Call Home Act of 2006
Public Law 109-459 · S. 2653 · 109th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Dec 22, 2006 · Science, Technology, Communications
Sponsor: Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)
Cosponsors (44): Sen. Daniel Inouye, Sen. Conrad Burns,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Call Home Act of 2006 - Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to to reduce the cost of calling home for military personnel stationed or deployed outside the United States in support of military operations, training exercises, or other purposes approved by the Secretary of Defense.
Prohibits the FCC from regulating rates in order to carry out this Act.
Amends the Telecommunications Authorization Act of 1992 to repeal current FCC cost reduction authority with respect to personnel stationed or deployed in specified countries.
Requires the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to award at least $1 billion for public safety interoperable communications grants by September 30, 2007.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
The record lists no related bills.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 16 actions.
- Dec 22, 2006Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 109-459.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 20, 2006FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 9, 2006FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Barton (TX) asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- Dec 7, 2006FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- Dec 6, 2006FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Apr 26, 2006CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- CommitteeCommittee · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3591-3592)
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 5218SenateSen. Ted StevensR-AK· offered Dec 6, 2006Agreed to
To enhance public safety.
Dec 6, 2006: Amendment SA 5218 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.