§ 64.6402 Processing of separation of lines from a shared mobile service contract. ( a ) Subject to the requirements of this section, as soon as feasible, but not later than close of business two businesses days after receiving a completed line separation request from a survivor submitted pursuant to § 64.6401, a covered provider shall, consistent with the survivor's request: ( 1 ) Separate the line(s) of the survivor, and the line(s) of any individual in the care of the survivor, from the shared mobile service contract; or
( 2 ) Separate the line(s) of the abuser from the shared mobile service contract.
( b ) A covered provider shall attempt to authenticate, using multiple authentication methods if necessary, that a survivor requesting a line separation is a user of the specific line(s). ( 1 ) If the survivor is the primary account holder or a user designated to have account authority by the primary account holder, a covered provider shall attempt to authenticate the identity of the survivor in accordance with the covered provider's authentication measures for primary account holders or designated users.
( 2 ) If the survivor is not the primary account holder or a designated user, the covered provider shall attempt to authenticate the identity of the survivor using methods that are reasonably designed to confirm the survivor is actually a user of the specified line(s) on the account.
( c ) At the time a survivor submits a line separation request, a covered provider shall: ( 1 ) Inform the survivor, through remote means established in § 64.6403, that the provider may contact the survivor (or the survivor's designated representative) to confirm the line separation or inform the survivor if the provider is unable to complete the line separation;
( 2 ) Inform the survivor of the existence of the Lifeline program as a source of support for emergency communications for qualifying survivors, as provided in § 54.424 of this chapter, including a description of who might qualify for the Lifeline program, how to participate, and information about the Affordable Connectivity Program, or other successor program, for which the survivor may be eligible due to their survivor status;
( 3 ) If the line separation request was submitted through remote means, allow the survivor to elect the manner in which the covered provider may contact the survivor (or designated representative of the survivor) in response to the request, if necessary, which must include at least one means of communications that does not require a survivor to interact in person with an employee of the covered provider at a physical location;
( 4 ) If the line separation request was submitted through remote means, allow a survivor to select a preferred language for future communications from among those in which the covered provider advertises, and deliver any such future communications in the language selected by the survivor; and
( 5 ) Allow a survivor submitting a line separation request to indicate the service plan the survivor chooses from among all commercially available plans the covered provider offers for which the survivor may be eligible, including any prepaid plans; whether the survivor intends to retain possession of any device associated with a separated line; and whether the survivor intends to apply for emergency communications support through the Lifeline program, as provided in § 54.424 of this chapter, if available through the covered provider.
( d ) If a covered provider cannot operationally or technically effectuate a line separation request after taking reasonable steps to do so, the covered provider shall, at the time of the request (or for a request made using remote means, not later than two business days after receiving the request) notify the survivor (or designated representative of the survivor) of that infeasibility. The covered provider shall explain the nature of the operational or technical limitations that prevent the provider from completing the line separation as requested and provide the survivor with information about available alternative options to obtain a line separation and alternatives to submitting a line separation request, including starting a new account for the survivor. The covered provider shall deliver any such notification through the manner of communication and in the language selected by the survivor at the time of the request.
( e ) If a covered provider rejects a line separation request for any reason other than operational or technical infeasibility, the covered provider shall, not later than two business days after receiving the request, notify the survivor (or designated representative of the survivor), through the manner of communication and the language selected by the survivor at the time of the request, of the rejection. The covered provider shall explain the basis for the rejection, describe how the survivor can either correct any issues with the existing line separation request or submit a new line separation request, and, if applicable, provide the survivor with information about available alternative options to obtain a line separation and alternatives to submitting a line separation request, including starting a new account for the survivor.
( f ) A covered provider shall treat any correction, resubmission, or alternatives selected by a survivor following a denial as a new request.
( g ) As soon as feasible after receiving a legitimate line separation request, a covered provider shall notify a survivor of the date on which the covered provider intends to give any formal notification of a line separation, cancellation, or suspension of service: ( 1 ) To the primary account holder, if the survivor is not the primary account holder; and
( 2 ) To the abuser, if the line separation involves the abuser's line.
( h ) A covered provider shall not notify an abuser who is not the primary account holder when the covered provider separates the line(s) of a survivor or an individual in the care of a survivor from a shared mobile service contract.
( i ) A covered provider shall not notify a primary account holder of a request by a survivor to port-out a number that is the subject of a line separation request. A covered provider shall not notify a primary account holder of a survivor's request for a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) change when made in connection with a line separation request pursuant to 47 U.S.C. 345 and this subpart.
( j ) A covered provider shall only communicate with a survivor as required by this subpart or as necessary to effectuate a line separation. A covered provider shall not engage in marketing and advertising communications that are not related to assisting the survivor with understanding and selecting service options.
( k ) As soon as feasible after receiving a legitimate line separation request from a survivor, a covered provider shall lock the account affected by the line separation request to prevent all SIM changes, number ports, and line cancellations other than those requested as part of the line separation request pursuant to 47 U.S.C. 345 and this subpart until the request is processed or denied.
( l ) A covered provider shall effectuate a legitimate line separation request submitted pursuant to this subpart, and any associated number port and SIM change requests, regardless of whether an account lock is activated on the account.
( m ) A covered provider receiving a request from any customer other than the survivor requesting that the covered provider stop or reverse a line separation on the basis that the line separation request was fraudulent shall make a record of the request in the customer's existing account and, if applicable, the customer's new account, in the event further evidence shows that the line separation request was in fact fraudulent.
( n ) ( 1 ) A covered provider shall provide a survivor with documentation that clearly identifies the survivor and shows that the survivor has submitted a legitimate line separation request under 47 U.S.C. 345(c)(1) and this subpart upon completion of the provider's line separation request review process. The documentation shall include: ( i ) The survivor's full name;
( ii ) Confirmation that the covered provider authenticated the survivor as a user of the line(s) subject to the line separation request; and
( ii ) A statement that the survivor has submitted a legitimate line separation request under 47 U.S.C. 345(c)(1).
( 2 ) The covered provider shall provide the documentation in paragraph (n)(1) to survivors in a written format that can be easily saved and shared by a survivor.