Doyle, Markey Urge FCC Deny ITTA's TRS Billing Petition; Group Pushes Back
House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., urged the FCC Wednesday to deny an ITTA petition for a declaratory ruling to clarify that carrier telecom relay service fund contribution costs can be passed on to…
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consumers in express line-item fees on phone bills (see 1805090021). ITTA resisted the lawmakers' characterization of the group's petition. “To specifically identify the cost of any [Americans with Disabilities Act] service (whether it be for a handicap accessible ramp or TRS) on any consumer or corporate bill in the form of a surcharge, fee, or any other form of a line-item discriminates against and ostracizes people with disabilities,” Markey and Doyle said in a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “Highlighting such costs creates an unacceptable environment where individuals with disabilities are seen as a ‘cost burden’ to society. This is exactly what the passage of the ADA attempted to prevent.” ITTA in February slammed a Kairos Partners filing on behalf of enterprise users that claimed the petition aimed to “stigmatize disabled individuals,” saying the claims were “red herrings” (see 1902210053). The Doyle/Markey letter “misrepresents” ITTA's petition, the group said in a statement. “ITTA’s petition would allow carriers to continue to include their TRS contributions among other references in a general line item on consumers’ bills. Doing so provides the transparency for consumers that lies at the heart of the FCC’s truth-in-billing rules. It also has no effect on the TRS Fund recoveries from consumers.” The FCC didn't comment.