(6) the term ‘‘Lifeline program’’ means the pro-
gram set forth in subpart E of part 54 of title 47, 
Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regu-
lation); and 
(7) the term ‘‘text message’’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 227(e) of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 227(e)). 
(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 detec-
tion; 
(iii) account billing procedures; 
(iv) procedures for notification of sur-
vivors about line separation processes; 
(v) notice to account holders; 
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(vi) situations in which a covered pro-
vider cannot operationally or technically 
separate a telephone number or numbers 
from a shared service plan such that the 
provider cannot effectuate a line separation 
request; 
(vii) the requirements for remote sub-
mission of a line separation request, in-
cluding how that option facilitates submis-
sion 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, includ-
ing those for small covered providers; 
(x) financial responsibility for trans-
ferred telephone numbers; 
(xi) whether and how the survivor can 
affirmatively elect to take financial respon-
sibility for the mobile device associated 
with the separated line; 
(xii) compliance with subpart U of 
part 64 of title 47, Code of Federal Regu-
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lations, or any successor regulations (relat-
ing to customer proprietary network infor-
mation) or any other legal or law enforce-
ment requirements; and 
(xiii) ensuring covered providers have 
the necessary account information to com-
ply 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 Afford-
able 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 pro-
vide emergency communications support to 
survivors in accordance with this para-
graph; and 
(ii) allow a survivor who is suffering 
from financial hardship and meets the re-
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quirements 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 pro-
gram 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 
(ii) confidentiality in the transfer and 
retention of any necessary documentation 
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regarding the eligibility of a survivor to en-
roll in the designated program. 
(C) EVALUATION.—Not later than 2 years 
after completing the rulemaking under subpara-
graph (A), the Commission shall— 
(i) evaluate the effectiveness of the 
Commission’s provision of support to sur-
vivors through the designated program; 
(ii) assess the detection and elimi-
nation of fraud, waste, and abuse with re-
spect to the support described in clause (i); 
and 
(iii) submit to the appropriate con-
gressional committees a report that in-
cludes the evaluation and assessment de-
scribed 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 require-
ments under section 345(c)(1) of the Commu-
nications Act of 1934, as added by section 4 of 
this Act, to participate in the designated pro-
gram indefinitely if the survivor otherwise quali-
fies for the designated program under the rules 
of the designated program. 
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(E) NOTIFICATION.—A provider of wireless 
communications services 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 pro-
gram; 
(ii) who qualifies to participate in the 
designated program under the rules adopt-
ed under subparagraph (A) that are spe-
cially applicable to survivors; and 
(iii) how to participate in the des-
ignated 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 hot-
lines to be used by providers of wireless 
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records of such calls and text mes-
sages; and 
(iii) any other factors associated with 
the implementation of clauses (i) and (ii) 
to protect survivors of domestic violence, 
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 (Pub-
lic Law 103–414; 108 Stat. 4279) or the 
amendments made by that Act. 
(D) COMPLIANCE.—If the Commission es-
tablishes a central database through the rule-
making 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 
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or be maintained in any court against the cov-
ered provider or its officers, employees, or 
agents for claims deriving from omission from 
consumer-facing logs of calls or text messages 
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 Commu-
nications Act of 1934, as added by section 4 of this Act, 
shall take effect 60 days after the date on which the Fed-
eral Communications Commission adopts the rules imple-
menting that section pursuant to section 5(b)(2) 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 af-
fect the provisions set forth in the Communications Assist-
ance for Law Enforcement Act (Public Law 103–414; 108 
Stat. 4279) and the amendments made by that Act, any 
authority granted to the Commission pursuant to that Act 
or the amendments made by that Act, or any regulations 
promulgated by the Commission pursuant to that Act or 
the amendments made by that Act. 
Æ 
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