I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6836 

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 

DECEMBER 14, 2023 

Mr. THOMPSON of California (for himself and Mr. NEWHOUSE) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

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. 

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 2023’’ or the 

6 ‘‘PHONE Act of 2023’’. 


ssavage on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 6836 IH

1 SEC. 2. MORATORIUM ON NUMBER REASSIGNMENT AFTER 

2 DISASTER DECLARATION. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 251(e) of the Commu4 nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 251(e)) is amended by 

5 adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(5) MORATORIUM ON NUMBER REASSIGNMENT

7 AFTER DISASTER DECLARATION.— 

8 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a num9 ber assigned to a subscriber for the provision of 

10 fixed wireline voice service at a location in a 

11 designated area during a covered period— 

12 ‘‘(i) the number may not be reas13 signed, except at the request of the sub14 scriber; and 

15 ‘‘(ii) the assignment of the number 

16 may not be rescinded or otherwise modi17 fied, except at the request of the sub18 scriber. 

19 ‘‘(B) EXTENSION AT REQUEST OF SUB20 SCRIBER.—During the covered period, at the 

21 request of a subscriber described in subpara22 graph (A), the prohibition in subparagraph (A) 

23 shall be extended for the number for 1 year 

24 after the date on which the covered period ex25 pires. 


ssavage on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 6836 IH

1 ‘‘(C) SUBSCRIBER RIGHT TO CANCEL AND

2 RESUBSCRIBE.— 

3 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a 

4 number described under subparagraph (A) 

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

6 number demonstrates to the provider of 

7 the service (or, under subclause (II), any 

8 other provider of fixed wireline voice serv9 ice that serves the local area) that the resi10 dence where the number is located is inac11 cessible or uninhabitable— 

12 ‘‘(I) the provider may not charge 

13 the subscriber an early termination or 

14 other fee in connection with the can15 cellation of such service, if cancelled 

16 during the covered period or the ex17 tension of the period described in sub18 paragraph (B); and 

19 ‘‘(II) if the subscriber cancels the 

20 service during the covered period or 

21 the extension of the period described 

22 in subparagraph (B), the provider (or 

23 any other provider of fixed wireline 

24 voice service that serves the local 

25 area)— 


ssavage on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 6836 IH

1 ‘‘(aa) shall permit the sub2 scriber to subscribe or resub3 scribe, as the case may be, to 

4 fixed wireline voice service with 

5 the number at the residence or at 

6 a different residence (if such 

7 number is available in the loca8 tion of such different residence); 

9 and 

10 ‘‘(bb) may not charge the 

11 subscriber a connection fee or 

12 any other fee relating to the initi13 ation of fixed wireline voice serv14 ice. 

15 ‘‘(ii) CANCELLATION WITHOUT DEM16 ONSTRATION OF INACCESSIBILITY OR

17 UNINHABITABILITY.—If a subscriber can18 cels the provision of service assigned to a 

19 number described in subparagraph (A) or 

20 (B) and does not demonstrate to the pro21 vider of such service that the residence 

22 where the number is located is inaccessible 

23 or uninhabitable as described under clause 

24 (i), the number is no longer subject to the 


ssavage on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 6836 IH

1 prohibition under subparagraph (A) or 

2 (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 

8 public designation by a State under subpara9 graph (E)(iii) with respect to such area. In 

10 identifying a designated area under subpara11 graph (E)(iii), a State shall consult with pro12 viders of fixed wireline voice service that serve 

13 such area and coordinate with the Federal 

14 Emergency Management Agency to reasonably 

15 limit the designated area to areas that have 

16 sustained covered damage. 

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 


ssavage on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 6836 IH

1 ‘‘(II) damage that otherwise re2 sults in the displacement of sub3 scribers 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 

20 of a major disaster under section 401 of 

21 the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 

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

23 5170) with respect to such area, stipu24 lating that the State has determined 

25 that— 


ssavage on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 6836 IH

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

3 ‘‘(II) the prohibitions described 

4 in this paragraph are necessary and 

5 in the public interest. 

6 ‘‘(iv) VOICE SERVICE.—The term 

7 ‘voice service’ has the meaning given the 

8 term ‘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 

11 this Act, the Federal Communications Commission shall 

12 amend its rules to reflect the requirements of paragraph 

13 (5) of section 251(e) of the Communications Act of 1934 

14 (47 U.S.C. 251(e)), as added by subsection (a). 

15 (c) APPLICABILITY.—Paragraph (5) of section 251(e) 

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

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

18 major disaster declared by the President under section 

19 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer20 gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) after the date that 

21 is 180 days after the date on which the Commission an22 nounces that the Commission is capable of publicly identi23 fying a designated area on the website of the Commission 

24 under subparagraph (D) of such paragraph (5). 

Æ 


ssavage on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS