Public Safety and Economic Security Communications Act of 2014

Bill: 113-s-2125
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Johnson, Tim [D-SD]
Introduced: 2014-03-13
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Government information and archives

Telephone and wireless communication
Latest action: action_date: 2014-03-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2014-03-13
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>Public Safety and Economic Security Communications Act of 2014 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require an intermediate provider that offers the capability to transmit certain voice communications and signaling information from one destination to another, and that charges a rate to any other entity (including an affiliated entity) for the transmission, to: (1) register with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and (2) comply with service quality standards to be established by the FCC.</p> <p>Defines &quot;intermediate provider&quot; as any entity that: (1) carries or processes traffic that is generated from the placement of a call from a connection using a North American Numbering Plan resource or a call placed to a connection using such a numbering resource, and (2) does not itself originate or terminate such traffic in the context of the carriage or processing. </p> <p>Prohibits certain long-distance voice service providers (including local exchange carriers, interexchange carriers, commercial mobile radio services, interconnected voice over Internet Protocol [VoIP] services, and certain non-interconnected VoIP services) from using an intermediate provider to transmit voice communications and signals unless the intermediate provider is so registered.</p> <p>Directs the FCC, in promulgating rules for such standards, to: (1) ensure the integrity of the transmission of voice communications to all customers in the United States, (2) prevent unjust or unreasonable discrimination among areas of the United States in the delivery of such voice communications, and (3) make a registry of intermediate providers publicly available on the FCC website.</p>

tv_txt: II 113th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2125 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 13, 2014 Mr. Johnson of South Dakota introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure the integrity of voice communications and to prevent unjust or unreasonable discrimination among areas of the United States in the delivery of such communications.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Public Safety and Economic Security Communications Act of 2014 . 2. Ensuring the integrity of voice communications Part II of title II of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 251 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: 262. Ensuring the integrity of voice communications (a) Registration and compliance by intermediate providers An intermediate provider that offers or holds itself out as offering the capability to transmit covered voice communications from one destination to another and that charges any rate to any other entity (including an affiliated entity) for the transmission shall— (1) register with the Commission; and (2) comply with the service quality standards for such transmission to be established by the Commission under subsection (c)(1)(B). (b) Required use of registered intermediate providers A covered provider may not use an intermediate provider to transmit covered voice communications unless such intermediate provider is registered under subsection (a)(1). (c) Commission rules (1) In general Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Commission shall promulgate rules to establish— (A) a registry to record registrations under subsection (a)(1); and (B) service quality standards for the transmission of covered voice communications by intermediate providers. (2) Requirements In promulgating the rules required by paragraph (1), the Commission shall— (A) ensure the integrity of the transmission of covered voice communications to all customers in the United States; and (B) prevent unjust or unreasonable discrimination among areas of the United States in the delivery of covered voice communications. (d) Public availability of registry The Commission shall make the registry established under subsection (c)(1)(A) publicly available on the website of the Commission. (e) Scope of application The requirements of this section shall apply regardless of the format by which any communication or service is provided, the protocol or format by which the transmission of such communication or service is achieved, or the regulatory classification of such communication or service. (f) Rule of construction Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the regulatory classification of any communication or service. (g) Definitions In this section: (1) Covered provider The term covered provider has the meaning given the term in section 64.2101 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto. (2) Covered voice communication The term covered voice communication means a voice communication (including any related signaling information) that is generated— (A) from the placement of a call from a connection using a North American Numbering Plan resource or a call placed to a connection using such a numbering resource; and (B) through any service provided by a covered provider. (3) Intermediate provider The term intermediate provider means any entity that— (A) carries or processes traffic that is generated from the placement of a call from a connection using a North American Numbering Plan resource or a call placed to a connection using such a numbering resource; and (B) does not itself originate or terminate such traffic in the context of the carriage or processing. .