#aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  ,s4   
#if  ,,an ,,act  ,to amend the          
,communications ,act of #aicd to ensure 
the integrity of voice communications   
and to prevent unjust or unreasonable   
discrimination among areas of the       
,united ,states in the delivery of such 
communications4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,improving     
,rural ,call ,quality and ,reliability  
,act of #bjag4  #b4 ,ensuring the       
integrity of voice communications ,part 
,,ii of title ,,ii of the               
,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg      
,u4,s4,c4 #bea et seq47 is amended by   
adding at the end the following3  #bfb4 
,ensuring the integrity of voice        
communications  7a7 ,registration and   
compliance by intermediate providers ,an
 intermediate provider that offers or   
holds itself out as offering the        
capability to transmit covered voice    
communications from one destination to  
another and that charges any rate to any
 other entity 7including an affiliated  

entity7 for the transmission shall--    
7#a7 register with the ,commission2 and 
7#b7 comply with the service quality    
standards for such transmission to be   
established by the ,commission under    
subsection 7c77#a77;,b74  7b7 ,required 
use of registered intermediate providers
 ,a covered provider may not use an     
intermediate provider to transmit       
covered voice communications unless such
 intermediate provider is registered    
under subsection 7a77#a74  7c7          
,commission rules  7#a7 ,in general     
7,a7 ,registry ,not later than #ahj days
 after the date of enactment of this    
section1 the ,commission shall          
promulgate rules to establish a registry
 to record registrations under          
subsection 7a77#a74  7,b7 ,service      
quality standards ,not later than #a    
year after the date of enactment of this
 section1 the ,commission shall         
promulgate rules to establish service   
quality standards for the transmission  
of covered voice communications by      

intermediate providers4  7#b7           
,requirements ,in promulgating the rules
 required by paragraph 7#a71 the        
,commission shall--  7,a7 ensure the    
integrity of the transmission of covered
 voice communications to all customers  
in the ,united ,states2 and  7,b7       
prevent unjust or unreasonable          
discrimination among areas of the       
,united ,states in the delivery of      
covered voice communications4  7d7      
,public availability of registry ,the   
,commission shall make the registry     
established under subsection            
7c77#a77;,a7 publicly available on the  
website of the ,commission4  7e7 ,scope 
of application ,the requirements of this
 section shall apply regardless of the  
format by which any communication or    
service is provided1 the protocol or    
format by which the transmission of such
 communication or service is achieved1  
or the regulatory classification of such
 communication or service4  7f7 ,rule of
 construction ,nothing in this section  

shall be construed to affect the        
regulatory classification of any        
communication or service4  7g7 ,effect  
on other laws ,nothing in this section  
shall be construed to preempt or expand 
the authority of a ,state public utility
 commission or other relevant ,state    
agency to collect data1 or investigate  
and enforce ,state law and regulations1 
regarding the completion of intrastate  
voice communications1 regardless of the 
format by which any communication or    
service is provided1 the protocol or    
format by which the transmission of such
 communication or service is achieved1  
or the regulatory classification of such
 communication or service4  7h7         
,exception ,the requirement under       
subsection 7a77#b7 to comply with the   
service quality standards established   
under subsection 7c77#a77;,b7 shall not 
apply to a covered provider that--  7#a7
 on or before the date that is #a year  
after the date of enactment of this     
section1 has certified as a ,safe       

,harbor provider under section          
#fd4bajg7;a7 of title #dg1 ,code of     
,federal ,regulations1 or any successor 
regulation2 and  7#b7 continues to meet 
the requirements under such section     
#fd4bajg7;a74  7i7 ,definitions ,in this
 section3  7#a7 ,covered provider ,the  
term covered provider has the meaning   
given the term in section #fd4baja of   
title #dg1 ,code of ,federal            
,regulations1 or any successor thereto4 
7#b7 ,covered voice communication ,the  
term covered voice communication means a
 voice communication 7including any     
related signaling information7 that is  
generated--  7,a7 from the placement of 
a call from a connection using a ,north 
,american ,numbering ,plan resource or a
 call placed to a connection using such 
a numbering resource2 and  7,b7 through 
any service provided by a covered       
provider4  7#c7 ,intermediate provider  
,the term intermediate provider means   
any entity that--  7,a7 enters into a   
business arrangement with a covered     

provider or other intermediate provider 
for the specific purpose of carrying1   
routing1 or transmitting voice traffic  
that is generated from the placement of 
a call placed--  7i7 from an end user   
connection using a ,north ,american     
,numbering ,plan resource2 or  7ii7 to  
an end user connection using such a     
numbering resource2 and  7,b7 does not  
itself1 either directly or in           
conjunction with an affiliate1 serve as 
a covered provider in the context of    
originating or terminating a given call4
  4  ,passed the ,senate ,august #c1    
#bjag4,secretary