United States Statutes at Large, Volume 132, 115th Congress, 2nd Session

[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--

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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) <>  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.