An act 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
PL 115-129 (S.96), enacted 02/26/2018

132 STAT. 329 
PUBLIC LAW 115–129—FEB. 26, 2018 
Public Law 115–129 
115th Congress 
An Act 
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure the integrity of voice commu-
nications and to prevent unjust or unreasonable discrimination among areas 
of the United States in the delivery of such communications. 
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 ‘‘Improving Rural Call Quality 
and Reliability Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 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: 
‘‘SEC. 262. ENSURING THE INTEGRITY OF VOICE COMMUNICATIONS. 
‘‘(a) REGISTRATION
AND COMPLIANCE
BY INTERMEDIATE PRO-
VIDERS.—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 sub-
section (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.— 
‘‘(A) REGISTRY.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of enactment of this section, the Commission shall promul-
gate rules to establish a registry to record registrations 
under subsection (a)(1). 
‘‘(B) SERVICE QUALITY STANDARDS.—Not later than 1 
year after the date of enactment of this section, the 
Commission shall promulgate rules to establish 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— 
Deadlines. 
47 USC 262. 
Improving Rural 
Call Quality and 
Reliability Act 
of 2017. 
47 USC 609 note. 
Feb. 26, 2018 
[S. 96] 
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132 STAT. 330 
PUBLIC LAW 115–129—FEB. 26, 2018 
‘‘(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 trans-
mission of such communication or service is achieved, or the regu-
latory classification of such communication or service. 
‘‘(f) RULE
OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section shall 
be construed to affect the regulatory classification of any commu-
nication or service. 
‘‘(g) EFFECT ON OTHER LAWS.—Nothing in this section shall 
be construed to preempt or expand the authority of a State public 
utility commission or other relevant State agency to collect data, 
or investigate and enforce State law and regulations, regarding 
the completion of intrastate voice communications, regardless of 
the format by which any communication or service is provided, 
the protocol or format by which the transmission of such commu-
nication or service is achieved, or the regulatory classification of 
such communication or service. 
‘‘(h) EXCEPTION.—The requirement under subsection (a)(2) to 
comply with the service quality standards established under sub-
section (c)(1)(B) shall not apply to a covered provider that— 
‘‘(1) on or before the date that is 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this section, has certified as a Safe Harbor 
provider under section 64.2107(a) of title 47, Code of Federal 
Regulations, or any successor regulation; and 
‘‘(2) continues to meet the requirements under such section 
64.2107(a). 
‘‘(i) 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 pro-
vider. 
‘‘(3) INTERMEDIATE PROVIDER.—The term ‘intermediate pro-
vider’ means any entity that— 
‘‘(A) enters into a business arrangement with a covered 
provider or other intermediate provider for the specific 
purpose of carrying, routing, or transmitting voice traffic 
that is generated from the placement of a call placed— 
‘‘(i) from an end user connection using a North 
American Numbering Plan resource; or 
Effective date. 
Certification. 
Web posting. 
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132 STAT. 331 
PUBLIC LAW 115–129—FEB. 26, 2018 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 96 (H.R. 460): 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 115–6 (Comm. on Commerce, Science, and Transporta-
tion). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 
Vol. 163 (2017): Aug. 3, considered and passed Senate. 
Vol. 164 (2018): Feb. 8, considered and passed House. 
‘‘(ii) to an end user connection using such a num-
bering resource; and 
‘‘(B) does not itself, either directly or in conjunction 
with an affiliate, serve as a covered provider in the context 
of originating or terminating a given call.’’. 
Approved February 26, 2018. 
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