IoT) Act: Committee on Energy and Commerce (House) (H.R. 6032) (H. Rept. 115–1003), H9462 [2NO]

Wildfire Management Technology Advancement Act: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (Senate) (S. 2290), S7275 [4DE]

——— Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (Senate) (S. 2290) (S. Rept. 115–441), S7925 [19DE]

Texts of

H.R. 2345, National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act, H6592 [23JY]

H.R. 4986, Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services (RAY BAUM’S) Act, H1399–H1408 [6MR]

H.R. 5329, Poison Center Network Enhancement Act, H5057 [12JN]

H.R. 6032, State of Modern Application, Research, and Trends of IoT (SMART IoT) Act, H9675 [28NO]

S. 96, Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act, H990 [8FE]

S. 875, GAO study and report on filing requirements under the Universal Service Fund program, S142 [10JA]

S. 1621, Rural Wireless Access Act, S1320 [1MR]

S. Res. 411, anniversary of 9-1-1 system, S1169 [15FE]

S. Res. 476, National 9-1-1 Education Month, S2268 [18AP]