Call Home Act of 2006
PL 109-459 (S.2653), enacted 12/22/2006

120 STAT. 3399
PUBLIC LAW 109–459—DEC. 22, 2006
Public Law 109–459
109th Congress
An Act
To direct the Federal Communications Commission to make efforts to reduce tele-
phone rates for Armed Forces personnel deployed overseas.
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 ‘‘Call Home Act of 2006’’.
SEC. 2. TELEPHONE RATES FOR MEMBERS OF ARMED FORCES
DEPLOYED ABROAD.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Federal Communications Commission
shall take such action as may be necessary to reduce the cost
of calling home for Armed Forces personnel who are stationed
outside the United States under official military orders or deployed
outside the United States in support of military operations, training
exercises, or other purposes as approved by the Secretary of
Defense, including the reduction of such costs through the waiver
of government fees, assessments, or other charges for such calls.
The Commission may not regulate rates in order to carry out
this section.
(b) FACTORS TO CONSIDER.—In taking the action described in
subsection (a), the Commission, in coordination with the Depart-
ment of Defense and the Department of State, shall—
(1) evaluate and analyze the costs to Armed Forces per-
sonnel of such telephone calls to and from American military
bases abroad;
(2) evaluate methods of reducing the rates imposed on
such calls, including deployment of new technology such as
voice over Internet protocol or other Internet protocol tech-
nology;
(3) encourage telecommunications carriers (as defined in
section 3(44) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C.
153(44))) to adopt flexible billing procedures and policies for
Armed Forces personnel and their dependents for telephone
calls to and from such Armed Forces personnel; and
(4) seek agreements with foreign governments to reduce
international surcharges on such telephone calls.
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
(1) ARMED
FORCES.—The term ‘‘Armed Forces’’ has the
meaning given that term by section 2101(2) of title 5, United
States Code.
(2) MILITARY BASE.—The term ‘‘military base’’ includes offi-
cial duty stations to include vessels, whether such vessels are
in port or underway outside of the United States.
47 USC 201 note.
47 USC 609 note.
Call Home Act of
2006.
Dec. 22, 2006
[S. 2653]
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120 STAT. 3400
PUBLIC LAW 109–459—DEC. 22, 2006
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 2653:
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 152 (2006):
Dec. 6, considered and passed Senate.
Dec. 8, considered and passed House.
SEC. 3. REPEAL OF EXISTING AUTHORIZATION.
Section 213 of the Telecommunications Authorization Act of
1992 (47 U.S.C. 201 note) is repealed.
SEC. 4. PUBLIC SAFETY INTEROPERABLE COMMUNICATIONS GRANTS.
Pursuant to section 3006 of Public Law 109–171 (47 U.S.C.
309 note), the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Informa-
tion of the Department of Commerce, in consultation with the
Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, shall award
no less than $1,000,000,000 for public safety interoperable commu-
nications grants no later than September 30, 2007 subject to the
receipt of qualified applications as determined by the Assistant
Secretary.
Approved December 22, 2006.
Deadline.
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