Veterans’ Telecommunication Protection Act

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 781 To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require providers of cable service and telephone service to charge veterans’ organizations residential rates for such services, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEBRUARY 3, 2021 Mr. VAN DREW introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require pro- viders of cable service and telephone service to charge veterans’ organizations residential rates for such services, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans’ Tele- 4 communication Protection Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:29 Feb 24, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H781.IH H781 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 781 IH SEC. 2. RESIDENTIAL RATES FOR VETERANS’ ORGANIZA- 1 TIONS. 2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title VII of the Communications 3 Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended by adding 4 at the end the following: 5 ‘‘SEC. 723 RESIDENTIAL RATES FOR VETERANS’ ORGANIZA- 6 TIONS. 7 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—A provider of a covered service 8 shall charge a veterans’ organization for a covered service 9 delivered to the property at which the organization pri- 10 marily operates the rate that the provider would charge 11 for the service if the organization were an individual or 12 household residing at the property, if the rate is less than 13 the rate that the provider would charge the organization 14 for the service without regard to this section. 15 ‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 16 ‘‘(1) COVERED SERVICE.—The term ‘covered 17 service’ means— 18 ‘‘(A) a cable service; and 19 ‘‘(B) a voice service (as defined in section 20 227(e)(8)), except for a commercial mobile serv- 21 ice (as defined in section 332(d)). 22 ‘‘(2) VETERANS’ ORGANIZATION.—The term 23 ‘veterans’ organization’ means any organization rec- 24 ognized by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs pursu- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:29 Feb 24, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H781.IH H781 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 781 IH ant to section 5902 of title 38, United States 1 Code.’’. 2 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 723 of the Commu- 3 nications Act of 1934, as added by subsection (a), applies 4 with respect to covered services (as such term is defined 5 in such section) provided on or after the date of enactment 6 of this Act. 7 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:29 Feb 24, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H781.IH H781 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS