A bill to require telephone providers, cable television providers, direct broadcast satellite service providers, and internet providers to automatically refund their customers when their services are not working, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · May 18, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
The Outage Refund Protection Act requires telecommunications and internet providers with more than 5,000 customers to automatically credit customers' bills when services go down for 4 hours or longer. The credit amounts to one-thirtieth of the monthly rate for each day service is unavailable, and any credits exceeding what a customer owes must be refunded within 30 days through check, prepaid debit card, or electronic transfer. The bill applies to cable television, satellite television, internet, and telephone service providers, though it does not require refunds for scheduled maintenance that customers are notified about in advance. The Federal Communications Commission must issue implementing rules within 18 months, along with penalties for non-compliance, and the bill also directs the FCC and Federal Trade Commission to establish additional customer service standards including extended customer support hours, call recordings, and assistance for disabled customers. State governments may impose stricter requirements than those set at the federal level.
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