DA 19-557 Released: June 12, 2019 2019-2020 ALLOCATIONS FOR THE NATIONAL DEAF-BLIND EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM Under the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP), also called “iCanConnect,” the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) may provide up to $10 million annually from the interstate telecommunications relay service fund (TRS Fund) to support local programs that distribute equipment to eligible low-income individuals who are deaf-blind, so that these individuals can access telecommunications service, Internet access service, and advanced communications services. 47 U.S.C. § 620; see also 47 CFR §§ 64.6201-64.6219; Implementation of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, Section 105, Relay Services for Deaf-Blind Individuals, Report and Order, 31 FCC Rcd 9178 (2016) (NDBEDP Permanent Program Order). By this notice, the Commission’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) announces the funding allocations for the NDBEDP for 2019-2020. The fund year for the NDBEDP runs from July 1 through June 30 of the following year, which coincides with the TRS Fund year. See generally 47 CFR § 64.604(c)(5)(iii)(H). As directed by the NDBEDP Permanent Program Order, for 2019-2020, CGB will set aside $250,000 for national outreach efforts to be conducted by the Perkins School for the Blind. See NDBEDP Permanent Program Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 9236-37, 9242, paras. 135, 149. In addition, pursuant to that order, CGB will set aside $100,000 towards the development of a centralized database that certified programs will be required to use to submit information about their NDBEDP-related activities for reporting purposes and may use for the generation of reimbursement claims. See id. at 9242, 9250-51, paras. 149, 169 (authorizing CGB to allocate an amount necessary from the $10 million available annually from the TRS Fund for the NDBEDP for the development and maintenance of the centralized database). During 2019-2020, CGB and the NDBEDP Administrator will continue to coordinate with the FCC’s Office of Managing Director and Chief Information Officer, as well as with NDBEDP certified programs that will use or access the database, as appropriate, to identify the data elements, structure of the database, and other implementation details in accordance with the NDBEDP Permanent Program Order. See id. at 9250-51, 9264-65, paras. 169, 202. CGB may reallocate to certified programs all or part of the funds set aside for this purpose if it determines that they will not be used during 2019-2020. See 47 CFR § 64.6205 (directing CGB to designate an NDBEDP Administrator to determine annual funding allocations and reallocations). In subsequent years, it is expected that additional funds will be allocated for the production, testing, implementation, and maintenance of the centralized database. The remaining $9.65 million of funding for 2019-2020 will be used to reimburse certified programs for the cost of equipment and authorized related services, up to each certified program’s funding allocation. See 47 CFR § 64.6213. Pursuant to the NDBEDP Permanent Program Order, initial funding allocations for 2019-2020 are calculated by providing a minimum base amount of $50,000 for each jurisdiction plus a portion of the remaining available funding in an amount proportionate to the population of that jurisdiction. NDBEDP Permanent Program Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 9242, para. 149. The initial allocations for the 56 covered jurisdictions are as follows: Population figures for these calculations are derived from U.S. Census data. See U.S. Census Bureau, Population, population change, and estimated components of population change: April 1, 2010, to July 1, 2018 (NST-EST2018-alldata), https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2010-2018/national/totals/nst-est2018-alldata.csv (May 9, 2019); U.S. Census Bureau, Table 1b, Population, Housing Units, Land Area, and Density by Place for American Samoa: 2010, https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2010/cph-t/t-8tables/table1b.pdf (Oct. 28, 2013); U.S. Census Bureau, Table 3b, Population, Housing Units, Land Area, and Density by Place for Guam: 2010, https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2010/cph-t/t-8tables/table3b.pdf (Oct. 28, 2013); U.S. Census Bureau, Table 2b, Population, Housing Units, Land Area, and Density by Place for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: 2010, https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2010/cph-t/t-8tables/table2b.pdf (Oct. 28, 2013); U.S. Census Bureau, Table 4b, Population, Housing Units, Land Area, and Density by Place for the U.S. Virgin Islands: 2010, https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2010/cph-t/t-8tables/table4b.pdf (Oct. 28, 2013). State NDBEDP Certified Program 2019-2020 Alabama Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind $151,234 Alaska Assistive Technology of Alaska $65,273 Arizona Perkins School for the Blind $198,534 Arkansas Perkins School for the Blind $112,420 California Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired $869,277 Colorado Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind $167,962 Connecticut Connecticut Tech Act Project $123,994 Delaware University of Delaware – Center for Disabilities Studies $70,031 Florida Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $491,136 Georgia Georgia Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing $267,872 Hawaii Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $79,420 Idaho University of Idaho – Center on Disabilities and Human Development $86,332 Illinois To Be Determined FCC Invites Applications for Certification to Participate in the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program for Kentucky and Illinois, Public Notice, DA 19-543 (CGB June 10, 2019). $313,884 Indiana Perkins School for the Blind $188,597 Iowa Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $115,368 Kansas Assistive Technology for Kansans $110,301 2 State NDBEDP Certified Program 2019-2020 Kentucky To Be Determined Id. $142,546 Louisiana Affiliated Blind of Louisiana Training Center $146,514 Maine Disability Rights Maine $77,720 Maryland Perkins School for the Blind $175,152 Massachusetts Perkins School for the Blind $192,952 Michigan Perkins School for the Blind $257,028 Minnesota Perkins School for the Blind $166,215 Mississippi Perkins School for the Blind $111,855 Missouri Missouri Assistive Technology $176,887 Montana Perkins School for the Blind $72,002 Nebraska Nebraska Assistive Technology Partnership $89,958 Nevada Perkins School for the Blind $112,846 New Hampshire Northeast Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, Inc. $78,094 New Jersey New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired $234,507 New Mexico Perkins School for the Blind $93,399 New York Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $454,744 North Carolina North Carolina Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing $265,058 North Dakota North Dakota Assistive $65,742 Ohio Perkins School for the Blind $292,103 Oklahoma Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services $131,666 Oregon Access Technologies, Inc. $136,795 Pennsylvania Institute on Disabilities – Temple University $315,251 Rhode Island Perkins School for the Blind $71,898 South Carolina Perkins School for the Blind $155,299 South Dakota South Dakota Department of Human Services $68,272 Tennessee Tennessee Public Utility Commission $190,216 Texas Perkins School for the Blind $644,452 5 State NDBEDP Certified Program 2019-2020 Utah Perkins School for the Blind $115,471 Vermont Perkins School for the Blind $62,971 Virginia Perkins School for the Blind $226,412 Washington Perkins School for the Blind $206,072 West Virginia Perkins School for the Blind $87,401 Wisconsin Wisconsin Bureau of Aging and Disability Resources $170,406 Wyoming Wyoming Institute for Disabilities – University of Wyoming $61,966 Other Jurisdictions NDBEDP Certified Program 2019-2020 District of Columbia Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind $64,549 American Samoa Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $51,150 Guam Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $53,300 Northern Mariana Islands Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $51,116 Puerto Rico Perkins School for the Blind $116,176 U.S. Virgin Islands Perkins School for the Blind $52,204 Subtotal $9,650,000 National Outreach $250,000 Centralized Database $100,000 Total $10,000,000 CGB reminds certified entities that the above amounts are intended to serve as initial allocations only. To maximize available funds under the NDBEDP, CGB may make (1) voluntary reallocations between certified programs at any time during the TRS Fund year and (2) involuntary reallocations when individual program performance indicates that NDBEDP funds could be more fully utilized by other certified programs. NDBEDP Permanent Program Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 9244, para. 153. 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 Jackie Ellington, Disability Rights Office, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, at 202-418-1153 or Jackie.Ellington@fcc.gov; or Rosaline Crawford, Disability Rights office, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, at 202-418-2075 or Rosaline.Crawford@fcc.gov. -FCC- 4