Consumer Advisory Committee Charter

CONSUMER ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Charter

A. The Committee's Official Designation

The official designation of this federal advisory committee is the "Consumer Advisory
Committee" (CAC)), formerly known as the Consumer/Disability Telecommunications
Advisory Committee.

B. The Committee's Objective and Scope of its Activities

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was intended to pave the way for a new era of
greater competition and consumer choice in telecommunications for all Americans. In
order to ensure that all Americans, including individuals with disabilities and those
representing underserved populations, such as tribal nations and persons living in rural
areas, have equal access to telecommunications products and services, and to facilitate
consumer involvement and input into all activities of the Commission, the CAC is hereby
re-chartered pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2).
The mission of the Consumer Advisory Committee (hereinafter the "Committee") is to
make recommendations to the Federal Communications Commission (hereinafter the
"Commission") regarding consumer issues within the jurisdiction of the Commission and
to facilitate the participation of consumers (including people with disabilities and
underserved populations, such as Native Americans and persons living in rural areas) in
proceedings before the Commission. Issues or questions to be considered by the CAC
may include, but are not limited to the following topic areas:
Consumer Protection and Education;
Implementation of Commission rules and Consumer Participation in the FCC
rulemaking process;
Access by People with Disabilities; and,
Impact of New and Emerging Technologies.

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C. Period of Time Necessary for the Committee to Carry Out its Purpose

Initially, the CAC, formerly known as the Consumer/Disability Telecommunications
Advisory Committee, was established for a period of two (2) years from the original
charter date. This is the third renewal of the Charter.

D. Official to Whom the Committee Reports

Chairman, Federal Communications Commission.

E. Agency Responsible for Providing the Necessary Support

The Federal Communications Commission will provide the facilities and support staff
necessary to conduct meetings of the CAC. Committee members will not be compensated
for their services. The Commission will, however, pay costs associated with the
provision of reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities when such costs are
directly associated with the conduct of the Committee's meetings, or are directly
associated with the conduct of subcommittee meetings. Some examples of reasonable
accommodations include sign language interpreters, meeting agendas produced in Braille,
and computer assisted real-time transcription services (CART).

F. Description of the Duties for Which the Committee is Responsible

In keeping with its advisory role, the duties of the CAC will be to provide general
guidance to the Commission, and to gather data and information and to perform those
analyses that are necessary to respond to the questions or matters before it.

G. Estimated Annual Operating Costs in Dollars and Staff Years

Annual operating costs associated with supporting the CAC's functions are estimated to
be $275,000, which includes Commission staff time equivalent to 2.25 FTE's.

H. Estimated Number and Frequency of Committee Meetings

The Committee shall meet a minimum of two (2) times per year. The Committee is
authorized to facilitate its work through informal subcommittees, which shall report their
activities and recommendations to the Committee as a whole. It is anticipated that the
work of subcommittees will be conducted primarily through telephone calls, e-mail
correspondence, and e-mail discussion lists. Recommendations of subcommittees must
be reported to the CAC as a whole, and only as modified or ratified by the committee as a
whole, may such recommendations be included in the official record of the Committee's
proceedings, and reported to the Chairman of the Commission.

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Committee's Termination Date

The Committee shall terminate two (2) years from the renewal date of this charter, unless
renewed prior to the termination date.

J. Membership

Members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Chairman of the Commission in
consultation with the Chairperson of the CAC and appropriate Commission staff.
Members will be appointed either as Representatives or as Special Government
Employees (SGEs) as necessary. Members will be appointed based on their recognized
expertise in their fields, or to represent the interests of consumers, minorities and low
income communities; disabilities communities; state, local, and Native American tribal
governments, and the telecommunications and media industries. Together, these
members will be selected to represent a balance of expertise and viewpoints that are
necessary to address effectively the issues to be considered by the CAC. Members
should be prepared to attend a minimum of two (2) meetings per year of the CAC, and
are also expected to participate regularly in the deliberations of subcommittees.
Members will have an initial and continuing obligation to disclose any interests in, or
connections to, persons or entities who are, or will be, regulated by, or who have interests
before the Commission.

K. Chairperson

The Chairperson of the Committee shall be appointed by the Chairman of the
Commission. The Chairpersons of any subcommittees shall be appointed by the
Chairperson of the Committee with the approval of the Chairman of the Commission.

L. Meetings

Meetings shall be open to the public and timely notice of each meeting shall be published
in the Federal Register, and shall be further publicized through other appropriate vehicles.
Records of the proceedings will be kept, as required by applicable laws and regulations.
Meetings of the CAC will also be broadcast over the Internet.

M. Date of Renewed Charter

November 17, 2008.

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