I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4832 

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to clarify that an eligible telecommunications carrier may use high cost universal service support to 

aid in the restoration of telecommunications capabilities in an area in 

which the President has declared a major disaster or emergency and 

may elect to receive an advance payment of such support. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 18, 2018 

Mr. CRAMER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to clarify that 

an eligible telecommunications carrier may use high cost 

universal service support to aid in the restoration of 

telecommunications capabilities in an area in which the 

President has declared a major disaster or emergency 

and may elect to receive an advance payment of such 

support. 

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 ‘‘Restoring Economic 

5 Strength and Telecommunications Operations by ReleasVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:39 Jan 20, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4832.IH H4832

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1 ing Expected Dollars Act of 2018’’ or the ‘‘RESTORED 

2 Act of 2018’’. 

3 SEC. 2. USE OF HIGH COST UNIVERSAL SERVICE SUPPORT 

4 FOLLOWING PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED 

5 MAJOR DISASTERS OR EMERGENCIES. 

6 Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 

7 U.S.C. 254) is amended by adding at the end the fol8 lowing: 

9 ‘‘(m) USE OF HIGH COST UNIVERSAL SERVICE SUP10 PORT FOLLOWING PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED MAJOR

11 DISASTERS OR EMERGENCIES.— 

12 ‘‘(1) USE OF SUPPORT.—A covered tele13 communications carrier may use high cost support 

14 received with respect to a covered area to aid in the 

15 restoration of telecommunications capabilities in 

16 such area if such carrier— 

17 ‘‘(A) repairs its network as rapidly and 

18 widely as possible to restore service; and 

19 ‘‘(B) uses such support for such restora20 tion only in a covered area that is substantially 

21 unserved by facilities-based providers of resi22 dential fixed voice and broadband service that 

23 do not receive high cost support. 

24 ‘‘(2) ADVANCE PAYMENTS.— 


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1 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If a covered tele2 communications carrier makes an election de3 scribed in subparagraph (B) with respect to a 

4 covered area, the Commission shall provide to 

5 such carrier in the form of a single advance 

6 payment the high cost support that, in the ab7 sence of such election, such carrier would have 

8 received with respect to such area over the 

9 number of months specified in such election. 

10 ‘‘(B) ELECTION.—The election described 

11 in this subparagraph is an election— 

12 ‘‘(i) by a covered telecommunications 

13 carrier to receive high cost support with 

14 respect to a covered area for a number of 

15 months specified in the election (not to ex16 ceed 7 months) in the form of a single ad17 vance payment; and 

18 ‘‘(ii) that is made not later than 30 

19 days after the President has declared a 

20 major disaster or emergency under the 

21 Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 

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

23 5121 et seq.) with respect to such area. 

24 ‘‘(3) DEFINITIONS.— 


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1 ‘‘(A) COVERED AREA.—The term ‘covered 

2 area’ means an area with respect to which the 

3 President has declared a major disaster or 

4 emergency under the Robert T. Stafford Dis5 aster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 

6 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.). 

7 ‘‘(B) COVERED TELECOMMUNICATIONS

8 CARRIER.—The term ‘covered telecommuni9 cations carrier’ means an eligible telecommuni10 cations carrier designated under section 214(e) 

11 that receives high cost support with respect to 

12 a covered area. 

13 ‘‘(C) HIGH COST SUPPORT.—The term 

14 ‘high cost support’ means universal service sup15 port for high cost areas under subpart D of 

16 part 54 of title 47, Code of Federal Regula17 tions.’’. 

Æ 


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