    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 132, 115th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    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. <>

    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--

    [[Page 330]]

    ``(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 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

    [[Page 331]]

    ``(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.