Skip to content
PoliticalRepoPoliticalRepo

United States · Law · S

S. 96 (115th)

Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act of 2017

enactedUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

11 January 2017

Last action

26 February 2018 · President

Status

Became Public Law No: 115-129.

Sponsors

Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN], Sen. Thune, John [R-SD], Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT], Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME], Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA], Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA], Sen. Franken, Al [D-MN], Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD], Sen. McCaskill, Claire [D-MO]

Subjects

Discovery layer

Source updated

5 December 2025

Official sourceDownload fileView documentsShare

Summary

Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act of 2017 This bill amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require intermediate providers that offer the capability to transmit voice communications and signaling information from one destination to another, and that charge a rate to any other entity (including an affiliated entity) for such a transmission, to: (1) register with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and (2) comply with service quality standards to be established by the FCC. An "intermediate provider" is an entity that: (1) enters a business arrangement with a long-distance voice service provider that makes the initial call path choice for more than 100,000 domestic retail subscriber lines, or with another intermediate provider, to carry, route, or transmit voice traffic from a call placed from or to an end user connection using a North American Numbering Plan resource; and (2) does not itself (directly or in conjunction with an affiliate) serve as such a long-distance initial call path choice provider in the context of originating or terminating a given call. The bill prohibits such long-distance providers (including local exchange carriers, interexchange carriers, commercial mobile radio services, interconnected voice over Internet Protocol [VoIP] services, and certain non-interconnected VoIP services) from using an intermediate provider to transmit voice communications and signals unless the intermediate provider is so registered. The FCC must: (1) ensure the integrity of the transmission of voice communications to all customers in the United States, (2) prevent unjust or unreasonable discrimination among areas of the United States in the delivery of such voice communications, and (3) make a registry of intermediate providers publicly available on the FCC website. The bill shall not be construed to preempt or expand the authority of a state agency or public utility commission to collect data, or enforce state law and regulations, regarding the completion of intrastate voice communications. Certain long-distance providers that make initial call path choices are exempt from service quality standards that the FCC is required to establish under this bill if they certify under a safe harbor provision in existing FCC rules that they monitor the performance of, or do not use, intermediate providers.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

  1. 11 January 2017

    Introduced

    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

    Source: IntroReferral

  2. 11 January 2017

    Introduced

    Introduced in Senate

    Source: IntroReferral

  3. 24 January 2017

    Reported

    Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

    Source: Committee

  4. 21 March 2017

    Calendars

    Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 19.

    Source: Calendars

  5. 21 March 2017

    Reported

    Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune without amendment. With written report No. 115-6.

    Source: Committee

  6. 21 March 2017

    Reported

    Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune without amendment. With written report No. 115-6.

    Source: Committee

  7. 3 August 2017

    Passed

    Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S4815-4816; text: CR S4815-4816)

    Source: Floor

  8. 3 August 2017

    Passed

    Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S4815-4816; text: CR S4815-4816)

    Source: Floor

  9. 4 August 2017

    Floor

    Received in the House.

    Source: Floor

  10. 4 August 2017

    Floor

    Held at the desk.

    Source: Floor

  11. 4 August 2017

    Floor

    Message on Senate action sent to the House.

    Source: Floor

  12. 8 February 2018

    Floor

    DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 96.

    Source: Floor

  13. 8 February 2018

    Floor

    Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H990-992)

    Source: Floor

  14. 8 February 2018

    Floor

    Mr. Lance moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

    Source: Floor

  15. 8 February 2018

    Floor

    At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Lance objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was considered as withdrawn.

    Source: Floor

  16. 9 February 2018

    Passed

    Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

    Source: Floor

  17. 9 February 2018

    Passed

    On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H990-991)

    Source: Floor

  18. 9 February 2018

    Passed

    Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H990-991)

    Source: Floor

  19. 9 February 2018

    Floor

    Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR 2/8/2018 H1002)

    Source: Floor

  20. 14 February 2018

    Floor

    Presented to President.

    Source: Floor

  21. 14 February 2018

    President

    Presented to President.

    Source: President

  22. 26 February 2018

    Became law

    Became Public Law No: 115-129.

    Source: President

  23. 26 February 2018

    Became law

    Signed by President.

    Source: BecameLaw

  24. 26 February 2018

    President

    Signed by President.

    Source: President

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

Documents

15 official files

Enrolled Bill (text)

View fileDownload file

This file cannot be previewed here. Use View or Download.

Leesvertaling

Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Enrolled Bill (text)

    Enrolled Bill · EN

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

  • Enrolled Bill (PDF)

    Enrolled Bill · EN

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Public Law (text)

    Public Law · EN · 26 February 2018

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Public Law (PDF)

    Public Law · EN · 26 February 2018

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Public Law

    summary · EN · 26 February 2018

    Open at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Passed House without amendment

    summary · EN · 9 February 2018

    Open at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Engrossed in Senate (text)

    Engrossed in Senate · EN · 3 August 2017

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Engrossed in Senate (PDF)

    Engrossed in Senate · EN · 3 August 2017

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Passed Senate without amendment

    summary · EN · 3 August 2017

    Open at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Reported to Senate (text)

    Reported to Senate · EN · 21 March 2017

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Reported to Senate (PDF)

    Reported to Senate · EN · 21 March 2017

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Reported to Senate without amendment

    summary · EN · 21 March 2017

    Open at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Introduced in Senate (text)

    Introduced in Senate · EN · 11 January 2017

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Introduced in Senate (PDF)

    Introduced in Senate · EN · 11 January 2017

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Introduced in Senate

    summary · EN · 11 January 2017

    Open at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

Sponsors

Related records

Related across the Repo ecosystem

Direct relationships are identifier-backed. Topic context means shared TopicMembership — not a citation and not causation.

Direct relationships

Sources

PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.