SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Preserving Home and 
Office Numbers in Emergencies Act of 2021’’ or the 
‘‘PHONE Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. MORATORIUM ON NUMBER REASSIGNMENT AFTER 
DISASTER DECLARATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 251(e) of the Commu-
nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 251(e)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) MORATORIUM ON NUMBER REASSIGNMENT 
AFTER DISASTER DECLARATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a num-
ber assigned to a subscriber for the provision of 
fixed wireline voice service at a location in a 
designated area during a covered period— 
‘‘(i) the number may not be reas-
signed, except at the request of the sub-
scriber; and 
‘‘(ii) the assignment of the number 
may not be rescinded or otherwise modi-
fied, except at the request of the sub-
scriber. 
‘‘(B) EXTENSION
AT
REQUEST
OF
SUB-
SCRIBER.—During the covered period, at the 
request of a subscriber described in subpara-
graph (A), the prohibition in subparagraph (A) 
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shall be extended for the number for 1 year 
after the date on which the covered period ex-
pires. 
‘‘(C) SUBSCRIBER RIGHT TO CANCEL AND 
RESUBSCRIBE.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a 
number described under subparagraph (A) 
or (B), if the subscriber assigned to such 
number demonstrates to the provider of 
the service (or, under subclause (II), any 
other provider of fixed wireline voice serv-
ice that serves the local area) that the resi-
dence where the number is located is inac-
cessible or uninhabitable— 
‘‘(I) the provider may not charge 
the subscriber an early termination or 
other fee in connection with the can-
cellation of such service, if cancelled 
during the covered period or the ex-
tension of the period described in sub-
paragraph (B); and 
‘‘(II) if the subscriber cancels the 
service during the covered period or 
the extension of the period described 
in subparagraph (B), the provider (or 
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any other provider of fixed wireline 
voice service that serves the local 
area)— 
‘‘(aa) shall permit the sub-
scriber to subscribe or resub-
scribe, as the case may be, to 
fixed wireline voice service with 
the number at the residence or at 
a different residence (if such 
number is available in the loca-
tion of such different residence); 
and 
‘‘(bb) may not charge the 
subscriber a connection fee or 
any other fee relating to the initi-
ation of fixed wireline voice serv-
ice. 
‘‘(ii) CANCELLATION WITHOUT DEM-
ONSTRATION
OF
INACCESSIBILITY
OR 
UNINHABITABILITY.—If a subscriber can-
cels the provision of service assigned to a 
number described in subparagraph (A) or 
(B) and does not demonstrate to the pro-
vider of such service that the residence 
where the number is located is inaccessible 
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or uninhabitable as described under clause 
(i), the number is no longer subject to the 
prohibition under subparagraph (A) or 
(B). 
‘‘(D) IDENTIFICATION
ON
COMMISSION 
WEBSITE.—The Commission shall publicly iden-
tify on the website of the Commission each des-
ignated area that is in a covered period, not 
later than 15 days after the submission of a 
public designation by a State under subpara-
graph (E)(iii) with respect to such area. In 
identifying a designated area under subpara-
graph (E)(iii), a State shall consult with pro-
viders of fixed wireline voice service that serve 
such area and coordinate with the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency to reasonably 
limit the designated area to areas that have 
sustained covered damage. 
‘‘(E) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph: 
‘‘(i) COVERED
DAMAGE.—The term 
‘covered damage’ means, with respect to an 
area— 
‘‘(I) damage that renders resi-
dences in such area inaccessible or un-
inhabitable; or 
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