Safe Connections Act of 2022

Floor Speech

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Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 7132, the Safe Connections Act, critical legislation I've co-led to help survivors of domestic violence regain their digital independence.

Abusers are increasingly using everyday digital tools to coerce and control their victims and shared phone plans pose a unique danger for survivors of domestic violence. They enable abusers to monitor their victims? phone calls, texts, voicemails and even their precise physical locations. Phone providers make it extremely challenging and expensive to end a cell phone contract early, charging up to $350 to leave the plan and additional up-front fees. Given that 99 percent of all domestic violence cases involve financial abuse, these fees pose an insurmountable barrier to leaving an abusive relationship.

I'm proud to have introduced the Safe Connections Act with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure survivors can safely and remotely remove themselves from shared phone plans with their abusive partners without prohibitive costs and contractual obligations. The legislation tasks the Federal Communications Commission with facilitating access to emergency communications support through the Lifeline Program or the Affordable Connectivity Program to empower survivors to obtain new phones or phone services at discounted prices. The Federal Communications Commission is also required to ensure that calls or texts to domestic violence hotlines do not appear on call logs. These are highly important measures to ensure survivors can quickly cut ties with their abusers and remain connected to their support networks.

I thank Reps. Kuster and Walberg, Chairman Pallone, and Ranking Member McMorris Rogers for their partnership on this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to vote for it.

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