[115th Congress Public Law 129]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 132 STAT. 329]]

Public Law 115-129
115th Congress

                                 An Act


 
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. <<NOTE: Feb. 26, 2018 -  [S. 96]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Improving Rural 
Call Quality and Reliability Act of 2017. 47 USC 609 note.>> 
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. <<NOTE: 47 USC 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) <<NOTE: Deadlines.>>  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--

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                    ``(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) <<NOTE: Web posting.>>  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) <<NOTE: Effective date. Certification.>>  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 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

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                          ``(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.''.

    Approved February 26, 2018.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 96 (H.R. 460):
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

SENATE REPORTS: No. 115-6 (Comm. on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
                                                        Vol. 163 (2017):
                                    Aug. 3, considered and passed 
                                        Senate.
                                                        Vol. 164 (2018):
                                    Feb. 8, considered and passed House.

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