47 U.S.C. § 615c — Emergency Access Advisory Committee
submitted 16 years ago by Pub. L. 111-260 to r/title-47-TELECOMMUNICATIONS · 947 words · no verdicts yet
The Commission Chairman must establish an Emergency Access Advisory Committee to improve equal emergency-service access for people with disabilities. The committee must survey affected people, develop recommendations, and meet under the stated rules.
(a) Establishment. To achieve equal emergency-service access for people with disabilities during the move to a national Internet-protocol emergency network, the Commission Chairman must establish an Emergency Access Advisory Committee within 60 days after October 8, 2010. (b) Membership. As soon as practicable after that date, the Chairman must appoint members, balance people with disabilities and other stakeholders, and name two co-chairs. Members must come from: (1) State* and local governments and emergency responders, selected from nominees of national organizations representing them; (2) subject-matter experts, including (A) interconnected and non-interconnected VoIP providers; (B) vendors, developers, and manufacturers of related systems, facilities, equipment, and capabilities; (C) national organizations representing people with disabilities and older people; (D) Federal agencies or departments responsible for the Next Generation E 9–1–1 system; (E) the National Institute of Standards and Technology; and (F) other people with technical knowledge and expertise; and (3) other stakeholders and interested or affected parties the Chairman considers appropriate. (c) Recommendations. Within one year after the appointment process ends, the Committee must conduct a national survey of people with disabilities, seeking input from the groups in (b)(2), to identify effective and efficient technologies and methods for disability access to emergency services. It must submit recommendations to the Commission, including recommendations about (1) actions needed during the network migration for reliable, interoperable communication; (2) protocols, capabilities, and requirements for that reliability and interoperability; (3) technical standards for PSAPs, default answering points, and local emergency authorities; (4) standards and requirements for communication devices, equipment, and technologies; (5) procedures preventing IP-network providers from installing features that conflict with those standards; (6) achievable deadlines for VoIP providers and equipment manufacturers to complete (1) through (5), and possible phaseout of current TTY technology when replaced by more effective methods; (7) rules updating 9–1–1 and E–911 rules for telecommunications* relay-service users as new relay technologies are adopted; and (8) technical and economic feasibility. (d) Meetings. (1) The initial meeting must occur within 45 days after appointment ends. (2) Later meetings occur when the chairs call them, but at least monthly until the recommendations are completed and submitted. (3) Meetings must be announced at least 14 days ahead and open to the public. (e) Rules. (1) One-third of the members is a quorum. (2) The chair may create subcommittees of members and needed experts. (3) The Committee may adopt other needed rules. (f) Chapter 10 of title 5 does not apply to the Committee. (g) The Commission may issue regulations implementing the Committee's recommendations and other regulations, standards, protocols, and procedures needed for reliable, interoperable access to an IP emergency network, where achievable and technically feasible. (h) Definitions. (1) “Commission” means the Federal Communications Commission. (2) “Chairman” means its Chairman. (3) Unless this section expressly says otherwise, other terms have the meanings in section 153 of this title.
For the purpose of achieving equal access to emergency services by individuals with disabilities, as a part of the migration to a national Internet protocol-enabled emergency network, not later than 60 days after October 8, 2010, the Chairman of the Commission shall establish an advisory committee, to be known as the Emergency Access Advisory Committee (referred to in this section as the “Advisory Committee”).
As soon as practicable after October 8, 2010, the Chairman of the Commission shall appoint the members of the Advisory Committee, ensuring a balance between individuals with disabilities and other stakeholders, and shall designate two such members as the co-chairs of the Committee. Members of the Advisory Committee shall be selected from the following groups:
Representatives of State and local governments and representatives of emergency response providers, selected from among individuals nominated by national organizations representing such governments and representatives.
Individuals who have the technical knowledge and expertise to serve on the Advisory Committee in the fulfillment of its duties, including representatives of—
providers of interconnected and non-interconnected VoIP services;
vendors, developers, and manufacturers of systems, facilities, equipment, and capabilities for the provision of interconnected and non-interconnected VoIP services;
national organizations representing individuals with disabilities and senior citizens;
Federal agencies or departments responsible for the implementation of the Next Generation E 9–1–1 system;
the National Institute of Standards and Technology; and
other individuals with such technical knowledge and expertise.
Representatives of such other stakeholders and interested and affected parties as the Chairman of the Commission determines appropriate.
Within 1 year after the completion of the member appointment process by the Chairman of the Commission pursuant to subsection (b), the Advisory Committee shall conduct a national survey of individuals with disabilities, seeking input from the groups described in subsection (b)(2), to determine the most effective and efficient technologies and methods by which to enable access to emergency services by individuals with disabilities and shall develop and submit to the Commission recommendations to implement such technologies and methods, including recommendations—
with respect to what actions are necessary as a part of the migration to a national Internet protocol-enabled network to achieve reliable, interoperable communication transmitted over such network that will ensure access to emergency services by individuals with disabilities;
for protocols, technical capabilities, and technical requirements to ensure the reliability and interoperability necessary to ensure access to emergency services by individuals with disabilities;
for the establishment of technical standards for use by public safety answering points, designated default answering points, and local emergency authorities;
for relevant technical standards and requirements for communication devices and equipment and technologies to enable the use of reliable emergency access;
for procedures to be followed by IP-enabled network providers to ensure that such providers do not install features, functions, or capabilities that would conflict with technical standards;
for deadlines by which providers of interconnected and non-interconnected VoIP services and manufacturers of equipment used for such services shall achieve the actions required in paragraphs (1) through (5), where achievable, and for the possible phase out of the use of current-generation TTY technology to the extent that this technology is replaced with more effective and efficient technologies and methods to enable access to emergency services by individuals with disabilities;
for the establishment of rules to update the Commission’s rules with respect to 9–1–1 services and E–911 services (as defined in section 158(e)(4) 1 of the National Telecommunications* and Information Administration Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 942(e)(4))), for users of telecommunications relay services as new technologies and methods for providing such relay services are adopted by providers of such relay services; and
that take into account what is technically and economically feasible.
The initial meeting of the Advisory Committee shall take place not later than 45 days after the completion of the member appointment process by the Chairman of the Commission pursuant to subsection (b).
After the initial meeting, 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.
Any meetings held by the Advisory Committee shall be duly noticed at least 14 days in advance and shall be open to the public.
One-third of the members of the Advisory Committee shall constitute a quorum for conducting business of the Advisory Committee.
To assist the Advisory Committee in carrying out its functions, the chair may establish appropriate subcommittees composed of members of the Advisory Committee and other subject matter experts as determined to be necessary.
The Advisory Committee may adopt other rules as needed.
Chapter 10 of title 5 shall not apply to the Advisory Committee.
The Commission shall have the authority to promulgate regulations to implement the recommendations proposed by the Advisory Committee, 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.
In this section—
the term “Commission” means the Federal Communications Commission;
the term “Chairman” means the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission; and
except as otherwise expressly provided, other terms have the meanings given such terms in section 153 of this title.
Source credit: (Pub. L. 111–260, title I, § 106, Oct. 8, 2010, 124 Stat. 2762; Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(a)(298), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4338.)
- 2010Enacted · Pub. L. 111-260 · 124 Stat. 2762
- 2022Amended · Pub. L. 117-286 · 136 Stat. 4338
A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 111-260 on 2010-10-08.
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