Federal Communications Commission	DA 19-936


DA 19-936
Released: September 23, 2019

WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF THE NATIONAL LIFELINE ELIGIBILITY VERIFIER FOR ALL NEW ENROLLMENTS IN ELEVEN STATES
WC Docket No. 11-42
By this Public Notice, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announces the launch of the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier (National Verifier) for all new enrollments in Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. See Lifeline and Link Up Reform and Modernization et al., Third Report and Order, Further Report and Order, and Order on Reconsideration, 31 FCC Rcd 3962, 4021, para. 165 (2016) (2016 Lifeline Order) (directing the Bureau to “issue a notification to all interested participants providing information about effective dates and any other relevant obligations” as USAC deploys the National Verifier in each state).     
  Starting on October 23, 2019, eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) in these eleven states will be required to use the National Verifier’s eligibility determination process for all consumers applying for Lifeline service and must cease using legacy eligibility processes for prospective Lifeline subscribers.  
USAC will continue after October 23, 2019 to verify that subscribers in the National Verifier for these eleven states are eligible to receive Lifeline service through the process that was initiated during the soft launch on June 25, 2019. Wireline Competition Bureau Announces the Next National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier Launch in Eleven States, WC Docket No. 11-42, Public Notice, DA 19-569 (WCB June 17, 2019).
  In addition, annual recertification will now be conducted by the National Verifier for all Lifeline consumers in these eleven states.  

As of October 23, 2019, consumers in Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia can begin to check their eligibility for Lifeline service directly by using the National Verifier consumer portal available at CheckLifeline.org.  The consumer portal is available in both English and Spanish language versions.  Consumers, as well as service providers, will also be able to mail Lifeline program forms and documentation to USAC for manual review.  Consumers and service providers can obtain the Lifeline program application form by going to CheckLifeline.org and clicking on “use a paper form.”  Forms sent by mail should be sent to:

USAC Lifeline Support Center 
P.O. Box 7081 
London, KY 40742 

USAC has been conducting ongoing outreach and training for ETCs in the relevant states during the soft launch.  ETCs have also had access to a pre-production test environment during the soft launch, which was designed to improve ETCs’ ability to conduct sample transactions using test data that does not reflect actual Lifeline applicants and train their employees for readiness.  To ensure that ETCs continue to be supported during the transition to the National Verifier, USAC will also be contacting ETCs in the relevant states to provide details regarding additional training opportunities.  Informational resource materials regarding the National Verifier are also available on USAC’s website. See https://www.usac.org/li/tools/national-verifier/how-to-use.aspx.


We remind ETCs that, even where the National Verifier is fully launched, ETCs remain responsible for any fraud that forms the basis of their claims for Lifeline reimbursement, and the National Verifier does not provide a “safe harbor” for ETCs that improperly claim or obtain reimbursement. See Wireline Competition Bureau Reminds Eligible Telecommunications Carriers of Their Ongoing Responsibility to Claim Lifeline Support Only for Eligible Low-Income Consumers, Public Notice, 32 FCC Rcd 5129 (WCB 2017).


For further information, please contact Allison Jones at (202) 418-1571, of the Wireline Competition Bureau’s Telecommunications Access Policy Division.
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