{ "id": "R42830", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "R", "number": "R42830", "active": true, "source": "CRSReports.Congress.gov, EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source_dir": "crsreports.congress.gov", "title": "Video Relay Service: Program Funding and Reform", "retrieved": "2022-08-19T04:03:32.041843", "id": "R42830_28_2022-07-29", "formats": [ { "filename": "files/2022-07-29_R42830_c527ba4cbd1852381e9f9590b3ffaf7dbd9adb84.pdf", "format": "PDF", "url": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R42830/28", "sha1": "c527ba4cbd1852381e9f9590b3ffaf7dbd9adb84" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/2022-07-29_R42830_c527ba4cbd1852381e9f9590b3ffaf7dbd9adb84.html" } ], "date": "2022-07-29", "summary": null, "source": "CRSReports.Congress.gov", "typeId": "R", "active": true, "sourceLink": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/details?prodcode=R42830", "type": "CRS Report" }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 602017, "date": "2019-07-12", "retrieved": "2019-07-12T22:11:43.132173", "title": "Video Relay Service: Program Funding and Reform", "summary": "The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates a number of disability-related telecommunications services, including video relay service (VRS). VRS allows persons with hearing disabilities, using American Sign Language (ASL), to communicate with voice telephone users through video equipment rather than through typed text. VRS has quickly become a very popular service, as it offers several features not available with the text-based telecommunications relay service (TRS).\nThe FCC has adopted various rules to maintain the quality of VRS service. Now VRS providers must answer 80% of all VRS calls within 120 seconds. VRS providers must also offer the service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, in June 2010, the FCC began a comprehensive review of the rates, structure, and practices of the VRS program to minimize waste, fraud, and abuse and update compensation rates that had become inflated above actual cost. Rules in that proceeding were issued in June 2013. The new rules initiated fundamental restructuring of the program to support innovation and competition, drive down ratepayer and provider costs, eliminate incentives for waste, and further protect consumers. In addition, the new rules transition VRS compensation rates toward actual costs over the next four years, initiating a step-by-step transition from existing tiered TRS Fund compensation rates toward a unitary, market-based compensation rate. \nOn June 28, 2019, the FCC adopted per-minute VRS compensation rates for the 2019-20 Fund Year, effective from July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020. For VRS providers with more than 500,000 monthly minutes, the applicable per-minute VRS compensation rates for the 2019-20 Fund Year are: \n$4.82 per completed conversation minute for a provider\u2019s first 1,000,000 monthly minutes (Tier I) (no change from the 2018-19 rate); \n$3.97 per completed conversation minute for a provider\u2019s monthly minutes between 1,000,001 and 2,500,000 (Tier II) (no change from the 2018-19 rate); and \n$2.63 per completed conversation minute for a provider\u2019s monthly minutes exceeding 2,500,000 (Tier III) (a 7.1% reduction from the 2018-19 rate of $2.83).\nFor VRS providers with 500,000 or fewer monthly minutes (Emergent Tier), the rate for the 2019-20 Fund Year is $5.29 per completed conversation minute, no change from the 2018-19 rate. The FCC estimates that these compensation rates will save the TRS Fund approximately $22.4 million for VRS services provided during the period between July 2019 and June 2020, compared to the rates in effect in June 2017. \nCongressional interest in the VRS program is twofold: eliminating fraud and abuse in the program and maintaining the usefulness of the program for users. Controversy has arisen over the latest proposals for change to the program being considered by the FCC. The FCC believes that rate structure changes are needed to reduce fraud and better manage the VRS program, but the deaf and hard-of-hearing community is concerned that funding cuts will result in fewer and less-qualified ASL interpreters. Additionally, the FCC has proposed changing the technologies used to operate and use the system, but the community is concerned that changes in technology will decrease the quality of the system as it is now and also potentially pose challenges to some users.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R42830", "sha1": "e43038481a4d35157435f0870538044a72239bd0", "filename": "files/20190712_R42830_e43038481a4d35157435f0870538044a72239bd0.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R42830_files&id=/0.png": "files/20190712_R42830_images_c13b8f820f0c700e9882d9c253736b64471d9445.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R42830", "sha1": "41f5cd5891925fb414de03f687962bf60601167f", "filename": "files/20190712_R42830_41f5cd5891925fb414de03f687962bf60601167f.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 587325, "date": "2018-11-06", "retrieved": "2019-04-18T13:28:10.505698", "title": "Video Relay Service: Program Funding and Reform", "summary": "The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates a number of disability-related telecommunications services, including video relay service (VRS). VRS allows persons with hearing disabilities, using American Sign Language (ASL), to communicate with voice telephone users through video equipment rather than through typed text. VRS has quickly become a very popular service, as it offers several features not available with the text-based telecommunications relay service (TRS).\nThe FCC has adopted various rules to maintain the quality of VRS service. Now VRS providers must answer 80% of all VRS calls within 120 seconds. VRS providers must also offer the service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, in June 2010, the FCC began a comprehensive review of the rates, structure, and practices of the VRS program to minimize waste, fraud, and abuse and update compensation rates that had become inflated above actual cost. Rules in that proceeding were issued in June 2013. The new rules initiated fundamental restructuring of the program to support innovation and competition, drive down ratepayer and provider costs, eliminate incentives for waste, and further protect consumers. In addition, the new rules transition VRS compensation rates toward actual costs over the next four years, initiating a step-by-step transition from existing tiered TRS Fund compensation rates toward a unitary, market-based compensation rate. \nOn June 20, 2017, the FCC extended existing (2016-2017) VRS rates on a provisional basis. For VRS providers with more than 500,000 monthly minutes, the per-minute VRS compensation rates are: \n$4.06 for minutes that fall within Tier I (a provider\u2019s first 500,000 monthly minutes);\n$4.06 for minutes that fall within Tier II (a provider\u2019s second 500,000 monthly minutes); and \n$3.49 for minutes that fall within Tier III (a provider\u2019s monthly minutes in excess of 1,000,000). \nFor VRS providers with 500,000 or fewer monthly minutes, the per-minute VRS compensation rate is $4.82. Based on these compensation rates, the maximum rates within the range of VRS rates proposed by the Commission, projected demand for the services, and projected Fund administration expenses, the FCC adopted a funding requirement of $1,328,188,285, and a carrier contribution factor of 0.02289.\nCongressional interest in the VRS program is twofold: eliminating fraud and abuse in the program and maintaining the usefulness of the program for users. Controversy has arisen over the latest proposals for change to the program being considered by the FCC. The FCC believes that rate structure changes are needed to reduce fraud and better manage the VRS program, but the deaf and hard-of-hearing community is concerned that funding cuts will result in fewer and less-qualified ASL interpreters. Additionally, the FCC has proposed changing the technologies used to operate and use the system, but the community is concerned that changes in technology will decrease the quality of the system as it is now and also potentially pose challenges to some users.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R42830", "sha1": "d65ff44e4aa4635fff18422ba8bbcb1e4046bac5", "filename": "files/20181106_R42830_d65ff44e4aa4635fff18422ba8bbcb1e4046bac5.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R42830_files&id=/0.png": "files/20181106_R42830_images_c13b8f820f0c700e9882d9c253736b64471d9445.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R42830", "sha1": "04f11da325bcb1d6eca5025a707e0f8a7849b6d6", "filename": "files/20181106_R42830_04f11da325bcb1d6eca5025a707e0f8a7849b6d6.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 462413, "date": "2017-07-05", "retrieved": "2018-05-10T13:00:35.074905", "title": "Video Relay Service: Program Funding and Reform", "summary": "The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates a number of disability-related telecommunications services, including video relay service (VRS). VRS allows persons with hearing disabilities, using American Sign Language (ASL), to communicate with voice telephone users through video equipment rather than through typed text. VRS has quickly become a very popular service, as it offers several features not available with the text-based telecommunications relay service (TRS).\nThe FCC has adopted various rules to improve VRS service. Now VRS providers must answer 80% of all VRS calls within 120 seconds. VRS providers must also offer the service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, in June 2010, the FCC began a comprehensive review of the rates, structure, and practices of the VRS program to minimize waste, fraud, and abuse and update compensation rates that had become inflated above actual cost. Rules in that proceeding were issued in June 2013. The new rules initiated fundamental restructuring of the program to support innovation and competition, drive down ratepayer and provider costs, eliminate incentives for waste, and further protect consumers. In addition, the new rules transition VRS compensation rates toward actual costs over the next four years, initiating a step-by-step transition from existing tiered TRS Fund compensation rates toward a unitary, market-based compensation rate. \nOn June 20, 2017, the FCC extended existing (2016-2017) VRS rates on a provisional basis. For VRS providers with more than 500,000 monthly minutes, the per-minute VRS compensation rates are: \n$4.06 for minutes that fall within Tier I (a provider\u2019s first 500,000 monthly minutes);\n$4.06 for minutes that fall within Tier II (a provider\u2019s second 500,000 monthly minutes); and \n$3.49 for minutes that fall within Tier III (a provider\u2019s monthly minutes in excess of 1,000,000). \nFor VRS providers with 500,000 or fewer monthly minutes, the per-minute VRS compensation rate is $4.82. Based on these compensation rates, the maximum rates within the range of VRS rates proposed by the Commission, projected demand for the services, and projected Fund administration expenses, the FCC adopted a funding requirement of $1,328,188,285, and a carrier contribution factor of 0.02289.\nCongressional interest in the VRS program is twofold: eliminating fraud and abuse in the program and maintaining the usefulness of the program for users. Controversy has arisen over the latest proposals for change to the program being considered by the FCC. The FCC believes that rate structure changes are needed to reduce fraud and better manage the VRS program, but the deaf and hard-of-hearing community is concerned that funding cuts will result in fewer and less-qualified ASL interpreters. Additionally, the FCC has proposed changing the technologies used to operate and use the system, but the community is concerned that changes in technology will decrease the quality of the system as it is now and also potentially pose challenges to some users.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R42830", "sha1": "0399cf41b47e2ae522882cb65856dd7534ed4a9e", "filename": "files/20170705_R42830_0399cf41b47e2ae522882cb65856dd7534ed4a9e.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R42830_files&id=/0.png": "files/20170705_R42830_images_c13b8f820f0c700e9882d9c253736b64471d9445.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R42830", "sha1": "0257be82a84defdff3e7a501f9d8c14128ef1fcc", "filename": "files/20170705_R42830_0257be82a84defdff3e7a501f9d8c14128ef1fcc.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 453241, "date": "2016-06-03", "retrieved": "2016-11-28T22:08:07.328589", "title": "Video Relay Service: Program Funding and Reform", "summary": "The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates a number of disability-related telecommunications services, including video relay service (VRS). VRS allows persons with hearing disabilities, using American Sign Language (ASL), to communicate with voice telephone users through video equipment rather than through typed text. VRS has quickly become a very popular service, as it offers several features not available with the text-based telecommunications relay service (TRS).\nThe FCC has adopted various rules to improve VRS service. Now VRS providers must answer 80% of all VRS calls within 120 seconds. VRS providers must also offer the service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, in June 2010, the FCC began a comprehensive review of the rates, structure, and practices of the VRS program to minimize waste, fraud, and abuse and update compensation rates that had become inflated above actual cost. Rules in that proceeding were issued in June 2013. The new rules initiated fundamental restructuring of the program to support innovation and competition, drive down ratepayer and provider costs, eliminate incentives for waste, and further protect consumers. In addition, the new rules transition VRS compensation rates toward actual costs over the next four years, initiating a step-by-step transition from existing tiered TRS Fund compensation rates toward a unitary, market-based compensation rate. \nOn March 1, 2016, the FCC granted limited compensation rate relief for VRS providers with 500,000 or fewer monthly minutes. This relief affects eligible VRS providers on both a retroactive and \u201cgoing-forward\u201d basis from certain compensation rate adjustments adopted in 2013.\nCongressional interest in the VRS program is twofold: eliminating fraud and abuse in the program and maintaining the usefulness of the program for users. Controversy has arisen over the latest proposals for change to the program being considered by the FCC. The FCC believes that rate structure changes are needed to reduce fraud and better manage the VRS program, but the deaf and hard-of-hearing community is concerned that funding cuts will result in fewer and less-qualified ASL interpreters. Additionally, the FCC has proposed changing the technologies used to operate and use the system, but the community is concerned that changes in technology will decrease the quality of the system as it is now and also potentially pose challenges to some users.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R42830", "sha1": "8a816612f70933622ee29d8ad8e9d7c4ea4b3c8f", "filename": "files/20160603_R42830_8a816612f70933622ee29d8ad8e9d7c4ea4b3c8f.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R42830", "sha1": "fd09d81d53e9a00981b82a5664685d825bb0d3df", "filename": "files/20160603_R42830_fd09d81d53e9a00981b82a5664685d825bb0d3df.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 450177, "date": "2016-02-26", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T17:00:07.225584", "title": "Video Relay Service: Program Funding and Reform", "summary": "The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates a number of disability-related telecommunications services, including video relay service (VRS). VRS allows persons with hearing disabilities, using American Sign Language (ASL), to communicate with voice telephone users through video equipment rather than through typed text. VRS has quickly become a very popular service, as it offers several features not available with the text-based telecommunications relay service (TRS).\nThe FCC has adopted various rules to improve VRS service. Now VRS providers must answer 80% of all VRS calls within 120 seconds. VRS providers must also offer the service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, in June 2010, the FCC began a comprehensive review of the rates, structure, and practices of the VRS program to minimize waste, fraud, and abuse and update compensation rates that had become inflated above actual cost. Rules in that proceeding were issued in June 2013. The new rules initiated fundamental restructuring of the program to support innovation and competition, drive down ratepayer and provider costs, eliminate incentives for waste, and further protect consumers. In addition, the new rules transition VRS compensation rates toward actual costs over the next four years, initiating a step-by-step transition from existing tiered TRS Fund compensation rates toward a unitary, market-based compensation rate. \nCongressional interest in the VRS program is twofold: eliminating fraud and abuse in the program and maintaining the usefulness of the program for users. Controversy has arisen over the latest proposals for change to the program being considered by the FCC. The FCC believes that rate structure changes are needed to reduce fraud and better manage the VRS program, but the deaf and hard-of-hearing community is concerned that funding cuts will result in fewer and less-qualified ASL interpreters. Additionally, the FCC has proposed changing the technologies used to operate and use the system, but the community is concerned that changes in technology will decrease the quality of the system as it is now and also potentially pose challenges to some users.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R42830", "sha1": "b6091c8bf744021b60baec45b072f5fab834975a", "filename": "files/20160226_R42830_b6091c8bf744021b60baec45b072f5fab834975a.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R42830", "sha1": "1a180d199fe44192f6443b856d7b896461bc04a8", "filename": "files/20160226_R42830_1a180d199fe44192f6443b856d7b896461bc04a8.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc808170/", "id": "R42830_2015Jan16", "date": "2015-01-16", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Video Relay Service: Program Funding and Reform", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20150116_R42830_bf29b6500d542afba5bf92c74e6e5dd6a6ea690a.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20150116_R42830_bf29b6500d542afba5bf92c74e6e5dd6a6ea690a.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc332885/", "id": "R42830_2014Mar10", "date": "2014-03-10", "retrieved": "2014-08-27T12:47:05", "title": "Video Relay Service: Program Funding and Reform", "summary": "This report provides an introduction about how the video relay service works and and overview of the program. It discusses the fundamental restructuring of the program to support innovation and competition.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20140310_R42830_e3404105a7fdc0b7a69297b40c1a64273d7f7bca.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20140310_R42830_e3404105a7fdc0b7a69297b40c1a64273d7f7bca.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Telecommunication systems", "name": "Telecommunication systems" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Video telephone", "name": "Video telephone" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Hearing disorders", "name": "Hearing disorders" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc267860/", "id": "R42830_2013Oct22", "date": "2013-10-22", "retrieved": "2013-12-03T12:16:12", "title": "Video Relay Service: Program Funding and Reform", "summary": "This report provides an introduction on how video relay service works and the program overview. It discusses the fundamental restructuring of the program to support innovation and competition.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20131022_R42830_0e1943bfbc5b43300c0bc3921e781ebd039ecfe5.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20131022_R42830_0e1943bfbc5b43300c0bc3921e781ebd039ecfe5.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Telecommunication systems", "name": "Telecommunication systems" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Video telephone", "name": "Video telephone" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Hearing disorders", "name": "Hearing disorders" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc818889/", "id": "R42830_2013Apr23", "date": "2013-04-23", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Video Relay Service: Program Funding and Reform", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20130423_R42830_9c1f2377ce15f02115b94b972383093135f796a2.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20130423_R42830_9c1f2377ce15f02115b94b972383093135f796a2.html" } ], "topics": [] } ], "topics": [] }