press releases
For Immediate Release: May 23, 2016
Contact: Regina L. Davis, 202-898-9382, rdavis@naruc.org
WASHINGTON—The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners released the following statement in response to the House Energy and Commerce floor vote today on H.R. 2589, under suspension of the rules:
“NARUC supports passage of this bipartisan bill, which requires targeted Federal Communications Commission (FCC) process reform. Specifically, H.R. 2589 requires the FCC to make public the text of decisions voted on not later than 24 hours after receiving dissenting commissioner’ statements. This bill is consistent with reforms endorsed by NARUC, which includes a specific deadline for release of adopted decisions. As noted previously, requiring the FCC to release the text of decisions soon after approval just makes good sense. This bill is an important step toward finding bipartisan consensus on a range of common sense FCC process reforms. We hope the bill is adopted by the Senate soon and signed into law.”
—NARUC President Travis Kavulla of Montana
“H.R. 2589’s requirements can only improve transparency and provide certainty to stakeholders and at the agency, which NARUC supports. The House also adopted Kari’s Law (H.R. 4167), which requires direct dialing of 911 from all multiline telephone systems. NARUC has not taken a position on Kari’s Law, but I personally applaud the Committee for passing this bill. Dialing an additional digit, such as ‘9’, when using hotel, office and other phone systems to reach an outside line is a source of confusion for users and can delay access to critical emergency services. Because there is no more important call than the one made to 911, consumers should have direct access to emergency services by just dialing 911 at any location.”
—NARUC Committee on Telecommunications Chair Chris Nelson of South Dakota
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Renee L. Ellmers (R-NC), was originally introduced on June 1, 2015, and specifically requires the FCC, within 24 hours after adopting, repealing, or amending a provision that appears or will appear in the Code of Federal Regulations, to publish on the FCC website the text of the provisions it is adopting or repealing or the text indicating how the provision is being amended. More information on the bill is available at http://1.usa.gov/1U9mf1T.
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NARUC is a non-profit organization founded in 1889 whose members include the governmental agencies that are engaged in the regulation of utilities and carriers in the fifty States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. NARUC's member agencies regulate telecommunications, energy, and water utilities. NARUC represents the interests of State public utility commissions before the three branches of the Federal government.
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