Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act of 2017
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to publish a study on the public safety benefits, technical feasibility, and cost of providing the public with emergency access to 9-1-1 services, when mobile service is unavailable during certain presidentially declared emergencies or major disasters or during gubernatorially declared emergencies, through:
The FCC must create a master point of contact directory for effective communications between public safety answering points and telecommunications service providers.
The Government Accountability Office must report on how executive departments can better ensure that essential communications services remain operational during emergencies.
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act is amended to expand the categories of essential communications service providers that may access a disaster site to restore and repair essential services in an emergency or major disaster without being denied or impeded by a federal agency. Services to be considered essential are wireline or mobile telephone service, Internet access service, radio or television broadcasting, cable service, or direct broadcast satellite service.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must encourage the adoption of mutual aid agreements recognizing the credentials of essential service providers issued by all parties to such an agreement.
At the direction of the President, federal agencies may provide assistance essential to meeting immediate threats to life and property resulting from a major disaster by allowing access to essential service providers for establishing temporary, or restoring, communications services.
| Action Date | Type | Text | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-09-12 | Floor | Held at the desk. | House floor actions |
| 2017-09-12 | Floor | Message on Senate action sent to the House. | Senate |
| 2017-09-12 | Floor | Received in the House. | House floor actions |
| 2017-09-11 | Floor | Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5169-5170) | Senate |
| 2017-04-05 | Calendars | Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 31. | Senate |
| 2017-04-05 | Committee | Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 115-24. | Senate |
| 2017-01-24 | Committee | Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably. | Senate |
| 2017-01-11 | IntroReferral | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. | Senate |
| 2017-01-11 | IntroReferral | Introduced in Senate | Library of Congress |