I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2725 

To require the Federal Communications Commission to adopt regulations 

to protect subscribers to Internet protocol telephone services concerning 

the use of such services with alarm, security, and personal emergency 

response systems. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 14, 2007 

Mr. ENGEL (for himself and Mr. STEARNS) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To require the Federal Communications Commission to adopt 

regulations to protect subscribers to Internet protocol 

telephone services concerning the use of such services 

with alarm, security, and personal emergency response 

systems. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Alarm Customer VOIP 

5 Notification Act of 2007’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. REGULATIONS REQUIRED. 

2 (a) COMMISSION PROCEEDING REQUIRED.—Within 

3 45 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Fed4 eral Communications Commission shall commence a rule5 making to adopt regulations that will protect subscribers 

6 to VOIP services who utilize alarm, security, or personal 

7 emergency response systems in conjunction with VOIP 

8 services. 

9 (b) MINIMUM CONTENTS OF REGULATIONS.—The 

10 rules required by this section shall ensure that subscribers 

11 to VOIP service are informed by clear and conspicuous 

12 disclosure by a VOIP service provider and by a manufac13 turer of VOIP equipment in all sales and instructional ma14 terials, and again before installation or number activation, 

15 of the steps the subscribers need to take to maintain the 

16 proper functioning of any alarm, security, or personal 

17 emergency response system that the subscriber intends to 

18 utilize in conjunction with VOIP service to provide moni19 toring services. Such steps shall include that each such 

20 customer should— 

21 (1) arrange with his or her emergency response 

22 system provider, if any, to test such system after in23 stallation; 

24 (2) notify his or her emergency response system 

25 provider as soon as the VOIP service is installed; 

26 and 


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1 (3) maintain a 24-hour battery backup for cus2 tomer premises equipment installed in connection 

3 with the VOIP service in order for the signaling of 

4 such system to function in the event of a power out5 age. 

6 (c) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section: 

7 (1) VOIP SERVICE.—The term ‘‘VOIP service’’ 

8 means a service that— 

9 (A) provides real-time voice communica10 tions transmitted through end user equipment 

11 using Internet protocol, or a successor protocol, 

12 for a fee or without a fee; 

13 (B) is offered to the public, or such classes 

14 of users as to be effectively available to the 

15 public (whether part of a bundle of services or 

16 separately); and 

17 (C) has the capability to originate traffic 

18 to, or terminate traffic from, the public 

19 switched telephone network. 

20 (2) EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM.—The 

21 term ‘‘emergency response system’’ means an alarm 

22 or security system, or personal security or medical 

23 monitoring system, that is connected to an emer24 gency response center by means of a telecommuni25 cations carrier or VOIP service provider. 


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1 (3) EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTER.—The 

2 term ‘‘emergency response center’’ means an entity 

3 that monitors transmissions from an emergency re4 sponse system. 

Æ 


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