Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Services Program, 35632-35633 [2021-13486]
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35632
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 127 / Wednesday, July 7, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION
47 CFR Part 64
[CG Docket Nos. 03–123, 10–51; DA 20–
219; FRS 32654]
Structure and Practices of the Video
Relay Services Program
Federal Communications
Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
In this document, the Federal
Communications Commission’s
(Commission’s) Consumer and
Governmental Affairs Bureau (Bureau),
pursuant to delegated authority, amends
the Commission’s interoperability
requirements for video relay service
(VRS) to remove reference to the
Interoperability Profile for Relay User
Equipment (RUE Profile).
DATES: These rules are effective August
6, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael Scott, Consumer and
Governmental Affairs Bureau, at (202)
418–1264, or email Michael.Scott@
fcc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a
summary of the Bureau’s Order on
Reconsideration, document DA 20–219,
adopted on March 3, 2020, released on
March 3, 2020, in CG Docket Nos. 10–
51 and 03–123. The Bureau previous
sought comment on a petition for
reconsideration, published at 82 FR
33856, July 21, 2017, with a correction
published at 82 FR 34471, July 25, 2017.
The full text of document DA 20–219 is
available for public inspection via the
Commission’s Electronic Comment
Filing System (ECFS). 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).
Incorporation by Reference: The
Commission notified the Director of the
Federal Register of the removal of the
incorporation by reference to the RUE
Profile from § 64.621(c) on May 5, 2020.
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with RULES
SUMMARY:
Congressional Review Act
The Commission sent a copy of
document DA 20–219 to Congress and
the Government Accountability Office
pursuant to the Congressional Review
Act, 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A).
Final Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
Analysis
Document DA 20–219 does not
contain new or modified or proposed
VerDate Sep<11>2014
15:58 Jul 06, 2021
Jkt 253001
information collections subject to the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), Public Law 104–13. Therefore, it
does not contain any new or modified
information collection burden for small
business concerns with fewer than 25
employees, pursuant to the Small
Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002,
Public Law 107–198, 44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(4).
Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis
Document DA 20–219 does not
require a Final Regulatory Flexibility
Analysis, pursuant to the Regulatory
Flexibility Act of 1980 as amended
(RFA), 5 U.S.C. 601–612, as amended by
Public Law 104–121. Document DA 20–
219 will be sent to the Chief Counsel for
Advocacy of the Small Business
Administration.
Incorporation by Reference Summary
Document DA 20–219 removes from
the Commission’s rules the
Interoperability Profile for Relay User
Equipment, draft-vrs-rue-dispatch-00
(2016) (RUE Profile). The RUE Profile
provides technical specifications that
define a standard interface between a
relay user’s equipment and the services
offered by relay service providers. The
document is available from IETF
Secretariat, 5177 Brandin Court,
Fremont, CA 94538, 510–492–4080,
https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draftvrs-rue-dispatch.
Synopsis
1. VRS, a form of telecommunications
relay service (TRS), enables people with
hearing or speech disabilities who use
American Sign Language (ASL) to
employ video equipment to
communicate with voice telephone
users. To ensure that consumers can
communicate and port their service
between VRS providers, the
Commission requires VRS providers to
ensure their services are interoperable
and portable and has delegated
rulemaking authority to the Bureau to
adopt technical standards.
2. In response to a petition, the
Bureau reconsiders its 2017 decision
incorporating the RUE Profile and
deletes the interoperability rule’s
reference to that standard. There are
limited benefits to be gained from
implementing the current version of the
RUE Profile, which is undergoing
review by a standards development
organization, and at this time such
limited benefits do not outweigh the
costs of implementation.
3. Benefits. The need for a mandatory
provider-to-device technical standard to
ensure objective interoperability testing
is not as critical as appeared to be the
PO 00000
Frm 00038
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
case when this proceeding began. In
2013, when the Commission delegated
authority to the Bureau to adopt VRS
technical standards, interoperability
could not be assured due to the absence
of any applicable standards, and there
were disputes among providers over
who was responsible for alleged failures
of interoperability. More recently,
however, the other technical standards
adopted in 2017—the Provider
Interoperability Profile and the xCard
standard for porting consumer contact
lists—appear to have been implemented
successfully. Further, VRS providers
now work together to ensure
interoperability through an informal
process in which engineers from each
company collaborate on interoperability
testing and information exchange. In
addition, the MITRE Corporation has
established a testing laboratory
environment that enables effective
testing of interoperability using
provider-supplied user devices and
software. In short, even though
compliance with the RUE Profile has
not been required to date, processes to
implement the substance of the
Commission’s current interoperability
and portability rules are in place and
have produced positive results.
4. More fundamentally, the RUE
Profile remains a work in progress,
currently under consideration by a
working group of the internet
Engineering Task Force. No benefit can
be gained by enforcing compliance with
a technical standard that is not ready to
be implemented.
5. Costs. Implementation of the RUE
Profile at this time would require VRS
providers to incur substantial costs. In
addition, RUE Profile compliance may
impose additional indirect costs that are
difficult to quantify, including, e.g.,
costs caused by unforeseen technical
problems and security issues arising out
of consumer use of the VATRP, as well
as potential opportunity costs due to the
diversion of engineering and research
resources from technical improvements
that may offer greater benefit to
consumers.
6. The Bureau will maintain this
docket as an open proceeding, to allow
for consideration of new or updated
technical standards, including further
consideration of provider-to-device
standards, should they be submitted for
consideration.
Ordering Clauses
7. Pursuant to the authority contained
in sections 4(i), 4(j), and 225 of the
Communications Act of 1934, as
amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), (j), 225, and
§§ 0.141, 0.361, and 1.3 of the
Commission’s rules, 47 CFR 0.141,
E:\FR\FM\07JYR1.SGM
07JYR1
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 127 / Wednesday, July 7, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
0.361, 1.3, the petition for
reconsideration filed by Sorenson
Communications, LLC, is granted in
part and dismissed in part.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 64
49 CFR Parts 381, 382, 383, 384, 385,
390, and 391
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration
Incorporation by reference,
Individuals with disabilities,
Telecommunications,
Telecommunications relay services.
[Docket No. FMCSA–2020–0135]
RIN 2126–AC33
Federal Communications Commission.
Gregory Haledjian,
Legal Advisor, Consumer and Governmental
Affairs Bureau.
For the reasons discussed in the
preamble, the Federal Communications
Commission amends 47 CFR part 64 as
follows:
PART 64—MISCELLANEOUS RULES
RELATING TO COMMON CARRIERS
1. The authority citation for part 64
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 154, 201,
202, 217, 218, 220, 222, 225, 226, 227, 227b,
228, 251(a), 251(e), 254(k), 262, 276,
403(b)(2)(B), (c), 616, 620, 1401–1473, unless
otherwise noted; Pub. L. 115–141, Div. P, sec.
503, 132 Stat. 348, 1091.
■
■
2. Amend § 64.621 by
a. Revising paragraph (a)(3); and
b. Removing and reserving (c)(2)(ii).
The revision reads as follows:
§ 64.621
Interoperability and portability.
(a) * * *
(3) All VRS providers must ensure
that their VRS access technologies and
their video communication service
platforms are interoperable with the
VRS Access Technology Reference
Platform, including for point-to-point
calls. No VRS provider shall be
compensated for minutes of use
involving their VRS access technologies
or video communication service
platforms that are not interoperable with
the VRS Access Technology Reference
Platform.
*
*
*
*
*
[FR Doc. 2021–13486 Filed 7–6–21; 8:45 am]
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with RULES
BILLING CODE 6712–01–P
VerDate Sep<11>2014
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA), Department
of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
Final Rules
■
General Technical, Organizational,
Conforming, and Correcting
Amendments to the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Regulations
15:58 Jul 06, 2021
Jkt 253001
FMCSA amends its
regulations by making technical
corrections throughout the Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
(FMCSRs). The Agency makes minor
changes to correct inadvertent errors
and omissions, remove or update
obsolete references, and improve the
clarity and consistency of certain
regulatory provisions. The Agency also
makes nondiscretionary, ministerial
changes that are statutorily mandated
and changes that merely align regulatory
requirements with the underlying
statutory authority. Finally, this rule
contains two minor changes to FMCSA’s
rules of agency procedure or practice
that relate to separation of functions and
allowing FMCSA and State personnel to
conduct off-site compliance reviews of
motor carriers following the same safety
fitness determination criteria used in
on-site compliance reviews.
DATES: This final rule is effective July 7,
2021, except for amendatory instruction
31 which is effective September 7, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Nicholas Warren, Regulatory
Development Division, Office of Policy,
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590–
0001; (202) 366–6124; nicholas.warren@
dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
I. Legal Basis for the Rulemaking
Congress delegated certain powers to
regulate interstate commerce to the
United States Department of
Transportation (DOT or Department) in
numerous pieces of legislation, most
notably in section 6 of the Department
of Transportation Act (DOT Act) (Pub.
L. 89–670, 80 Stat. 931, 937, Oct. 15,
1966). Section 6 of the DOT Act
transferred to the Department the
authority of the former Interstate
PO 00000
Frm 00039
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
35633
Commerce Commission (ICC) to regulate
the qualifications and maximum hours
of service of employees, the safety of
operations, and the equipment of motor
carriers in interstate commerce (80 Stat.
939). This authority, first granted to the
ICC in the Motor Carrier Act of 1935
(Pub. L. 74–255, 49 Stat. 543, Aug. 9,
1935), now appears in 49 U.S.C. chapter
315. The regulations issued under this
(and subsequently enacted) authority
became known as the FMCSRs, codified
at 49 CFR parts 350–399. The
administrative powers to enforce
chapter 315 (codified in 49 U.S.C.
chapter 5) were also transferred from the
ICC to the DOT in 1966, and assigned
first to the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) and then to
FMCSA. The FMCSA Administrator has
been delegated authority under 49 CFR
1.87 to carry out the motor carrier
functions vested in the Secretary of
Transportation.
Between 1984 and 1999, several
statutes added to FHWA’s authority.
Various statutes authorize the
enforcement of the FMCSRs, the
Hazardous Materials Regulations, and
the Commercial Regulations, and
provide both civil and criminal
penalties for violations of these
requirements. These statutes include the
Motor Carrier Safety Act of 1984 (Pub.
L. 98–554, Title II, 98 Stat. 2832, Oct.
30, 1984), codified at 49 U.S.C. chapter
311, subchapter III; the Commercial
Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 (Pub.
L. 99–570, Title XII, 100 Stat. 3207–170,
Oct. 27, 1986), codified at 49 U.S.C.
chapter 313; the Hazardous Materials
Transportation Uniform Safety Act of
1990, as amended (Pub. L. 101–615, 104
Stat. 3244, Nov. 16, 1990), codified at 49
U.S.C. chapter 51; the Omnibus
Transportation Employee Testing Act of
1991 (Pub. L. 102–143, Title V, 105 Stat.
917, 952, Oct. 28, 1991), codified at 49
U.S.C. 31306; and the ICC Termination
Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–88, 109 Stat.
803, Dec. 29, 1995), codified at 49
U.S.C. chapters 131–149.
The Motor Carrier Safety
Improvement Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106–
159, 113 Stat. 1748, Dec. 9, 1999)
established FMCSA as a new operating
administration within DOT, effective
January 1, 2000. The motor carrier safety
responsibilities previously assigned to
both the ICC and FHWA are now
assigned to FMCSA.
Congress expanded, modified, and
amended FMCSA’s authority in the
Uniting and Strengthening America by
Providing Appropriate Tools Required
to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act
of 2001 (Pub. L. 107–56, 115 Stat. 272,
Oct. 26, 2001); the Safe, Accountable,
Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity
E:\FR\FM\07JYR1.SGM
07JYR1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 127 (Wednesday, July 7, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 35632-35633]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13486]
[[Page 35632]]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
47 CFR Part 64
[CG Docket Nos. 03-123, 10-51; DA 20-219; FRS 32654]
Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Services Program
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal Communications Commission's
(Commission's) Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (Bureau),
pursuant to delegated authority, amends the Commission's
interoperability requirements for video relay service (VRS) to remove
reference to the Interoperability Profile for Relay User Equipment (RUE
Profile).
DATES: These rules are effective August 6, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Scott, Consumer and
Governmental Affairs Bureau, at (202) 418-1264, or email
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Bureau's Order on
Reconsideration, document DA 20-219, adopted on March 3, 2020, released
on March 3, 2020, in CG Docket Nos. 10-51 and 03-123. The Bureau
previous sought comment on a petition for reconsideration, published at
82 FR 33856, July 21, 2017, with a correction published at 82 FR 34471,
July 25, 2017. The full text of document DA 20-219 is available for
public inspection via the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System
(ECFS). To request materials in accessible formats for people with
disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format),
send an email to [email protected], or call the Consumer and Governmental
Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice) or (202) 418-0432 (TTY).
Incorporation by Reference: The Commission notified the Director of
the Federal Register of the removal of the incorporation by reference
to the RUE Profile from Sec. 64.621(c) on May 5, 2020.
Congressional Review Act
The Commission sent a copy of document DA 20-219 to Congress and
the Government Accountability Office pursuant to the Congressional
Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A).
Final Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Analysis
Document DA 20-219 does not contain new or modified or proposed
information collections subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), Public Law 104-13. Therefore, it does not contain any new or
modified information collection burden for small business concerns with
fewer than 25 employees, pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork
Relief Act of 2002, Public Law 107-198, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4).
Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis
Document DA 20-219 does not require a Final Regulatory Flexibility
Analysis, pursuant to the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 as amended
(RFA), 5 U.S.C. 601-612, as amended by Public Law 104-121. Document DA
20-219 will be sent to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small
Business Administration.
Incorporation by Reference Summary
Document DA 20-219 removes from the Commission's rules the
Interoperability Profile for Relay User Equipment, draft-vrs-rue-
dispatch-00 (2016) (RUE Profile). The RUE Profile provides technical
specifications that define a standard interface between a relay user's
equipment and the services offered by relay service providers. The
document is available from IETF Secretariat, 5177 Brandin Court,
Fremont, CA 94538, 510-492-4080, https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-vrs-rue-dispatch.
Synopsis
1. VRS, a form of telecommunications relay service (TRS), enables
people with hearing or speech disabilities who use American Sign
Language (ASL) to employ video equipment to communicate with voice
telephone users. To ensure that consumers can communicate and port
their service between VRS providers, the Commission requires VRS
providers to ensure their services are interoperable and portable and
has delegated rulemaking authority to the Bureau to adopt technical
standards.
2. In response to a petition, the Bureau reconsiders its 2017
decision incorporating the RUE Profile and deletes the interoperability
rule's reference to that standard. There are limited benefits to be
gained from implementing the current version of the RUE Profile, which
is undergoing review by a standards development organization, and at
this time such limited benefits do not outweigh the costs of
implementation.
3. Benefits. The need for a mandatory provider-to-device technical
standard to ensure objective interoperability testing is not as
critical as appeared to be the case when this proceeding began. In
2013, when the Commission delegated authority to the Bureau to adopt
VRS technical standards, interoperability could not be assured due to
the absence of any applicable standards, and there were disputes among
providers over who was responsible for alleged failures of
interoperability. More recently, however, the other technical standards
adopted in 2017--the Provider Interoperability Profile and the xCard
standard for porting consumer contact lists--appear to have been
implemented successfully. Further, VRS providers now work together to
ensure interoperability through an informal process in which engineers
from each company collaborate on interoperability testing and
information exchange. In addition, the MITRE Corporation has
established a testing laboratory environment that enables effective
testing of interoperability using provider-supplied user devices and
software. In short, even though compliance with the RUE Profile has not
been required to date, processes to implement the substance of the
Commission's current interoperability and portability rules are in
place and have produced positive results.
4. More fundamentally, the RUE Profile remains a work in progress,
currently under consideration by a working group of the internet
Engineering Task Force. No benefit can be gained by enforcing
compliance with a technical standard that is not ready to be
implemented.
5. Costs. Implementation of the RUE Profile at this time would
require VRS providers to incur substantial costs. In addition, RUE
Profile compliance may impose additional indirect costs that are
difficult to quantify, including, e.g., costs caused by unforeseen
technical problems and security issues arising out of consumer use of
the VATRP, as well as potential opportunity costs due to the diversion
of engineering and research resources from technical improvements that
may offer greater benefit to consumers.
6. The Bureau will maintain this docket as an open proceeding, to
allow for consideration of new or updated technical standards,
including further consideration of provider-to-device standards, should
they be submitted for consideration.
Ordering Clauses
7. Pursuant to the authority contained in sections 4(i), 4(j), and
225 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i),
(j), 225, and Sec. Sec. 0.141, 0.361, and 1.3 of the Commission's
rules, 47 CFR 0.141,
[[Page 35633]]
0.361, 1.3, the petition for reconsideration filed by Sorenson
Communications, LLC, is granted in part and dismissed in part.
List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 64
Incorporation by reference, Individuals with disabilities,
Telecommunications, Telecommunications relay services.
Federal Communications Commission.
Gregory Haledjian,
Legal Advisor, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau.
Final Rules
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal
Communications Commission amends 47 CFR part 64 as follows:
PART 64--MISCELLANEOUS RULES RELATING TO COMMON CARRIERS
0
1. The authority citation for part 64 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 154, 201, 202, 217, 218, 220,
222, 225, 226, 227, 227b, 228, 251(a), 251(e), 254(k), 262, 276,
403(b)(2)(B), (c), 616, 620, 1401-1473, unless otherwise noted; Pub.
L. 115-141, Div. P, sec. 503, 132 Stat. 348, 1091.
0
2. Amend Sec. 64.621 by
0
a. Revising paragraph (a)(3); and
0
b. Removing and reserving (c)(2)(ii).
The revision reads as follows:
Sec. 64.621 Interoperability and portability.
(a) * * *
(3) All VRS providers must ensure that their VRS access
technologies and their video communication service platforms are
interoperable with the VRS Access Technology Reference Platform,
including for point-to-point calls. No VRS provider shall be
compensated for minutes of use involving their VRS access technologies
or video communication service platforms that are not interoperable
with the VRS Access Technology Reference Platform.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2021-13486 Filed 7-6-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P