H. R. 7132—6 
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 Commis-
sion 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 Communica-
tions 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 con-
tract such that the provider cannot effectuate a line 
separation request;
H. R. 7132—7 
(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 tele-
phone numbers; 
(xi) whether and how the survivor can affirma-
tively 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 regu-
lations (relating to customer proprietary network 
information) or any other legal or law enforcement 
requirements; and 
(xiii) ensuring covered providers have the nec-
essary 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
SUR-
VIVORS.— 
(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 commu-
nications 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 partici-
pate in the designated program; and
H. R. 7132—8 
(ii) confidentiality in the transfer and retention 
of any necessary documentation regarding the eligi-
bility of a survivor to enroll in the designated program. 
(C) EVALUATION.—Not later than 2 years after com-
pleting the rulemaking under subparagraph (A), the 
Commission shall— 
(i) evaluate the effectiveness of the Commission’s 
provision of support to survivors through the des-
ignated 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), respec-
tively. 
(D) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this para-
graph 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 indefi-
nitely 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 com-
mence 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 pro-
vider 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 sur-
vivors 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
H. R. 7132—9 
(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 sur-
vivors, including factors that may impact smaller pro-
viders. 
(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 require-
ments 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 cen-
tral 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 provi-
sions set forth in the Communications Assistance for Law Enforce-
ment Act (Public Law 103–414; 108 Stat. 4279) and the amendments 
made by that Act, any authority granted to the Federal Communica-
tions Commission pursuant to that Act or the amendments made 
by that Act, or any regulations promulgated by the Federal Commu-
nications 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
H. R. 7132—10 
Congressional Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Com-
mittee, 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.