OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Preserving Home and Office Numbers in Emergencies Act of 2021

Floor Speech

Date: July 19, 2021
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: National Security Technology and Communication

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Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 678, the PHONE Act. As we stand here today, wildfires are raging across the West, including in my home of northern California.

Last year, California witnessed a devastating and terrible fire season. We saw some of the largest fires in the State's history and a record-breaking 4.4 million acres burned. Nearly every part of the State was blanketed by fire and smoke, and we really haven't gotten much of a break. The number of wildfires and the amount of land burned in our State so far this year greatly exceeds the totals for the same period last year.

Climate change is resulting in longer and more extreme wildfire seasons, and this is expected to continue. Worrying about deadly fires spreading quickly is the new norm that my constituents are now living in. And worrying about whether they will have to evacuate their homes is also part of this new norm.

Because of this legislation that we are considering today, the PHONE Act, which I am proud to cosponsor, my constituents, Californians, and Americans all across the country who are impacted all too frequently now by natural disasters due to climate change, will have to worry about one less thing when they are forced to evacuate their homes, and that is their ability to keep their phone numbers.

Under this legislation, communications providers will be prohibited from reassigning phone numbers of customers in areas covered by a major disaster declaration for the duration of the declaration, and this may be extended. The bill would also prohibit providers from assessing early termination fees to cancel services or connection fees to resubscribe to a new address for subscribers whose residence is inaccessible or uninhabitable due to major disaster.

There is so much that wildfire victims already have to worry about. We must move quickly to ensure the PHONE Act is signed into law so there is one less item on their plate. It is hard enough to pick up the pieces after a disaster. Let's not add insult to injury.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend, Representative Mike Thompson, for his work on this legislation.

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