Safe Connections Act of 2021

Bill: 117-s-120
Sponsor: Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI]
Introduced: 2021-01-28 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Assault and harassment offenses
Business records
Civil actions and liability
Congressional oversight
Consumer affairs
Crime and Law Enforcement
Crime victims
Crimes against women
Domestic violence and child abuse
Emergency communications systems
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Government information and archives
Human trafficking
Right of privacy
Sex offenses
Telecommunication rates and fees
Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2021-01-28
text: 

Safe Connections Act of 2021

 
This bill establishes requirements for protecting and expanding access to communication services for survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and related harms.
 
At a survivor's request, a mobile service provider must separate from a shared mobile service contract the survivor's line (and the line of any individual in the survivor's care) from the abuser's line. A survivor requesting this must verify through appropriate documentation that an individual under the shared contract committed certain criminal acts (e.g., an act of domestic violence or trafficking) against the survivor.
 
A provider may not charge fees or impose other requirements on such requests. Additionally, a provider must
 
 
separate the line within 48 hours of receiving a request,
 
allow requests to be made remotely,
 
treat information in requests as confidential and dispose of it within 90 days of receipt, and
 
make information about the options and process for requests available through consumer-facing communications (e.g., websites).
 
 
The bill (1) provides liability protection for a provider's act or omission related to compliance with a line separation request, and (2) requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt rules for line separation requests.
 
In addition, the FCC must adopt rules requiring communication service providers to omit from consumer-facing logs any calls and texts to domestic violence and similar hotlines while retaining internal records.
 
The FCC must also (1) temporarily allow survivors to participate in the Lifeline program (which subsidizes telephone and internet service for low-income individuals) regardless of whether the survivor otherwise meets eligibility criteria, and (2) evaluate expanded access to the program for survivors.

action_date: 2021-12-16
text: 

Safe Connections Act of 2021

 
This bill establishes requirements concerning access to communication services for survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and related harms.
 
At a survivor's request, a mobile service provider must separate from a shared mobile service contract the survivor's line (and the line of any individual in the survivor's care) from the abuser's line unless operationally or technologically infeasible. A survivor requesting this must verify through appropriate documentation that an individual under the contract committed or allegedly committed an act of domestic violence, trafficking, or related criminal act against the survivor.
 
A provider may not charge fees or impose other requirements on such requests. Additionally, a provider must
 
 
separate the line within two business days of receiving a request,
 
allow requests to be made remotely,
 
treat information in requests as confidential and dispose of it timely, and
 
make information about the options and process for requests available through consumer-facing communications (e.g., websites).
 
 
The bill (1) provides liability protection for providers' acts or omissions undertaken to comply with such requests, and (2) requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt rules for these requests.
 
In addition, the FCC must consider rules requiring communication service providers to omit from consumer-facing logs calls and texts to domestic violence and similar hotlines while retaining internal records.
 
The FCC must also (1) temporarily allow certain survivors to participate in the Lifeline program (which subsidizes communication services for low-income individuals) regardless of whether the survivor otherwise meets eligibility criteria, and (2) evaluate this expanded access.

action_date: 2022-03-17
text: 

Safe Connections Act of 2022

 
This bill establishes requirements concerning access to communication services for survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and related harms.
 
At a survivor's request, a mobile service provider must separate from a shared mobile service contract the survivor's line (and the line of any individual in the survivor's care) from the abuser's line unless separation is operationally or technologically infeasible. A survivor requesting this must (1) verify through appropriate documentation that an individual under the contract committed or allegedly committed an act of domestic violence, trafficking, or a related criminal act against the survivor; and (2) assume financial responsibility for services after a line separation.
 
A provider may not charge fees or impose other requirements on such requests. Additionally, a provider must
 
 
separate the line within two business days of receiving a request;
 
allow requests to be made remotely (if feasible);
 
meet conditions related to confidentiality of, disposal of, and other matters concerning communications about requests; and
 
make information about the process for requests available through consumer-facing communications (e.g., websites).
 
 
The bill (1) provides liability protection for providers' acts or omissions undertaken to comply with such requests, and (2) requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt rules for these requests.
 
Additionally, the FCC must (1) expand access to federally subsidized communication services for survivors facing financial hardship, and (2) evaluate this expanded access.
 
The FCC must also consider rules requiring communication service providers to omit from consumer-facing logs calls and texts to hotlines for domestic violence and similar issues while retaining internal records.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2022-03-24
text: Held at the desk.
action_date: 2022-03-24
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2022-03-22
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2022-03-17
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote. (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S1257-1259)
action_date: 2022-03-17
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.(text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S1257-1259)
action_date: 2022-03-17
text: The committee substitute withdrawn by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2022-03-17
text: Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S1246-1248)
action_date: 2021-12-16
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 193.
action_date: 2021-12-16
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cantwell with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2021-12-16
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cantwell with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2021-04-28
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2021-01-28
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2021-01-28
text: Introduced in Senate