President Joe Biden just approved a bill that will let domestic violence survivors remove their abusers from phone plans without any free from the carriers.
The Safety Connections Act of 2022 was signed by the US head of state to help victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, staking, and human trafficking sever all ties with abusers.
The Bill Protects The Privacy Of People Seeking Its Protection
It is difficult to live without a phone nowadays, but it is more difficult to be unable to cut ties with an abuser after deciding to leave a toxic relationship.
Many domestic abuse victims struggle to leave their abusers, especially if they are tied to them financially or emotionally, on when they are tied together by a shared phone plan.
According to EFF, in the US, it is especially difficult to change phone numbers, especially when an abusive partner is in control of the phone plan, and has access to the victim's records.
Thankfully, House Representatives Ann Kuster and Anna Eshoo authored a bill called the Safe Connections Act to make it easier for survivors to separate their phone line from plans they share with an abuser.
This bill was then endorsed to the Senate by Senators Brian Schatz, Deb Fischer, Richard Blumenthal, Rick Scott, and Jacky Rosen.
On December 7, after getting overwhelmingly positive remarks from both chambers of Congress, President Biden signed the bill into Public Law 117-223.
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How Does The Safe Connections Act Works
Engadget writes that under the new law, survivors can now ask mobile service providers to keep their lines separate from their abuser's line, without any fee within two days.
Moreover, the Safety Connections Act will require the Federal Communications Commission to make it easier for abuse victims to enroll in its Lifetime Program for six months.
The Lifetime Program gives qualified consumers discounts on phone services, which allows them to connect with job opportunities, friends, families, and emergency services.
However, for a request to be granted, a user must submit necessary documentation to verify that the person they are sharing a contract with committed acts of abuse or any related crimes against the survivor.
While this policy is widely celebrated, EFF raises that it would have been more preferable to not require survivors to provide paperwork to prove their abuse since it can be burdensome and traumatic.
Despite this, Engadget concurs with the organization that the new law is a critical step towards progress, especially with the Congress and President agreeing.
KFYR.TV says that phones can track people and be weaponized by abusers to monitor and continuously harass their victims, a problem the Minot Domestic Violence Crisis Center sees frequently.
Because of this, Representative Kuster celebrated the signing of her bipartisan legislation, which supports and protects victims of domestic abuse.
The Safety Connections Act not only provides a clear template for survivors on how to leave a shared phone plan with their abusers, but also ensures that they have the tools to rebuild their lives and recover.
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