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S. 4557119th CongressIn committeeLatest action May 18, 2026Decoded by AI · checked against the record
The plain-language version leads. The official text is always the reference.
S 4557 requires phone, cable, satellite, and internet providers to automatically credit bills after 4-hour outages — no customer request needed.
55-second read · 5 questions answered below
S 4557 would require phone, cable, satellite TV, and internet companies with more than 5,000 customers to automatically apply a bill credit whenever service is interrupted for four hours or more. The credit equals one-thirtieth of the monthly bill for each day service is out, and customers who cancel are owed a refund within 30 days. Planned maintenance outages that companies announce in advance are not covered.
This bill affects most Americans who pay for home internet, cable TV, satellite TV, or phone service. It applies to providers with more than 5,000 customers.
Companies would be required to apply credits without waiting for customers to call or complain, shifting the burden of tracking outages from the customer to the provider. The Federal Communications Commission would have 18 months after enactment to write specific rules and set penalties, and states could pass their own stronger protections on top of the federal requirements.
AI-drafted summary. Verify it against the official text before you act on it. Read the official bill on Congress.gov
Right now: a Senate committee is reviewing it. If the House changes it, it goes back to the Senate before reaching the President.
Latest action: — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.