109th CONGRESS
2nd Session
S. 2653
To direct the Federal Communications Commission to make efforts
to reduce telephone rates for Armed Forces personnel deployed overseas.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 26, 2006
Mr. STEVENS (for himself, Mr. INOUYE, Mr. BURNS, Mr. DORGAN, Mr. LOTT,
Mrs. BOXER, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. NELSON of Florida, Mr. VITTER, Mr. LAUTENBERG,
Mr. WARNER, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. BOND, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. GREGG, Ms. MIKULSKI,
Mr. DEWINE, Mr. JEFFORDS, Mr. INHOFE, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mr. COLEMAN, Mr. ALEXANDER,
Mr. SANTORUM, Ms. DOLE, Mr. BENNETT, Mr. ALLARD, Mr. DOMENICI, Mr. ENZI,
Mr. GRAHAM, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. ROCKEFELLER, Mr. THOMAS, Mr. PRYOR, Mrs. CLINTON,
Mr. CRAIG, Mr. TALENT, and Mr. BURR) introduced the following bill; which
was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
A BILL
To direct the Federal Communications Commission to make efforts
to reduce telephone rates for Armed Forces personnel deployed overseas.
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 `Call Home Act of 2006'.
SEC. 2. TELEPHONE RATES FOR MEMBERS OF ARMED FORCES DEPLOYED ABROAD.
(a) IN GENERAL- The Federal Communications Commission shall take such action
as may be necessary to reduce the cost of calling home for Armed Forces
personnel who are stationed outside the United States under official military
orders or deployed outside the United States in support of military operations,
training exercises, or other purposes as approved by the Secretary of Defense,
including the reduction of such costs through the waiver of government fees,
assessments, or other charges for such calls. The Commission may not regulate
rates in order to carry out this section.
(b) FACTORS TO CONSIDER- In taking the action described in subsection (a),
the Commission, in coordination with the Department of Defense and the Department
of State, shall--
(1) evaluate and analyze the costs to Armed Forces personnel of such telephone
calls to and from American military bases abroad;
(2) evaluate methods of reducing the rates imposed on such calls, including
deployment of new technology such as voice over internet protocol or other
Internet protocol technology;
(3) encourage telecommunications carriers (as defined in section 3(44)
of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153(44))) to adopt flexible
billing procedures and policies for Armed Forces personnel and their dependents
for telephone calls to and from such Armed Forces personnel; and
(4) seek agreements with foreign governments to reduce international surcharges
on such telephone calls.
(c) DEFINITIONS- In this section:
(1) ARMED FORCES- The term `Armed Forces' has the meaning given that term
by section 2101(2) of title 5, United States Code.
(2) MILITARY BASE- The term `military base' includes official duty stations
to include vessels, whether such vessels are in port or underway outside
of the United States.
SEC. 3. REPEAL OF EXISTING AUTHORIZATION.
Section 213 of the Telecommunications Authorization Act of 1992 (47 U.S.C.
201 note) is repealed.
END
