Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act of 2016

Summary: Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act of 2016 (Sec. 2) This bill amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require intermediate providers that offer the capability to transmit voice communications and signaling information from one destination to another, and that charge a rate to any other entity (including an affiliated entity) for such a transmission, to: (1) register with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and (2) comply with service quality standards to be established by the FCC.  An &quot;intermediate provider&quot; is an entity that: (1) enters a business arrangement with a long-distance voice service provider that makes the initial call path choice for more than 100,000 domestic retail subscriber lines, or with another intermediate provider, to carry, route, or transmit voice traffic from a call placed from or to an end user connection using a North American Numbering Plan resource; and (2) does not itself (directly or in conjunction with an affiliate) serve as such a long-distance initial call path choice provider in the context of originating or terminating a given call.  The bill prohibits such long-distance providers (including local exchange carriers, interexchange carriers, commercial mobile radio services, interconnected voice over Internet Protocol [VoIP] services, and certain non-interconnected VoIP services) from using an intermediate provider to transmit voice communications and signals unless the intermediate provider is so registered.  The FCC must: (1) ensure the integrity of the transmission of voice communications to all customers in the United States, (2) prevent unjust or unreasonable discrimination among areas of the United States in the delivery of such voice communications, and (3) make a registry of intermediate providers publicly available on the FCC website.  The bill shall not be construed to preempt or expand the authority of a state agency or public utility commission to collect data, or enforce state law and regulations, regarding the completion of intrastate voice communications.  Certain long-distance providers that make initial call path choices are exempt from service quality standards that the FCC is required to establish under this bill if they certify under a safe harbor provision in existing FCC rules that they monitor the performance of, or do not use, intermediate providers. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Rural Call Quality and 
Reliability Act of 2016''.

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--
                    ``(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
                            ``(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.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives November 14, 2016.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.