The FCC has announced a tentative agenda for the Open Commission Meeting scheduled for 10:30 am EST on Thursday, September 29, 2022. The FCC meeting is online, and streamed live with open captioning and American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters at www.fcc.gov/live.
At the meeting, the Commission will consider draft items relating to Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS).
1. TRS: A draft Fourth Report and Order and Sixth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeks to improve access to TRS services in correctional facilities.
- The Order will require Inmate Calling Service (ICS) providers to provide access to all relay services eligible for TRS Fund support in any correctional facility where broadband is available, in a jurisdiction with an average daily population of 50 or more incarcerated persons.
- The Further Notice will also be considering whether to allow a simplified form of registration for using Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) in correctional facilities, similar to that currently allowed for Video Relay Service (VRS).
2. EAS: A draft Report and Order would make EAS alerts easier to understand. The Report and Order would:
- Direct EAS Participants, including radio broadcasters, television broadcasters, and operators of satellite, cable TV, and wireline video services, to transmit certain messages in an IP-based format rather than the versions in the legacy EAS format, which usually convey less information; and,
- Require EAS Participants to replace the technical jargon that now automatically appears in the text of certain messages, including EAS test announcements, with plain language that will be more easily understood by the public and provide more accurate information for individuals who cannot access the audio message.
Links to the draft TRS item:
Text: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-387025A1.txt
PDF: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-387025A1.pdf
Links to the draft EAS item:
Text: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-387026A1.txt
PDF: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-387026A1.pdf
For general information about TRS, visit www.fcc.gov/trs. For specific questions on the TRS item, contact Eliot Greenwald, Disability Rights Office, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, at (202) 418-2235 or Eliot.Greenwald@fcc.gov. For general information about EAS accessibility, visit: https://www.fcc.gov/eas-faq-accessibility. For specific questions on the EAS item, please contact Bill Wallace, Disability Rights Office, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, at (202) 418-2716 or William.Wallace@fcc.gov. Individuals who use videophones and are fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) may call the FCC’s ASL Consumer Support Line at (844) 432-2275 (videophone).