Safe Connections Act

The House Communications Subcommittee plans a May 24 hearing on wireless legislation, including the newly filed Extending America’s Spectrum Auction Leadership Act (HR-7783) to renew the FCC’s auction authority for 18 months to March 31, 2024, the House Commerce Committee said Tuesday. The FCC's current auction authority expires Sept. 30. The hearing will discuss "the urgent need to reauthorize the FCC’s spectrum auction authority, as well as requiring mobile service providers to protect survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and other related crimes from abusers with whom they share mobile service contracts,” said House Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and Communications Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa. “We’ll also review bills to strengthen the FCC’s Lifeline program and improve federal spectrum testing and management.” Other bills House Communications will examine are the Ensuring Phone and Internet Access for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Recipients Act (HR-4275), the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences Codification Act (HR-4990), the Simplifying Management, Reallocation and Transfer of Spectrum Act (HR-5486) and Safe Connections Act (HR-7132). The hearing will begin at 11 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.

Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, hailed the Senate Thursday for passing the Safe Connections Act (S-120) by unanimous consent. S-120 and House companion HR-7132 would let domestic abuse survivors separate a mobile phone line from any shared plan involving their abusers without penalties or other requirements and require the FCC to establish rules that ensure calls and texts to domestic abuse hotlines don’t appear on call logs (see 2101290049). The Senate Commerce Committee advanced the measure in April (see 2104280083) and it was the subject of wireless industry lobbying. Lead S-120 sponsor Schatz and other backers unsuccessfully tried to attach the measure to a Violence Against Women Act renewal included in the FY 2022 appropriations omnibus law President Joe Biden signed last week (see 2203150076). “Giving domestic violence abusers control over their victims’ cell phones is a terrifying reality for many survivors,” Schatz said. “Right now, there is no easy way out for these victims -- they’re trapped in by contracts and hefty fees. Our bill helps survivors get out of these shared plans and tries to find more ways to help victims stay connected with their families and support networks.” The Senate’s “passage of this important measure is a significant breakthrough for survivors of domestic violence,” Blumenthal said in a statement. “Wireless service plans can be a vital lifeline by allowing victims to communicate with family, friends, and critical support services, but shared plans often let abusers control or cut off communication.”

The Senate Commerce Committee advanced four tech and telecom bills (see 2104230076) and NASA administrator nominee Bill Nelson Wednesday on voice votes. The committee also advanced deputy commerce secretary nominee Don Graves on a 25-3 vote. Senate Commerce earlier pulled from consideration the Endless Frontier Act (S-1260) after lawmakers filed more than 230 amendments to the measure (see 2104270045).

Senate Communications Subcommittee lead Democrat Brian Schatz of Hawaii confirmed to us he’s “probably” going to give up an opportunity to chair the subpanel in this Congress to retain other leadership roles, as expected (see 2101190001). That makes it all but certain that Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., will take over the Communications gavel, lawmakers and lobbyists said. Democrats will have to wait to formally take control of Senate Communications and other panels until leaders finalize a power-sharing agreement to handle the 50-50 chamber.