house Bill H.R. 1289
Should Phone Number Reassignment be Restricted During Declared Major Disasters?
Argument in favor
People recovering from natural disasters shouldn’t have to worry about keeping their landline phone numbers while they’re rebuilding their lives. Allowing these people to keep their landline phone numbers at no cost is inexpensive, and helps take one thing off their minds. Passing this bill now is particularly salient given the devastating wildfires sweeping the West; people affected by these natural disasters should be able to maintain their home and office phone numbers as needed.
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09/29/2020
I see no justifiable reason to re-assign land line numbers without giving the people assigned to that number adequate time to get themselves properly situated. There should be a widely understood time limit from the time of loss that a number will automatically be held unless officially released by the user. And there should be reasonable accommodations for people to apply to extend the time that transfer is permitted in something like 3 month increments. It costs so little and helps people keep part of their identity during trying trying times.
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09/29/2020
Sure, this seems like a good idea. I don't know how many people have a landline anymore, but rural people may.
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09/29/2020
There appears that there are good arguments on both sides of the equation. Perhaps, a happy median; extend the already 60 days to one year.
Argument opposed
In high-demand areas, every phone number with the home district area code is in high demand. Keeping unused landline phone numbers out of circulation will make it hard for phone companies in these high-demand areas to keep providing customers with phone numbers that have the home area code.
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09/29/2020
The phone industry does a fine job and does not need government beaurocrats and politicians who know nothing about the phone business telling them what to do.
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09/29/2020
This should be a state decision. Also, the wildfires are being set by people, you can look up any number of police and firefighters who have caught these people staring the fires. They jail them and democrats bail them right out and they start more.
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09/29/2020
Free American CVitizerns from Govrrnment reulations. Find ways to end "restrictions" and other infrindgements on free enterprise. Coperations would use this to raise prices.
I see no justifiable reason to re-assign land line numbers without giving the people assigned to that number adequate time to get themselves properly situated. There should be a widely understood time limit from the time of loss that a number will automatically be held unless officially released by the user. And there should be reasonable accommodations for people to apply to extend the time that transfer is permitted in something like 3 month increments. It costs so little and helps people keep part of their identity during trying trying times.
Having been through 5 wildfires now I think this would be a kindness as well as a good idea. Our Countywide alert systems don’t work with cellphones so many of us would not be able to obtain emergency information without a landline. Not being able to receive this information because my number had changed could worsen an existing problem or fail to prevent a new one. If you have not ever been in an evacuation you have no idea how confusing and complicated it is to try to return to your home which is no longer there. With more and more people moving out of cities into rural areas where there is little to no cell reception, this will become a more frequent problem assuming we don’t stop the disasters by reversing climate change.
Sure, this seems like a good idea. I don't know how many people have a landline anymore, but rural people may.
There appears that there are good arguments on both sides of the equation. Perhaps, a happy median; extend the already 60 days to one year.
Representatives,
We want you to support HR 1289, the Preserving Home and Office Numbers in Emergencies (PHONE) Act of 2019 introduced by Representative Mike Thompson.
We need to restrict the reassignment of telephone numbers during and after a declared major disaster unless specifically requested by the subscriber.
This restriction is both kind and reasonable.
The restriction should be in effect approximately 36-60 months past the occurance of the "event" giving the subscriber time to recover, find financing and rebuild their homes.
Further the phone company should redirect the landline numbers to cell phones for a nominal fee.
When the time limit almost up, the phone company must widely announce in the press, on radio and on TV reminding people of the termination.
New numbers must be generated for new residents in an area that has been devasted. Let this bill serve as the basis for again restructuring the phone system since it appears that the exponential number of (mostly cell) phones require more numbers than currently available.
Now that the vast majority of Americans have cell phones this is especially important. With people having gaps in service due to covid issues it is vital to hold their numbers so that they can be reached by emergency services, employers, schools, doctors, and other critical care providers. In my opinion the right thing to do would be to maintain phone service even if data is cut.
One less thing they will have to worry about. More stress to have to contact their families, friends and creditors with a new number after recovery. They should not have to worry about that.
Lord help me live from day to day
In such a self forgetful way
That even when I kneel to pray
My prayers will be for others
Help me in all the work I do
To ever be sincere and true
To know the things I do for you
Must needs be done for others
And when my work on earth is done
And my new work in Heaven begun
May I forget the crown I’ve won
While thinking still of others
by Charles D. Meigs
The last thing that a person should half to worry about during a disaster is their loss of communication with the world.
Another no brainer - we need to be helping fellow citizens in need, not kicking them while their down for "convenience "
Another telecom move to make their job easier and the service so much more horrible. Changing the numbers during an emergency is insane as that is exactly when friends and relatives are trying to reach you. If they are saying: go to this number to find the new number, for a mere $$, except they will not mention the $$ until you get your bill and then they MAY negotiate down a small percentage. This is an insane idea if I have read it correctly...(though this site is poorly designed for if I leave here to check, the message will be sent without me pressing ENTER.
Free American CVitizerns from Govrrnment reulations. Find ways to end "restrictions" and other infrindgements on free enterprise. Coperations would use this to raise prices.
This should be a state decision. Also, the wildfires are being set by people, you can look up any number of police and firefighters who have caught these people staring the fires. They jail them and democrats bail them right out and they start more.
The phone industry does a fine job and does not need government beaurocrats and politicians who know nothing about the phone business telling them what to do.
No reason to add cost by halting this service. If done correctly there would be no interruption of service.
As long as you are paying your bill which should be minimum since you are really not using it shouldn’t become a problem.
If it is going to be a year or two why should you get to keep an unused phone number. If you are a business with some easy special phone number like (xxx) 777-7777 then yes you might want to pay each month to keep that easy to remember number. We have a big lawyer in Louisiana and there is Area Code (202) (318) and (337) that cover the state and if you call any of the three area codes and 777-7777 you will get his office. In his case if his law offices were destroyed he would want to keep them and it would pay for him to keep his bills paid
It’s easy miss a bill payment during a natural disaster. There’s no way phone companies should be giving away your number when there is something so obvious. The fact that this even has to be considered for a law is ridiculous