DA 20-583 Released: June 3, 2020 REMINDER TO STATES AND INTERSTATE TELECOMMUNICATIONS RELAY SERVICES PROVIDERS THAT THE ANNUAL SUMMARY OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS IS DUE BY JULY 1, 2020 REMINDER OF ONGOING OBLIGATION TO REPORT CONTACT INFORMATION AND SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES IN TRS PROGRAMS CG DOCKET NO. 03-123 Obligation to File Annual Summary of Consumer Complaints. The Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau reminds states and providers of interstate telecommunications relay services (TRS) Providers of interstate TRS service include all Internet-based TRS providers. that they must submit their annual consumer complaint log summaries covering the 12-month period from June 1, 2019 through May 31, 2020, on or before Wednesday, July 1, 2020. To assist the Commission in monitoring the service quality of TRS providers, the Commission requires state TRS programs and interstate TRS providers to collect and maintain a log of consumer complaints that allege violations of the federal TRS mandatory minimum standards. See 47 CFR § 64.604(c)(1)(i); see also Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities, Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 15 FCC Rcd 5140, 5144-5145, para. 9 (2000) (Improved TRS Order). State TRS programs are required to log all complaints made to the state agency, as well as those made to the state’s TRS provider. Both state and interstate TRS providers must file summaries of their respective complaint logs with the Commission annually. 47 CFR § 64.604(c)(1)(ii). These summaries are intended to provide an indication to the Commission of possible service quality issues. This information also allows the Commission to determine whether a state or interstate TRS provider has appropriately addressed consumer complaints, and to spot national trends that may lend themselves to coordinated solutions. Moreover, the information enables states to learn how other states are resolving complaints. Improved TRS Order, 15 FCC Rcd at 5190-5191, para. 122. Complaint log summaries shall pertain to complaints received from June 1, 2019, through May 31, 2020, and include at a minimum, the total number of interstate relay calls by type of TRS (i.e., traditional TRS, speech-to-speech (STS), captioned telephone service (CTS), Internet protocol (IP) CTS, IP relay service (IP Relay), and video relay service (VRS)), the number of complaints alleging a violation of the federal TRS mandatory minimum standards, the date of the complaint, the nature of the complaint, the date of its resolution, and an explanation of the resolution. See 47 CFR § 64.604(c)(1). Complaint Log Summary filings must reference CG Docket No. 03-123. Submissions may be filed in one of two ways: (1) by using the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), or (2) by filing paper copies. § Electronic Filers: Submissions may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs//. Filers should follow the instructions provided on the website for submitting comments. § Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing. § Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. § U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail must be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW., Washington DC 20554. § Effective March 19, 2020, and until further notice, the Commission no longer accepts any hand or messenger delivered filings at the Commission’s headquarters. This is a temporary measure taken to help protect the health and safety of individuals, and to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. See FCC Announces Closure of FCC Headquarters Open Window and Change in Hand-Delivery Policy, Public Notice, DA 20-304 (March 19, 2020), https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-closes-headquarters-open-window-and-changes-hand-delivery-policy. Obligation to Submit Contact Information and Notice of Substantive Changes in TRS Programs. We also remind certified state TRS programs, interstate TRS providers, and TRS providers that have state contracts that they must submit to the Commission the name of a contact person or office, or both, for the receipt of inquiries and complaints from consumers about the certified state TRS program’s intrastate service or, as appropriate, about the TRS provider’s service. 47 CFR § 64.604(c)(2). The submission must include, at a minimum, the name and address of the state or TRS office that receives complaints, grievances, inquiries and suggestions; the voice, TTY, fax number, e-mail address, and web address for that office; and the physical address to which correspondence should be sent. Id. The Commission must be notified each time there is a change in any of this required information. Any changes in contact information for certified state TRS programs or interstate TRS providers, or both, should be sent to TRS_POC@fcc.gov. We also remind certified state TRS programs that they must notify the Commission of any substantive changes in their TRS programs within 60 days of when they occur, and must certify that the state TRS program continues to meet federal mandatory minimum standards after implementing the substantive change. 47 CFR § 64.606(f)(1). Similarly, providers of VRS, IP Relay and IP CTS certified under section 64.606 of the Commission’s rules 47 CFR § 64.606. must also notify the Commission of any substantive changes in their TRS programs, services, and features within 60 days of when such changes occur, and certify that they continue to meet federal mandatory minimum standards after implementing the substantive change. 47 CFR § 64.606(f)(2). Notices of substantive changes in TRS Programs must reference CG Docket No. 03-123. Contact information for certified state TRS programs is posted on the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau’s website at: https://www.fcc.gov/general/trs-state-and-territories; contact information for Internet-based TRS providers is posted at: https://www.fcc.gov/general/internet-based-trs-providers. Filings may be found by searching on the Commission’s ECFS at: http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/ (insert CG Docket No. 03-123 into the Proceeding block). To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an email to: fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at: (202) 418-0530 (voice) or (202) 418-0432 (TTY). This Public Notice can also be downloaded in Word and Portable Document Format (PDF) at: https://www.fcc.gov/general/disability-rights-office. For further information regarding this Public Notice, contact Dana Wilson, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Disability Rights Office, (202) 418-2247 (voice) or email: Dana.Wilson@fcc.gov. -FCC- 3