Goto Section: 54.1605 | 54.1607 | Table of Contents

FCC 54.1606
Revised as of September 1, 2021
Goto Year:2020 | 2022
  §  54.1606   Household eligibility determinations.

   (a) Eligibility verification processes. To verify whether a household
   is an eligible household, a participating provider shall—

   (1) Use the National Verifier; or

   (2) Rely upon an alternative verification process of the participating
   provider, if—

   (i) The participating provider submits information as required by the
   Commission regarding the alternative verification process prior to
   seeking reimbursement; and

   (ii) Not later than 7 days after receiving the information required
   under paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section, the Wireline Competition
   Bureau—

   (A) Determines that the alternative verification process will be
   sufficient to avoid waste, fraud, and abuse; and

   (B) Notifies the participating provider of the determination under
   paragraph (a)(2)(ii)(A) of this section; or

   (3) Rely on a school to verify the eligibility of a household based on
   the participation of the household in the free and reduced price lunch
   program or the school breakfast program as described in 47 CFR
   54.1600(h)(2). The participating provider must retain documentation
   demonstrating the school verifying eligibility, the program(s) that the
   school participates in, the qualifying household, and the program(s)
   the household participates in.

   (b) Provider policies and procedures. All participating providers must
   implement policies and procedures for ensuring that their Emergency
   Broadband Benefit Program households are eligible to receive the
   Emergency Broadband Benefit. A provider may not provide a consumer with
   service that it represents to be Emergency Broadband Benefit-supported
   service or seek reimbursement for such service, unless and until it
   has:

   (1) Confirmed that the household is an eligible household pursuant to
   47 CFR 54.1605;

   (2) Completed any other necessary enrollment steps, and;

   (3) Securely retained all information and documentation it receives
   related to the eligibility determination and enrollment, consistent
   with 47 CFR 54.1611.

   (c) One-Per-Household Worksheet. If the prospective household shares an
   address with one or more existing Emergency Broadband Benefit Program
   subscribers according to the National Lifeline Accountability Database
   or National Verifier, the prospective subscriber must complete a form
   certifying compliance with the one-per-household rule prior to initial
   enrollment.

   (d) The National Lifeline Accountability Database. In order to receive
   Emergency Broadband Benefit Program support, participating providers
   must comply with the following requirements:

   (1) All participating providers must query the National Lifeline
   Accountability Database to determine whether a prospective subscriber
   is currently receiving an Emergency Broadband Benefit-supported service
   from another participating provider; and whether anyone else living at
   the prospective subscriber's residential address is currently receiving
   an Emergency Broadband Benefit-supported service.

   (2) If the National Lifeline Accountability Database indicates that a
   prospective subscriber who is not seeking to transfer his or her
   Emergency Broadband Benefit, is currently receiving an Emergency
   Broadband Benefit-supported service, the participating provider must
   not provide and shall not seek or receive Emergency Broadband Benefit
   reimbursement for that subscriber.

   (3) Participating providers may query the National Lifeline
   Accountability Database only for the purposes provided in paragraphs
   (e)(1) and (2) of this section, and to determine whether information
   with respect to its subscribers already in the National Lifeline
   Accountability Database is correct and complete.

   (4) Participating providers must transmit to the National Lifeline
   Accountability Database in a format prescribed by the Administrator
   each new and existing Emergency Broadband Benefit Program subscriber's
   full name; full residential address; date of birth; the telephone
   number associated with the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program service;
   the date on which the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program discount was
   initiated; the date on which the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program
   discount was terminated, if it has been terminated; the amount of
   support being sought for that subscriber; and the means through which
   the subscriber qualified for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program.

   (5) All participating providers must update an existing Emergency
   Broadband Benefit Program subscriber's information in the National
   Lifeline Accountability Database within ten business days of receiving
   any change to that information, except as described in paragraph (d)(7)
   of this section.

   (6) All participating providers must obtain, from each new and existing
   subscriber, consent to transmit the subscriber's information. Prior to
   obtaining consent, the participating provider must describe to the
   subscriber, using clear, easily understood language, the specific
   information being transmitted, that the information is being
   transmitted to the Administrator to ensure the proper administration of
   the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, and that failure to provide
   consent will result in subscriber being denied the Emergency Broadband
   Benefit.

   (7) When a participating provider de-enrolls a subscriber from the
   Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, it must transmit to the National
   Lifeline Accountability Database the date of Emergency Broadband
   Benefit Program de-enrollment within one business day of de-enrollment.

   (8) All participating providers must securely retain subscriber
   documentation that the participating provider reviewed to verify
   subscriber eligibility, for the purposes of production during audits or
   investigations or to the extent required by National Lifeline
   Accountability Database or National Verifier processes, which require,
   inter alia, verification of eligibility, identity, address, and age.

   (9) A participating provider must not enroll or claim for reimbursement
   a prospective subscriber in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program if
   the National Lifeline Accountability Database or National Verifier
   cannot verify the subscriber's status as alive, unless the subscriber
   produces documentation to demonstrate his or her identity and status as
   alive.

   (e) Connected device reimbursement and the National Lifeline
   Accountability Database. In order to receive Emergency Broadband
   Benefit Program reimbursement for a connected device, participating
   providers must comply with the following requirements:

   (1) Such participating provider must query the National Lifeline
   Accountability Database to determine whether a prospective connected
   device benefit recipient has previously received a connected device
   benefit.

   (2) If the National Lifeline Accountability Database indicates that a
   prospective subscriber has received a connected device benefit, the
   participating provider must not seek a connected device reimbursement
   for that subscriber.

   (3) Such participating provider shall not seek a connected device
   reimbursement for a subscriber that is not receiving the Emergency
   Broadband Benefit for service provided by the same participating
   provider.

   (4) Where two or more participating providers file a claim for a
   connected device reimbursement for the same subscriber, only the
   participating provider whose information was received and processed by
   the National Lifeline Accountability Database or Lifeline Claims System
   first, as determined by the Administrator, will be entitled to a
   connected device reimbursement for that subscriber.

   (5) All participating providers must obtain from each subscriber
   consent to transmit the information required under paragraph (e)(1) of
   this section. Prior to obtaining consent, the participating provider
   must describe to the subscriber, using clear, easily understood
   language, the specific information being transmitted, that the
   information is being transmitted to the Administrator to ensure the
   proper administration of the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program
   connected device benefit, and that failure to provide consent will
   result in the subscriber being denied the Emergency Broadband Benefit
   Program connected device benefit.

   


Goto Section: 54.1605 | 54.1607

Goto Year: 2020 | 2022
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