{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr588-115/featured_securing-access-to-networks-in-disasters-act-1485280487.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr588-115/featured_large_securing-access-to-networks-in-disasters-act-1485280487.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr588-115.png"},"introduced_on":"2017-01-17","title_override":"Ensuring Affordable Access to Telecommunication Networks After Disasters","summary_override":"

This bill seeks to improve the resiliency of telecommunications systems in the aftermath of emergencies and natural disasters. It would apply to emergencies where federal assistance is provided by a presidential declaration or if the governor of a U.S. state or territory.

This legislation would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to begin proceedings about mobile service providers’ roaming agreements in order to:

Allow for mobile service at reasonable rates during emergencies when there is a service outage lasting over 24 hours;
Provide for roaming agreements at no charge for communications during emergencies that are to or from 911 services.

The FCC would be required to create a master point of contact directory to improve communications between public safety answering points and telecommunications service providers.

The definition of “essential service provider” would be broadened to include all communications service providers, so that they can access a disaster site to repair and restore services following an emergency without being blocked by a federal agency. That would include providers or services related to wireline and mobile telephone, internet, radio and TV broadcasting, cable, and direct broadcast satellite services.

","official_title":"To direct the Federal Communications Commission to conduct a study on network resiliency during times of emergency, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)\n\nSecuring Access to Networks in Disasters Act\n\n(Sec. 2) This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to submit to Congress and publish on the FCC website a study on the public safety benefits, technical feasibility, and cost of providing the public with access to 9-1-1 services during times of emergency when mobile service is unavailable, through:\n\n telecommunications service provider-owned WiFi access points and other communications technologies operating on unlicensed spectrum, without requiring any login credentials; non-telecommunications service provider-owned WiFi access points; and other alternative means. The types of emergencies subject to this bill are: (1) occasions or instances under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act for which the President determines that federal assistance is needed to supplem...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"People who need to use their cell phones during an emergency that otherwise might not have service; FEMA; and the FCC.","argument_for":"Americans need to be able to rely on their communications systems after a disaster strikes. This bill would ensure that people can use their cell phones and other devices at reasonable rates while also making it easier for communication infrastructure to be repaired.","argument_against":"There’s no guarantee that this bill’s provisions would ensure that communications systems are up and running after any given disaster, regardless of the severity. Coordination between the feds and the private sector on this is a good start, but they may not be successful.","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr588-115","bill_id":"hr588-115","formal_id":"H.R. 588","chamber":"house","congress":115,"last_action_at":"2017-01-24T00:00:00.000Z","active":true,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":"2017-01-23T21:45:33.000Z","debated_on":null,"congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th/house-bill/588","plain_text_url":"https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-115hr588rfs/html/BILLS-115hr588rfs.htm","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr588-115.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th/house-bill/588/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2017-01-24","related_bill_ids":["hr4986-115","s102-115"],"progress":"Passed House","house_passage_result":true,"senate_passage_result":false,"position_count":831,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Energy and Commerce","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSIF","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSPW","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSPW13","subcommittee":true},{"name":"Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation","chamber":"senate","committee_id":"SSCM","subcommittee":false}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr588-115","details":"/api/bills/hr588-115/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr588-115","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr588-115/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr588-115/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":0,"slug":"hr588-115-securing-access-to-networks-in-disasters-act","latest_chamber_votes_id":null,"official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":19252,"yea_vote_count":17744,"nay_vote_count":1468,"passed_house":true,"passed_senate":false,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["government","emergency-management","families"],"issue_ids":["public-safety","federal-agencies","government","technology","emergency-management","families"],"sponsor_id":295}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"public-safety","name":"Public Safety","slug":"public-safety","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Public Safety. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about.\r\n","page_title":"Public Safety Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/public-safety/black_public-safety-1431627646.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/public-safety/grey_public-safety-1431627646.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/public-safety/white_public-safety-1431627646.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"federal-agencies","name":"Federal Agencies","slug":"federal-agencies","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Federal Agencies. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. \r\n","page_title":"Federal Agencies Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/federal-agencies/black_federal-agencies-1429042054.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/federal-agencies/grey_federal-agencies-1429042054.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/federal-agencies/white_federal-agencies-1429042054.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"government","name":"Government","slug":"government","description":"Federal legislation related to the operations of the US Federal Government. Bills can encompass government administration, regulation of political parties, the US postal service, US territories and public contracts.","page_title":"US Government - Federal legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/government/black_government-1453508811.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/government/grey_government-1453508811.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/government/white_government-1453508811.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"technology","name":"Technology","slug":"technology","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Technology . Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. ","page_title":"Technology Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/technology/black_technology-1429042051.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/technology/grey_technology-1429042051.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/technology/white_technology-1429042051.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"emergency-management","name":"Emergency Management","slug":"emergency-management","description":"The Federal government directly impacts the federal response to natural disasters, homeland security, disaster relief and emergency planning. Legislation can relate to fires, accidents, first response and evacuation. ","page_title":"Federal legislation related to Homeland Security, Emergency Planning / Disaster Relief- Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/emergency-management/black_emergency-management-1429042037.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/emergency-management/grey_emergency-management-1429042037.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/emergency-management/white_emergency-management-1429042037.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"families","name":"Families","slug":"families","description":"Congressional legislation related to Families encompassing a wide variety of potential subjects, including: adoption child care, child safety, domestic violence and abuse, marriage, divorce and teenage pregnancy.","page_title":"Federal legislation related to Families - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/families/black_families-1429042038.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/families/grey_families-1429042038.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/families/white_families-1429042038.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"Amy l","vote_count":490,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-2.png","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-2.png","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-2.png"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/kW3bAa29/following","followers":"/api/users/kW3bAa29/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":2,"is_following":null,"influence_score":40,"influence_level":10,"follower_count":1,"following_count":0,"position_count":159,"id":"kW3bAa29","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"a83bd095-0188-4483-a542-2fb31d333b1c","argument_for":"It's how family & disaster response & recovery can better understand the situation on the ground","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":0,"upvotes_for_count":0,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":0,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/a83bd095-0188-4483-a542-2fb31d333b1c"},"body":"It's how family & disaster response & recovery can better understand the situation on the ground","stance":"yea","created_at":"2017-03-06T23:21:54.886Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/a83bd095-0188-4483-a542-2fb31d333b1c.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr588-115","user_id":"kW3bAa29","endorser_ids":[]}}

Like Causes?

Amy l

Ensuring Affordable Access to Telecommunication Networks After Disasters