Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Preserving Home and 
Office Numbers in Emergencies Act of 2020’’ or the 
‘‘PHONE Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. MORATORIUM ON NUMBER REASSIGNMENT AFTER 
DISASTER DECLARATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 251(e) of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 251(e)) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) MORATORIUM ON NUMBER REASSIGNMENT 
AFTER DISASTER DECLARATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a number 
assigned to a subscriber for the provision of fixed 
wireline voice service at a location in a des-
ignated area during a covered period— 
‘‘(i) the number may not be reassigned, 
except at the request of the subscriber; and 
‘‘(ii) the assignment of the number 
may not be rescinded or otherwise modified, 
except at the request of the subscriber. 
‘‘(B) EXTENSION
AT
REQUEST
OF
SUB-
SCRIBER.—During the covered period, at the re-
quest of a subscriber described in subparagraph 
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(A), the prohibition in subparagraph (A) shall be 
extended for the number for 1 year after the date 
on which the covered period expires. 
‘‘(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 service that 
serves the local area) that the residence 
where the number is located is inaccessible 
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 exten-
sion 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 resubscribe, 
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 location of such 
different residence); and 
‘‘(bb) may not charge the 
subscriber a connection fee or any 
other fee relating to the initiation 
of fixed wireline voice service. 
‘‘(ii) CANCELLATION
WITHOUT
DEM-
ONSTRATION
OF
INACCESSIBILITY
OR 
UNINHABITABILITY.—If a subscriber cancels 
the provision of service assigned to a num-
ber described in subparagraph (A) or (B) 
and does not demonstrate to the provider of 
such service that the residence where the 
number is located is inaccessible or un-
inhabitable as described under clause (i), 
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the number is no longer subject to the prohi-
bition 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 pub-
lic designation by a State under subparagraph 
(E)(iii) with respect to such area. In identifying 
a designated area under subparagraph (E)(iii), 
a State shall consult with providers of fixed 
wireline voice service that serve such area and 
coordinate with the Federal Emergency Manage-
ment Agency to reasonably limit the designated 
area to areas that have sustained covered dam-
age. 
‘‘(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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‘‘(II) damage that otherwise re-
sults in the displacement of subscribers 
from or within such area. 
‘‘(ii) COVERED
PERIOD.—The term 
‘covered period’ means a period that— 
‘‘(I) begins on the date of a dec-
laration by the President of a major 
disaster under section 401 of the Rob-
ert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5170) with respect to a designated 
area; and 
‘‘(II) ends on the date that is 1 
year after such date. 
‘‘(iii) DESIGNATED
AREA.—The term 
‘designated area’ means a geographic area 
for which a State has submitted a public 
designation to the Commission, within 15 
days after a declaration by the President of 
a major disaster under section 401 of the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) 
with respect to such area, stipulating that 
the State has determined that— 
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‘‘(I) covered damage was sus-
tained in such area; and 
‘‘(II) the prohibitions described in 
this paragraph are necessary and in 
the public interest. 
‘‘(iv) VOICE SERVICE.—The term ‘voice 
service’ has the meaning given the term 
‘voice service’ in section 227(e)(8).’’. 
(b) AMENDMENT OF FCC RULES REQUIRED.—Not 
later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Federal Communications Commission shall amend 
its rules to reflect the requirements of paragraph (4) of sec-
tion 251(e) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
251(e)), as added by subsection (a). 
(c) APPLICABILITY.—Paragraph (4) of section 251(e) 
of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 251(e)), as 
added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to a major 
disaster declared by the President under section 401 of the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) after the date that is 180 days 
after the date on which the Commission announces that the 
Commission is capable of publicly identifying a designated 
area on the website of the Commission under subparagraph 
(D) of such paragraph (4). 
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Union Calendar No. 441 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 1289 
[Report No. 116–541] 
A BILL 
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to pro-
vide for a moratorium on number reassignment 
after a disaster declaration, and for other pur-
poses. 
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 
Reported with an amendment; committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 
and ordered to be printed 
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