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PUBLIC NOTICE

Federal Communications Commission

News Media Information 202 / 418-0500

445 12th St., S.W.

Internet: http://www.fcc.gov

Washington, D.C. 20554

TTY: 1-888-835-5322

DA 13-28

Released: January 11, 2013

EMERGENCY ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE CHARTER EXTENDED TO JUNE 14, 2013

Committee Focusing on Matters Pertaining to 

Next Generation 9-1-1 Access for Persons with Disabilities

By this Public Notice, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau and the Public Safety and 
Homeland Security Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) extend the charter 
of the Emergency Access Advisory Committee (EAAC) by six months until June 14, 2013.  This 
extension of the charter will enable the EAAC to complete the important work it began in early 2011 
pursuant to the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA).1  
The EAAC was chartered on January 14, 20112 to determine the most effective and efficient 
technologies and methods by which to enable equal access to emergency services by individuals with 
disabilities as part of our nation’s migration to Next Generation 911 (NG9-1-1),3 and to make 
recommendations to the Commission on how to achieve those effective and efficient technologies and 
methods.4 In spring 2011, the EAAC conducted a nationwide survey of individuals with disabilities and 
released a report on that survey on July 21, 2011.5 Following release of the survey report, the EAAC 
developed recommendations, which it submitted to the Commission on December 7, 2011, as required by 
the CVAA.6 However, the EAAC clarified that the December 2011 recommendations did not constitute 
the full report and requested additional editorial privileges and the right to submit a full report that will 
 
 
1 Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-260, 124 Stat. 
2751(CVAA) (amending sections 3, 255, 303, 503, 330, 710, and 713 of the Communications Act, and adding 
sections 615c and 715-19, codified at 47 U.S.C. §§ 153, 225, 303, 330, 503, 610, 613, 615c, 616-20).  
2 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Charter, available at
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-304524A1.doc (CGB rel. Jan. 11, 2011) (EAAC Charter); 
Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of Members and Co-Chairpersons, Public Notice, DA 10-
2318 (CGB rel. Dec. 7, 2010).  
3 47 U.S.C. § 615a.
4 47 U.S.C. § 615c.
5 EAAC, Report on Emergency Calling for Persons with Disabilities Survey Review and Analysis 2011, July 21, 
2011, at 3, available at http://transition.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/EAAC/EAAC-REPORT.pdf (last visited Jan. 7, 2013).
6 See EAAC, Report and Recommendations, December 11, 2011, available at http://www.fcc.gov/document/eaac-
report-and-recommendations (last visited Jan.7, 2013); see also 47 U.S.C. § 615c(g) (providing that “[t]he 
Commission shall have the authority to promulgate regulations to implement the recommendations proposed by the 
[EAAC], as well as any other regulations, technical standards, protocols, and procedures as are necessary to achieve 
reliable, interoperable communication that ensures access by individuals with disabilities to an Internet protocol-
enabled emergency network, where achievable and technically feasible”).

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contain the technical and policy background for these recommendations at a later date.7 The EAAC 
subsequently formed subcommittees to further explain in detail its initial recommendations related to 
interoperability testing, language assistance, gaps in existing public safety standards, timelines for 
deployment and pre-NG 911 mobile text-to-911 solutions. 
The EAAC Charter provides that the EAAC shall terminate two years from the date of the 
Charter, thus expiring on January 14, 2013.8 The Commission has received requests from the co-chairs of 
the EAAC,9 the Consumers Group and Gallaudet Technology Access Program,10 the National Emergency 
Number Association11, and the APCO International12 to extend or renew the Charter to allow the EAAC 
to complete its reports and recommendations regarding the accessibility of emergency access by people 
with disabilities. Accordingly, by this Public Notice, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau and 
the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau grant these requests, and provide a six-month extension 
of the Charter in order to ensure the EAAC has sufficient time to complete its work, pursuant to the 
CVAA.13 The Charter is hereby effective until June 14, 2013.

ACCESSIBLE FORMATS

:  To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities 
(Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the 
Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

:  Suzy Rosen Singleton, Consumer and Governmental 
Affairs Bureau, 202-810-1503, or Suzanne.Singleton@fcc.gov (e-mail); and/or Zenji Nakazawa, Public 
Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, 202-418-7949, Zenji.Nakazawa@fcc.gov (e-mail).   
- FCC -
 
 
7 See EAAC, Report and Recommendations, December 11, 2011, page 3, available at 
http://www.fcc.gov/document/eaac-report-and-recommendations (last visited Jan.8, 2013).
8 EAAC Charter supra note 2.
9 Ex Parte Letter from Messrs. Richard L. Ray and David Dzumba, Co-Chairs, EAAC, to Honorable Julius 
Genachowski, Chairman, FCC, CG Docket No. 10-255 (filed Jan. 4, 2013).
10 Ex Parte Letter from the Consumers Group and the Gallaudet Technology Access Program, to the Honorable 
Julius Genachowski, Chairman, FCC, CG Docket No. 10-255 (filed Dec. 21, 2012).  The following organizations 
comprise the Consumers Group: the National Association of the Deaf, the Telecommunications for the Deaf and 
Hard of Hearing, Inc., the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumer Advocacy Network, the Hearing Loss Association of 
America, the Association of Late-Deafened Adults, the Cerebral Palsy and Deaf Organization, and the Gallaudet 
University Technology Access Program. 
11 Ex Parte Letter from Brian Fontes, CEO, National Emergency Number Association, to Honorable Julius 
Genachowski, Chairman, FCC, CG Docket 10-255, (filed Dec. 21, 2012).
12 Ex Parte Letter from Derek K. Poarch, Executive Director, APCO International, to Honorable Julius 
Genachowski, Chairman, FCC, CG Docket 10-255 (filed January 10, 2013).
13 See 47 U.S.C. § 615c(d)(2) (providing that “the Advisory Committee shall meet at the call of the chairs, but no 
less than monthly until the recommendations required pursuant to subsection (c) are completed and submitted).
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