Title: Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act of 2017
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act of 2017
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to publish a study on the public safety benefits, technical feasibility, and cost of providing the public with emergency access to 9-1-1 services, when mobile service is unavailable during certain presidentially declared emergencies or major disasters or during gubernatorially declared emergencies, through:
The FCC must create a master point of contact directory for effective communications between public safety answering points and telecommunications service providers.
The Government Accountability Office must report on how executive departments can better ensure that essential communications services remain operational during emergencies.
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act is amended to expand the categories of essential communications service providers that may access a disaster site to restore and repair essential services in an emergency or major disaster without being denied or impeded by a federal agency. Services to be considered essential are wireline or mobile telephone service, Internet access service, radio or television broadcasting, cable service, or direct broadcast satellite service.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must encourage the adoption of mutual aid agreements recognizing the credentials of essential service providers issued by all parties to such an agreement.
At the direction of the President, federal agencies may provide assistance essential to meeting immediate threats to life and property resulting from a major disaster by allowing access to essential service providers for establishing temporary, or restoring, communications services.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 102 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 102

To direct the Federal Communications Commission to commence proceedings 
 related to the resiliency of critical communications networks during 
              times of emergency, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 11, 2017

 Ms. Cantwell (for herself, Mr. Booker, Mr. Thune, Mr. Rubio, and Mr. 
    Nelson) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Federal Communications Commission to commence proceedings 
 related to the resiliency of critical communications networks during 
              times of emergency, 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 ``Securing Access to Networks in 
Disasters Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that the voluntary policies outlined in 
the Wireless Network Resiliency Cooperative Framework should be adhered 
to by all parties to aid consumers, 9-1-1 professionals, first 
responders, and local governments, in accessing communication services 
during times of emergency.

SEC. 3. SECURING ACCESS TO NETWORKS IN DISASTERS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section--
            (1) the term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission;
            (2) the term ``mobile service'' means--
                    (A) commercial mobile service (as defined in 
                section 332 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
                U.S.C. 332)); or
                    (B) commercial mobile data service (as defined in 
                section 6001 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job 
                Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1401));
            (3) the term ``times of emergency'' means--
                    (A) an emergency or major disaster, as those terms 
                are defined in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford 
                Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
                5122); or
                    (B) an emergency as declared by the Governor of a 
                State or territory of the United States; and
            (4) the term ``WiFi access points'' means wireless Internet 
        access using the standard designated as 802.11 or any variant 
        thereof.
    (b) FCC Study on Alternative Access to 9-1-1 Services During Times 
of Emergency.--
            (1) Study.--Not later than 36 months after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to Congress, 
        and make publicly available on the website of the Commission, a 
        study on the public safety benefits and technical feasibility 
        and cost of--
                    (A) making telecommunications service provider-
                owned WiFi access points, and other telecommunications 
                service provider-owned communications technologies 
                operating on unlicensed spectrum, available to the 
                general public for access to 9-1-1 services, without 
                requiring any login credentials, during times of 
                emergency when mobile service is unavailable;
                    (B) the provision by non-telecommunications service 
                provider-owned WiFi access points of public access to 
                9-1-1 services during times of emergency when mobile 
                service is unavailable; and
                    (C) other alternative means of providing the public 
                with access to 9-1-1 services during times of emergency 
                when mobile service is unavailable.
            (2) Considerations.--In conducting the study required under 
        paragraph (1), the Commission shall consider issues related to 
        making WiFi access points available to the general public for 
        access to 9-1-1 services, including communications network 
        provider liability, the operational security of communications 
        networks, and any existing actions or authorities in and among 
        the States.
    (c) Directory.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Commission shall create a master 
        point of contact directory to provide for effective 
        communication between public safety answering points and 
        telecommunications service providers.
            (2) Confidentiality.--The directory established under this 
        subsection shall be available to telecommunications service 
        providers and public safety answering points on a confidential 
        basis.
            (3) Exemption from paperwork reduction act requirements.--
        In establishing the directory under this subsection, the 
        Commission shall be exempted from chapter 35 of title 44, 
        United States Code (commonly known as the ``Paperwork Reduction 
        Act'').
    (d) GAO Study and Report.--
            (1) Definitions.--In this subsection--
                    (A) the term ``essential communications services'' 
                means wireline and mobile telephone service, Internet 
                access service, radio and television broadcasting, 
                cable service, and direct broadcast satellite service; 
                and
                    (B) the term ``Executive departments'' has the 
                meaning given the term in section 101 of title 5, 
                United States Code.
            (2) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States 
        shall conduct a study on--
                    (A) how Executive departments can better ensure 
                essential communications services remain operational 
                during times of emergency; and
                    (B) any legislative matters, if appropriate, 
                Congress could consider to help promote the resiliency 
                of essential communications services.
            (3) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall transmit a 
        report to Congress containing the findings and recommendations 
        of the study required under paragraph (2).
    (e) Expanding List of Essential Service Providers During Federally 
Declared Emergencies To Include All Communications Providers; Providing 
Access to Essential Service Providers.--Section 427 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5189e) 
is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1)(A), by striking 
        ``telecommunications service'' and inserting ``wireline or 
        mobile telephone service, Internet access service, radio or 
        television broadcasting, cable service, or direct broadcast 
        satellite service''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Mutual Aid Agreements.--The President, acting through the 
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall 
encourage the adoption of mutual aid agreements that recognize the 
credentials of essential service providers issued by all parties to the 
mutual aid agreement.''.
    (f) Communications Networks Are Designated Essential Assistance 
During Federally Declared Emergencies.--Section 403(a)(3) of the Robert 
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5170b(a)(3)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (I), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in subparagraph (J), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(K) allowing for access to essential service 
                providers necessary for establishing temporary or 
                restoring wireline or mobile telephone service, 
                Internet access service, radio or television 
                broadcasting, cable service, or direct broadcast 
                satellite service.''.
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