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Union Calendar No. 441 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 1289 

[Report No. 116–541] 

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for a moratorium 

on number reassignment after a disaster declaration, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 14, 2019 

Mr. THOMPSON of California (for himself, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. DUNN, 

Ms. ESHOO, Mr. GARAMENDI, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Ms. KUSTER of New 

Hampshire, Ms. NORTON, Mr. ROONEY of Florida, and Mr. WEBER of 

Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Energy and Commerce 

SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 

Additional sponsors: Mr. NEWHOUSE, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. PETERS, Mr. 

OLSON, Mr. KING of Iowa, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. POSEY, Mr. CASE, Mr. 

COLE, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. 

CUNNINGHAM, Mr. MCCAUL, Ms. TITUS, Mr. ROUDA, Mrs. AXNE, Mr. 

HUFFMAN, Ms. SLOTKIN, Mr. CRENSHAW, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mrs. 

LURIA, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mr. SWALWELL of 

California, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. LOWENTHAL, and Mr. RUTHERFORD

SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 

Reported with an amendment; committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 14, 2019] 


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•HR 1289 RH

A BILL 

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for 

a moratorium on number reassignment after a disaster 

declaration, and for other purposes. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
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•HR 1289 RH

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 ‘‘Preserving Home and 

5 Office Numbers in Emergencies Act of 2020’’ or the 

6 ‘‘PHONE Act of 2020’’. 

7 SEC. 2. MORATORIUM ON NUMBER REASSIGNMENT AFTER 

8 DISASTER DECLARATION. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 251(e) of the Communica10 tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 251(e)) is amended by adding 

11 at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(4) MORATORIUM ON NUMBER REASSIGNMENT

13 AFTER DISASTER DECLARATION.— 

14 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a number 

15 assigned to a subscriber for the provision of fixed 

16 wireline voice service at a location in a des17 ignated area during a covered period— 

18 ‘‘(i) the number may not be reassigned, 

19 except at the request of the subscriber; and 

20 ‘‘(ii) the assignment of the number 

21 may not be rescinded or otherwise modified, 

22 except at the request of the subscriber. 

23 ‘‘(B) EXTENSION AT REQUEST OF SUB24 SCRIBER.—During the covered period, at the re25 quest of a subscriber described in subparagraph 


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1 (A), the prohibition in subparagraph (A) shall be 

2 extended for the number for 1 year after the date 

3 on which the covered period expires. 

4 ‘‘(C) SUBSCRIBER RIGHT TO CANCEL AND

5 RESUBSCRIBE.— 

6 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a 

7 number described under subparagraph (A) 

8 or (B), if the subscriber assigned to such 

9 number demonstrates to the provider of the 

10 service (or, under subclause (II), any other 

11 provider of fixed wireline voice service that 

12 serves the local area) that the residence 

13 where the number is located is inaccessible 

14 or uninhabitable— 

15 ‘‘(I) the provider may not charge 

16 the subscriber an early termination or 

17 other fee in connection with the can18 cellation of such service, if cancelled 

19 during the covered period or the exten20 sion of the period described in sub21 paragraph (B); and 

22 ‘‘(II) if the subscriber cancels the 

23 service during the covered period or the 

24 extension of the period described in 

25 subparagraph (B), the provider (or 


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1 any other provider of fixed wireline 

2 voice service that serves the local 

3 area)— 

4 ‘‘(aa) shall permit the sub5 scriber to subscribe or resubscribe, 

6 as the case may be, to fixed 

7 wireline voice service with the 

8 number at the residence or at a 

9 different residence (if such number 

10 is available in the location of such 

11 different residence); and 

12 ‘‘(bb) may not charge the 

13 subscriber a connection fee or any 

14 other fee relating to the initiation 

15 of fixed wireline voice service. 

16 ‘‘(ii) CANCELLATION WITHOUT DEM17 ONSTRATION OF INACCESSIBILITY OR

18 UNINHABITABILITY.—If a subscriber cancels 

19 the provision of service assigned to a num20 ber described in subparagraph (A) or (B) 

21 and does not demonstrate to the provider of 

22 such service that the residence where the 

23 number is located is inaccessible or un24 inhabitable as described under clause (i), 


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1 the number is no longer subject to the prohi2 bition under subparagraph (A) or (B). 

3 ‘‘(D) IDENTIFICATION ON COMMISSION

4 WEBSITE.—The Commission shall publicly iden5 tify on the website of the Commission each des6 ignated area that is in a covered period, not 

7 later than 15 days after the submission of a pub8 lic designation by a State under subparagraph 

9 (E)(iii) with respect to such area. In identifying 

10 a designated area under subparagraph (E)(iii), 

11 a State shall consult with providers of fixed 

12 wireline voice service that serve such area and 

13 coordinate with the Federal Emergency Manage14 ment Agency to reasonably limit the designated 

15 area to areas that have sustained covered dam16 age. 

17 ‘‘(E) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph: 

18 ‘‘(i) COVERED DAMAGE.—The term 

19 ‘covered damage’ means, with respect to an 

20 area— 

21 ‘‘(I) damage that renders resi22 dences in such area inaccessible or un23 inhabitable; or 


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1 ‘‘(II) damage that otherwise re2 sults in the displacement of subscribers 

3 from or within such area. 

4 ‘‘(ii) COVERED PERIOD.—The term 

5 ‘covered period’ means a period that— 

6 ‘‘(I) begins on the date of a dec7 laration by the President of a major 

8 disaster under section 401 of the Rob9 ert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 

10 Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 

11 5170) with respect to a designated 

12 area; and 

13 ‘‘(II) ends on the date that is 1 

14 year after such date. 

15 ‘‘(iii) DESIGNATED AREA.—The term 

16 ‘designated area’ means a geographic area 

17 for which a State has submitted a public 

18 designation to the Commission, within 15 

19 days after a declaration by the President of 

20 a major disaster under section 401 of the 

21 Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 

22 Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) 

23 with respect to such area, stipulating that 

24 the State has determined that— 


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1 ‘‘(I) covered damage was sus2 tained in such area; and 

3 ‘‘(II) the prohibitions described in 

4 this paragraph are necessary and in 

5 the public interest. 

6 ‘‘(iv) VOICE SERVICE.—The term ‘voice 

7 service’ has the meaning given the term 

8 ‘voice service’ in section 227(e)(8).’’. 

9 (b) AMENDMENT OF FCC RULES REQUIRED.—Not 

10 later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 

11 Act, the Federal Communications Commission shall amend 

12 its rules to reflect the requirements of paragraph (4) of sec13 tion 251(e) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 

14 251(e)), as added by subsection (a). 

15 (c) APPLICABILITY.—Paragraph (4) of section 251(e) 

16 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 251(e)), as 

17 added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to a major 

18 disaster declared by the President under section 401 of the 

19 Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist20 ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) after the date that is 180 days 

21 after the date on which the Commission announces that the 

22 Commission is capable of publicly identifying a designated 

23 area on the website of the Commission under subparagraph 

24 (D) of such paragraph (4). 


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kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 441 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 1289 

[Report No. 116–541] 

A BILL 

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to proposes. after a disaster declaration, and for other pur- vide for a moratorium on number reassignment 

SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 

Reported with an amendment; committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS