STATEMENT OF FCC COMMISSIONER MICHAEL O’RIELLY Re: Amendment of the Commission’s Rules Governing Standards for Hearing Aid-Compatible Handsets, WT Docket No. 20-3; Amendment of the Commission’s Rules Governing Hearing Aid-Compatible Mobile Handsets, WT Docket No. 07-250 (terminated); Comment Sought on 2010 Review of Hearing Aid Compatibility Regulations, WT Docket No. 10-254 (terminated) In this item, the Commission seeks to update our rules incorporating the 2011 American National Standards Institute, or ANSI, hearing aid compatibility standard. The Commission previously adopted this standard in response to specific Congressional action. Since ANSI recently adopted a new standard in September 2019, which includes volume control requirements, new testing procedures, and a replacement for the current numerical M/T rating system, among other aspects, we appropriately seek comment on incorporating these changes in our rules. Because technology is consistently changing, I generally prefer that we refrain from adopting specific standards into our rules. We can achieve the same outcome without fixating on a standard that, in most instances, represents a moment frozen in time. Otherwise, the Commission can find itself and its corresponding rules naturally outdated. There are several prominent recent examples of such an outcome, and this may become yet another. Despite this, the importance of improving our hearing aid requirements and minimizing consumer confusion is not lost on me. I support today’s notice and comment proceeding.