H. R. 7132 

One Hundred Seventeenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-two 

An Act 

To preserve safe access to communications services for survivors of domestic violence 

and other crimes, and for other purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Safe Connections Act of 2022’’. 

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

Except as otherwise provided in this Act, terms used in this 

Act that are defined in section 345(a) of the Communications Act 

of 1934, as added by section 4 of this Act, have the meanings 

given those terms in such section 345(a). 

SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 

Congress finds the following: 

(1) Domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, sexual 

assault, human trafficking, and related crimes are life-threatening issues and have lasting and harmful effects on individuals, families, and entire communities. 

(2) Survivors often lack meaningful support and options 

when establishing independence from an abuser, including barriers such as financial insecurity and limited access to reliable 

communications tools to maintain essential connections with 

family, social safety networks, employers, and support services. 

(3) Perpetrators of violence and abuse described in paragraph (1) increasingly use technological and communications 

tools to exercise control over, monitor, and abuse their victims. 

(4) Communications law can play a public interest role 

in the promotion of safety, life, and property with respect 

to the types of violence and abuse described in paragraph 

(1). For example, independent access to a wireless phone plan 

can assist survivors in establishing security and autonomy. 

(5) Safeguards within communications services can serve 

a role in preventing abuse and narrowing the digital divide 

experienced by survivors of abuse. 

SEC. 4. PROTECTION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS WITHIN 

COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES. 

Part I of title III of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 

U.S.C. 301 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘SEC. 345. PROTECTION OF SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, 

HUMAN TRAFFICKING, AND RELATED CRIMES. 

‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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‘‘(1) ABUSER.—The term ‘abuser’ means an individual who 

has committed or allegedly committed a covered act against— 

‘‘(A) an individual who seeks relief under subsection 

(b); or 

‘‘(B) an individual in the care of an individual who 

seeks relief under subsection (b). 

‘‘(2) COVERED ACT.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘covered act’ means conduct that constitutes— 

‘‘(i) a crime described in section 40002(a) of the 

Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 

12291(a)), including domestic violence, dating violence, 

sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking; 

‘‘(ii) an act or practice described in paragraph (11) 

or (12) of section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102) (relating to severe 

forms of trafficking in persons and sex trafficking, 

respectively); or 

‘‘(iii) an act under State law, Tribal law, or the 

Uniform Code of Military Justice that is similar to 

an offense described in clause (i) or (ii). 

‘‘(B) CONVICTION NOT REQUIRED.—Nothing in subparagraph (A) shall be construed to require a criminal conviction 

or any other determination of a court in order for conduct 

to constitute a covered act. 

‘‘(3) COVERED PROVIDER.—The term ‘covered provider’ 

means a provider of a private mobile service or commercial 

mobile service, as those terms are defined in section 332(d). 

‘‘(4) PRIMARY ACCOUNT HOLDER.—The term ‘primary 

account holder’ means an individual who is a party to a mobile 

service contract with a covered provider. 

‘‘(5) SHARED MOBILE SERVICE CONTRACT.—The term ‘shared 

mobile service contract’— 

‘‘(A) means a mobile service contract for an account 

that includes not less than 2 consumers; and 

‘‘(B) does not include enterprise services offered by 

a covered provider. 

‘‘(6) SURVIVOR.—The term ‘survivor’ means an individual 

who is not less than 18 years old and— 

‘‘(A) against whom a covered act has been committed 

or allegedly committed; or 

‘‘(B) who cares for another individual against whom 

a covered act has been committed or allegedly committed 

(provided that the individual providing care did not commit 

or allegedly commit the covered act). 

‘‘(b) SEPARATION OF LINES FROM SHARED MOBILE SERVICE CON- TRACT.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 business days after 

receiving a completed line separation request from a survivor 

pursuant to subsection (c), a covered provider shall, as 

applicable, with respect to a shared mobile service contract 

under which the survivor and the abuser each use a line— 

‘‘(A) separate the line of the survivor, and the line 

of any individual in the care of the survivor, from the 

shared mobile service contract; or 

‘‘(B) separate the line of the abuser from the shared 

mobile service contract. 
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‘‘(2) LIMITATIONS ON PENALTIES, FEES, AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS.—Except as provided in paragraphs (5) through (7), a 

covered provider may not make separation of a line from a 

shared mobile service contract under paragraph (1) contingent 

on any requirement other than the requirements under subsection (c), including— 

‘‘(A) payment of a fee, penalty, or other charge; 

‘‘(B) maintaining contractual or billing responsibility 

of a separated line with the provider; 

‘‘(C) approval of separation by the primary account 

holder, if the primary account holder is not the survivor; 

‘‘(D) a prohibition or limitation, including one described 

in subparagraph (A), on number portability, provided such 

portability is technically feasible, or a request to change 

phone numbers; 

‘‘(E) a prohibition or limitation on the separation of 

lines as a result of arrears accrued by the account; 

‘‘(F) an increase in the rate charged for the mobile 

service plan of the primary account holder with respect 

to service on any remaining line or lines; or 

‘‘(G) any other limitation or requirement not listed 

under subsection (c). 

‘‘(3) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in paragraph (2) 

shall be construed to require a covered provider to provide 

a rate plan for the primary account holder that is not otherwise 

commercially available. 

‘‘(4) REMOTE OPTION.—A covered provider shall offer a survivor the ability to submit a line separation request under 

subsection (c) through secure remote means that are easily 

navigable, provided that remote options are commercially available and technically feasible. 

‘‘(5) RESPONSIBILITY FOR TRANSFERRED TELEPHONE NUMBERS.—Notwithstanding paragraph (2), beginning on the date 

on which a covered provider transfers billing responsibilities 

for and use of a telephone number or numbers to a survivor 

under paragraph (1)(A) in response to a line separation request 

submitted by the survivor under subsection (c), unless ordered 

otherwise by a court, the survivor shall assume financial 

responsibility, including for monthly service costs, for the transferred telephone number or numbers. 

‘‘(6) RESPONSIBILITY FOR TRANSFERRED TELEPHONE NUMBERS FROM A SURVIVOR’S ACCOUNT.—Notwithstanding paragraph (2), upon the transfer of a telephone number under 

paragraph (1)(B) in response to a line separation request submitted by a survivor under subsection (c), the survivor shall 

have no further financial responsibilities to the transferring 

covered provider for the services provided by the transferring 

covered provider for the telephone number or for any mobile 

device associated with the telephone number. 

‘‘(7) RESPONSIBILITY FOR MOBILE DEVICE.—Notwithstanding 

paragraph (2), beginning on the date on which a covered provider transfers billing responsibilities for and rights to a telephone number or numbers to a survivor under paragraph (1)(A) 

in response to a line separation request submitted by the survivor under subsection (c), unless otherwise ordered by a court, 

the survivor shall not assume financial responsibility for any 

mobile device associated with the separated line, unless the 
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survivor purchased the mobile device, or affirmatively elects 

to maintain possession of the mobile device. 

‘‘(8) NOTICE TO SURVIVOR.—If a covered provider separates 

a line from a shared mobile service contract under paragraph 

(1) and the primary account holder is not the survivor, the 

covered provider shall notify the survivor of the date on which 

the covered provider intends to give any formal notice to the 

primary account holder. 

‘‘(c) LINE SEPARATION REQUEST.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a survivor seeking to 

separate a line from a shared mobile service contract, the 

survivor shall submit to the covered provider a line separation 

request that— 

‘‘(A) verifies that an individual who uses a line under 

the shared mobile service contract has committed or allegedly committed a covered act against the survivor or an 

individual in the survivor’s care, by providing— 

‘‘(i) a copy of a signed affidavit from a licensed 

medical or mental health care provider, licensed military medical or mental health care provider, licensed 

social worker, victim services provider, or licensed military victim services provider, or an employee of a court, 

acting within the scope of that person’s employment; 

or 

‘‘(ii) a copy of a police report, statements provided 

by police, including military police, to magistrates or 

judges, charging documents, protective or restraining 

orders, military protective orders, or any other official 

record that documents the covered act; 

‘‘(B) in the case of relief sought under subsection 

(b)(1)(A), with respect to— 

‘‘(i) a line used by the survivor that the survivor 

seeks to have separated, states that the survivor is 

the user of that specific line; and 

‘‘(ii) a line used by an individual in the care of 

the survivor that the survivor seeks to have separated, 

includes an affidavit setting forth that the individual— 

‘‘(I) is in the care of the survivor; and 

‘‘(II) is the user of that specific line; and 

‘‘(C) requests relief under subparagraph (A) or (B) of 

subsection (b)(1) and identifies each line that should be 

separated. 

‘‘(2) COMMUNICATIONS FROM COVERED PROVIDERS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A covered provider shall notify a 

survivor seeking relief under subsection (b) in clear and 

accessible language that the covered provider may contact 

the survivor, or designated representative of the survivor, 

to confirm the line separation, or if the covered provider 

is unable to complete the line separation for any reason, 

pursuant to subparagraphs (B) and (C). 

‘‘(B) REMOTE MEANS.—A covered provider shall notify 

a survivor under subparagraph (A) through remote means, 

provided that remote means are commercially available 

and technically feasible. 

‘‘(C) ELECTION OF MANNER OF CONTACT.—When completing a line separation request submitted by a survivor 
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through remote means under paragraph (1), a covered provider shall allow the survivor to elect in the manner in 

which the covered provider may— 

‘‘(i) contact the survivor, or designated representative of the survivor, in response to the request, if 

necessary; or 

‘‘(ii) notify the survivor, or designated representative of the survivor, of the inability of the covered 

provider to complete the line separation. 

‘‘(3) ENHANCED PROTECTIONS UNDER STATE LAW.—This subsection shall not affect any law or regulation of a State providing communications protections for survivors (or any similar 

category of individuals) that has less stringent requirements 

for providing evidence of a covered act (or any similar category 

of conduct) than this subsection. 

‘‘(d) CONFIDENTIAL AND SECURE TREATMENT OF PERSONAL

INFORMATION.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 222(c)(2), a covered provider and any officer, director, employee, vendor, or 

agent thereof shall treat any information submitted by a survivor under subsection (c) as confidential and securely dispose 

of the information not later than 90 days after receiving the 

information. 

‘‘(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in paragraph (1) 

shall be construed to prohibit a covered provider from 

maintaining, for longer than the period specified in that paragraph, a record that verifies that a survivor fulfilled the conditions of a line separation request under subsection (c). 

‘‘(e) AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION TO CONSUMERS.—A covered 

provider shall make information about the options and process 

described in subsections (b) and (c) readily available to consumers— 

‘‘(1) on the website and the mobile application of the provider; 

‘‘(2) in physical stores; and 

‘‘(3) in other forms of public-facing consumer communication. 

‘‘(f) TECHNICAL INFEASIBILITY.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The requirement to effectuate a line 

separation request pursuant to subsection (b)(1) shall not apply 

to a covered provider if the covered provider cannot operationally or technically effectuate the request. 

‘‘(2) NOTIFICATION.—If a covered provider cannot operationally or technically effectuate a line separation request as 

described in paragraph (1), the covered provider shall— 

‘‘(A) notify the survivor who submitted the request 

of that infeasibility— 

‘‘(i) at the time of the request; or 

‘‘(ii) in the case of a survivor who has submitted 

the request using remote means, not later than 2 business days after receiving the request; and 

‘‘(B) provide the survivor with information about other 

alternatives to submitting a line separation request, 

including starting a new line of service. 

‘‘(g) LIABILITY PROTECTION.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A covered provider and any officer, 

director, employee, vendor, or agent thereof shall not be subject 

to liability for any claims deriving from an action taken or 
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omission made with respect to compliance with this section 

and the rules adopted to implement this section. 

‘‘(2) COMMISSION AUTHORITY.—Nothing in this subsection 

shall limit the authority of the Commission to enforce this 

section or any rules or regulations promulgated by the Commission pursuant to this section.’’. 

SEC. 5. RULEMAKING ON PROTECTIONS FOR SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC 

VIOLENCE. 

(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

(1) the term ‘‘Affordable Connectivity Program’’ means the 

program established under section 904(b) of division N of the 

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116–260), 

as amended by section 60502 of the Infrastructure Investment 

and Jobs Act (Public Law 117–58), or any successor program; 

(2) the term ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ means 

the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 

the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of 

the House of Representatives; 

(3) the term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Federal Communications Commission; 

(4) the term ‘‘covered hotline’’ means a hotline related 

to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, 

sex trafficking, severe forms of trafficking in persons, or any 

other similar act; 

(5) the term ‘‘designated program’’ means the program 

designated by the Commission under subsection (b)(2)(A)(i) to 

provide emergency communications support to survivors; 

(6) the term ‘‘Lifeline program’’ means the program set 

forth in subpart E of part 54 of title 47, Code of Federal 

Regulations (or any successor regulation); 

(7) the term ‘‘text message’’ has the meaning given the 

term in section 227(e)(8) of the Communications Act of 1934 

(47 U.S.C. 227(e)(8)); and 

(8) the term ‘‘voice service’’ has the meaning given such 

term in section 4(a) of the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall 

Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (47 U.S.C. 

227b(a)). 

(b) RULEMAKINGS.— 

(1) LINE SEPARATIONS.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after the 

date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall adopt 

rules to implement section 345 of the Communications 

Act of 1934, as added by section 4 of this Act. 

(B) CONSIDERATIONS.—In adopting rules under 

subparagraph (A), the Commission shall consider— 

(i) privacy protections; 

(ii) account security and fraud detection; 

(iii) account billing procedures; 

(iv) procedures for notification of survivors about 

line separation processes; 

(v) notice to primary account holders; 

(vi) situations in which a covered provider cannot 

operationally or technically separate a telephone 

number or numbers from a shared mobile service contract such that the provider cannot effectuate a line 

separation request; 
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(vii) the requirements for remote submission of 

a line separation request, including how that option 

facilitates submission of verification information and 

meets the other requirements of section 345 of the 

Communications Act of 1934, as added by section 4 

of this Act; 

(viii) feasibility of remote options for small covered 

providers; 

(ix) implementation timelines, including those for 

small covered providers; 

(x) financial responsibility for transferred telephone numbers; 

(xi) whether and how the survivor can affirmatively elect to take financial responsibility for the 

mobile device associated with the separated line; 

(xii) compliance with subpart U of part 64 of title 

47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulations (relating to customer proprietary network 

information) or any other legal or law enforcement 

requirements; and 

(xiii) ensuring covered providers have the necessary account information to comply with the rules 

and with section 345 of the Communications Act of 

1934, as added by section 4 of this Act. 

(2) EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT FOR SURVIVORS.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after the 

date of enactment of this Act, or as part of a general 

rulemaking proceeding relating to the Lifeline program 

or the Affordable Connectivity Program, whichever occurs 

earlier, the Commission shall adopt rules that— 

(i) designate a single program, which shall be 

either the Lifeline program or the Affordable 

Connectivity Program, to provide emergency communications support to survivors in accordance with this 

paragraph; and 

(ii) allow a survivor who is suffering from financial 

hardship and meets the requirements under section 

345(c)(1) of the Communications Act of 1934, as added 

by section 4 of this Act, without regard to whether 

the survivor meets the otherwise applicable eligibility 

requirements of the designated program, to— 

(I) enroll in the designated program as quickly 

as is feasible; and 

(II) participate in the designated program 

based on such qualifications for not more than 

6 months. 

(B) CONSIDERATIONS.—In adopting rules under 

subparagraph (A), the Commission shall consider— 

(i) how survivors who are eligible for relief and 

elected to separate a line under section 345(c)(1) of 

the Communications Act of 1934, as added by section 

4 of this Act, but whose lines could not be separated 

due to operational or technical infeasibility, can participate in the designated program; and 
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(ii) confidentiality in the transfer and retention 

of any necessary documentation regarding the eligibility of a survivor to enroll in the designated program. 

(C) EVALUATION.—Not later than 2 years after completing the rulemaking under subparagraph (A), the 

Commission shall— 

(i) evaluate the effectiveness of the Commission’s 

provision of support to survivors through the designated program; 

(ii) assess the detection and elimination of fraud, 

waste, and abuse with respect to the support described 

in clause (i); and 

(iii) submit to the appropriate congressional 

committees a report that includes the evaluation and 

assessment described in clauses (i) and (ii), respectively. 

(D) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to limit the ability of a survivor 

who meets the requirements under section 345(c)(1) of the 

Communications Act of 1934, as added by section 4 of 

this Act, to participate in the designated program indefinitely if the survivor otherwise qualifies for the designated 

program under the rules of the designated program. 

(E) NOTIFICATION.—A covered provider that receives 

a line separation request pursuant to section 345 of the 

Communications Act of 1934, as added by section 4 of 

this Act, shall inform the survivor who submitted the 

request of— 

(i) the existence of the designated program; 

(ii) who qualifies to participate in the designated 

program under the rules adopted under subparagraph 

(A) that are specially applicable to survivors; and 

(iii) how to participate in the designated program 

under the rules described in clause (ii). 

(3) HOTLINE CALLS.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall commence a rulemaking proceeding to consider whether to, 

and how the Commission should— 

(i) establish, and update on a monthly basis, a 

central database of covered hotlines to be used by 

a covered provider or a wireline provider of voice 

service; and 

(ii) require a covered provider or a wireline provider of voice service to omit from consumer-facing 

logs of calls or text messages any records of calls 

or text messages to covered hotlines in the central 

database described in clause (i), while maintaining 

internal records of those calls and messages. 

(B) CONSIDERATIONS.—The rulemaking conducted 

under subparagraph (A) shall include consideration of— 

(i) the ability of law enforcement agencies or survivors to access a log of calls or text messages in 

a criminal investigation or civil proceeding; 

(ii) the ability of a covered provider or a wireline 

provider of voice service to— 

(I) identify logs that are consumer-facing; and 
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(II) omit certain consumer-facing logs, while 

maintaining internal records of such calls and text 

messages; and 

(iii) any other factors associated with the 

implementation of clauses (i) and (ii) to protect survivors, including factors that may impact smaller providers. 

(C) NO EFFECT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT.—Nothing in 

subparagraph (A) shall be construed to— 

(i) limit or otherwise affect the ability of a law 

enforcement agency to access a log of calls or text 

messages in a criminal investigation; or 

(ii) alter or otherwise expand provider requirements under the Communications Assistance for Law 

Enforcement Act (Public Law 103–414; 108 Stat. 4279) 

or the amendments made by that Act. 

(D) COMPLIANCE.—If the Commission establishes a central database through the rulemaking under subparagraph 

(A) and a covered provider updates its own databases to 

match the central database not less frequently than once 

every 30 days, no cause of action shall lie or be maintained 

in any court against the covered provider or its officers, 

employees, or agents for claims deriving from omission 

from consumer-facing logs of calls or text messages of any 

records of calls or text messages to covered hotlines in 

the central database. 

SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

The requirements under section 345 of the Communications 

Act of 1934, as added by section 4 of this Act, shall take effect 

60 days after the date on which the Federal Communications 

Commission adopts the rules implementing that section pursuant 

to section 5(b)(1) of this Act. 

SEC. 7. SAVINGS CLAUSE. 

Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this Act 

shall be construed to abrogate, limit, or otherwise affect the provisions set forth in the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (Public Law 103–414; 108 Stat. 4279) and the amendments 

made by that Act, any authority granted to the Federal Communications Commission pursuant to that Act or the amendments made 

by that Act, or any regulations promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission pursuant to that Act or the amendments 

made by that Act. 

SEC. 8. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS. 

The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying 

with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined 

by reference to the latest statement titled ‘‘Budgetary Effects of 

PAYGO Legislation’’ for this Act, submitted for printing in the 
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Congressional Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such statement has been submitted prior 

to the vote on passage. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.