CBO Scores Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act

The Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act of 2016 (H.R. 2566) would require certain providers of voice communication services to register with the Federal Communications Commission. It also would require the FCC to issue rules establishing service quality standards for those providers.

Based on an analysis of information from the FCC about the effort needed to create those service standards, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2566 would cost $3 million over the 2017-2021 period. However, under current law the FCC is authorized to collect fees sufficient to offset the cost of its regulatory activities each year. Therefore, CBO estimates that the net cost to implement H.R. 2566 would be negligible, assuming annual appropriation actions consistent with the agency’s authorities. Enacting H.R. 2566 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2566 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027. H.R. 2566 contains no intergovernmental mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform (UMRA) and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.