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[109th Congress Public Law 459]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]

[DOCID: f:publ459.109]

[[Page 120 STAT. 3399]]

Public Law 109-459
109th Congress

                                 An Act

 
   To direct the Federal Communications Commission to make efforts to 
       reduce telephone rates for Armed Forces personnel deployed 
             overseas. <<NOTE: Dec. 22, 2006 -  [S. 2653]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Call Home Act of 
2006.>> 

SECTION 1. <<NOTE: 47 USC 609 note.>> SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Call Home Act of 2006''.

SEC. 2. <<NOTE: 47 USC 201 note.>> TELEPHONE RATES FOR MEMBERS OF ARMED 
            FORCES DEPLOYED ABROAD.

    (a) In General.--The Federal Communications Commission shall take 
such action as may be necessary to reduce the cost of calling home for 
Armed Forces personnel who are stationed outside the United States under 
official military orders or deployed outside the United States in 
support of military operations, training exercises, or other purposes as 
approved by the Secretary of Defense, including the reduction of such 
costs through the waiver of government fees, assessments, or other 
charges for such calls. The Commission may not regulate rates in order 
to carry out this section.
    (b) Factors To Consider.--In taking the action described in 
subsection (a), the Commission, in coordination with the Department of 
Defense and the Department of State, shall--
            (1) evaluate and analyze the costs to Armed Forces personnel 
        of such telephone calls to and from American military bases 
        abroad;
            (2) evaluate methods of reducing the rates imposed on such 
        calls, including deployment of new technology such as voice over 
        Internet protocol or other Internet protocol technology;
            (3) encourage telecommunications carriers (as defined in 
        section 3(44) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
        153(44))) to adopt flexible billing procedures and policies for 
        Armed Forces personnel and their dependents for telephone calls 
        to and from such Armed Forces personnel; and
            (4) seek agreements with foreign governments to reduce 
        international surcharges on such telephone calls.

    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Armed forces.--The term ``Armed Forces'' has the meaning 
        given that term by section 2101(2) of title 5, United States 
        Code.
            (2) Military base.--The term ``military base'' includes 
        official duty stations to include vessels, whether such vessels 
        are in port or underway outside of the United States.

[[Page 120 STAT. 3400]]

SEC. 3. REPEAL OF EXISTING AUTHORIZATION.

    Section 213 of the Telecommunications Authorization Act of 1992 (47 
U.S.C. 201 note) is repealed.

SEC. 4. PUBLIC SAFETY INTEROPERABLE COMMUNICATIONS GRANTS.

     <<NOTE: Deadline.>> Pursuant to section 3006 of Public Law 109-171 
(47 U.S.C. 309 note), the Assistant Secretary for Communications and 
Information of the Department of Commerce, in consultation with the 
Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, shall award no less 
than $1,000,000,000 for public safety interoperable communications 
grants no later than September 30, 2007 subject to the receipt of 
qualified applications as determined by the Assistant Secretary.

    Approved December 22, 2006.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 2653:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 152 (2006):
            Dec. 6, considered and passed Senate.
            Dec. 8, considered and passed House.

                                  <all>
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