SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Application programming interfaces must be included in the Lifeline national verifier so carriers can help low-income fund recipients with enrollment, said a NARUC resolution passed Wednesday. NARUC cleared that and other resolutions on separations, IP captioned telephone service (IP CTS) and precision agriculture (see 1807030052). NARUC is following the national verifier closely, with the API resolution setting up a big push planned for Lifeline Awareness Week this September, a spokesperson said.

APCO and the National Emergency Numbering Association urged the FCC to impose new 911 reliability rules. Industry commenters said rules would do nothing to make emergency calling more reliable. The Public Safety Bureau sought comment in June on reliability of 911 networks and whether current rules should be “modified to adapt to advancements in technology or other changes, including notification to Public Safety Answering Points of network outages affecting 911 service." Initial comments were due Monday in docket 13-75.

The House Commerce Committee unanimously voted to advance five tech and telecom bills Thursday in a markup of bills, including the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act (HR-5709) and the State of Modern Application, Research and Trends of IoT Act (HR-6032). The committee also cleared: the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act (HR-2345), the Advancing Critical Connectivity Expands Service, Small Business Resources, Opportunities, Access and Data Based on Assessed Need and Demand Act (HR-3994) and the Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act (HR-4881). The vast majority of debate during the session focused on a resolution from House Commerce ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., on the Department of Health and Human Services' role in tracking and reuniting immigrant children with their parents as part of President Donald Trump's “zero tolerance” illegal immigration policy. HR-2345 and Senate-passed companion S-1015 would direct the FCC to work to designate a new national three-digit dialing code in the style of 911 for a mental health crisis and suicide prevention hotline. An amendment to the bill by Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., would direct that an FCC/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration study on the hotline be sent to the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs committees. HR-3994 would establish the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth within NTIA. HR-4881 and Senate companion S-2343 would establish a task force to identify internet connectivity gaps in agricultural areas. An amendment by House Digital Commerce Subcommittee Chairman Bob Latta, R-Ohio, and Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, would add to the task force experts on broadband network data, geospatial analysis and coverage mapping. HR-5709 would increase fines for illegal pirate operations from $10,000 per violation to $100,000 per day per violation, up to a maximum of $2 million. An amendment from House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., would require the FCC to conduct annual “enforcement sweeps” and give the agency more authority to penalize violators. It also would direct the creation of a “Pirate Radio Broadcasting Database” listing licensed stations and known pirate radio outlets. HR-6302 would direct a Department of Commerce study on IoT.

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A Thursday House Commerce Committee markup is scheduled to include votes on five tech and telecom bills, including the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act (HR-5709) and the State of Modern Application, Research and Trends of IoT Act (HR-6032). The other bills up for markup are: the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act (HR-2345), the Advancing Critical Connectivity Expands Service, Small Business Resources, Opportunities, Access and Data Based on Assessed Need and Demand Act (HR-3994) and the Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act (HR-4881). The markup will begin at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn, the committee said Tuesday. The House Communications Subcommittee and House Digital Commerce Subcommittee advanced the five bills last month (see 1806130047 and 1806130058). HR-2345 and Senate-passed companion S-1015 would direct the FCC to work to designate a new national three-digit dialing code in the style of 911 for a mental health crisis and suicide prevention hotline. HR-3994 would establish the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth within NTIA. HR-4881 and Senate companion S-2343 would establish a task force to identify internet connectivity gaps in agricultural areas. HR-5709 would increase fines for illegal pirate operations from $10,000 per violation to $100,000 per day per violation, up to a maximum of $2 million. HR-6302 would direct a Department of Commerce study on IoT.

FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly sought to clarify Guam’s diverting of state 911 fee revenue for unrelated purposes, in a Friday letter to Mikel Schwab, DOJ civil chief for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. O’Rielly asked Guam twice for information after the territory didn’t respond to FCC staff for the agency’s latest report on 911 fee diversion (see 1806200052), then last month faced a flurry of conflicting takes from Guam representatives about scope, legality and impact of fee shifts there. Gov. Eddie Calvo (R) wrote June 21 to O’Rielly, saying that a September bill authorized such tactics, though a previous law set up a 911 fund from which money couldn’t be transferred. The actions complied with federal and local laws and didn’t disrupt emergency response, Calvo said. Guam’s acting fire chief confirmed the territory diverted $448,799 in 2016, failing to tell the FCC due to “internal personnel assignments.” Also June 22, Guam Legislature Speaker Benjamin Cruz (D) wrote O’Rielly to clarify “false” statements by Calvo that the territory’s diversion was legal. The legislator said the law authorizing diversion allowed it only from FY 2018, not retroactively, so it wouldn’t cover the 2016 shifting. Later that day, in another letter to O’Rielly, Calvo called Cruz’s letter a “political ploy” and restated that Guam is complying with federal E-911 policy. O’Rielly attached the letters to his asking Schwab to clarify if Guam appropriately allocated the 911 funds. “Regardless of whether Guam can divert 9-1-1 funds, there is no question as to whether it should divert such funds,” O’Rielly wrote. “I am not interested in engaging in local politics in Guam or anywhere else. What I am interested in is ending the disgraceful practice of 9-1-1 fee diversion throughout the country.”

Supreme Court prospect Brett Kavanaugh has made a mark in communications law in 12 years as a U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit judge. In a dissent from a ruling affirming the FCC's 2015 net neutrality order, he argued the regulation lacked clear congressional authorization and violated the First Amendment. The agency shouldn't get Chevron deference on "major" rules and broadband ISP speech rights can't be restricted absent a market power showing, he wrote. He has also found programming rules violate cable operator speech rights, upheld partial telco forbearance relief decisions and ruled on many other FCC orders, giving him far more telecom and media legal experience than any other contender to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy (see 1806280018).

The Virginia Corporation Commission adopted revised E-911 rules, including new outage requirements for carriers, effective Aug. 1. If the carrier has an outage, it must provide priority restoration to a public safety answering point, the commission said in rules adopted Friday. Also, a carrier would have to give state commission staff disaster information reporting system data and 911 reports required by the FCC, plus, upon request, additional information not included in those reports, the agency said.

The FCC Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council approved working group reports on the "Transition Path to NG911" (here) and "Re-imagining of Emergency Alerting" (here) at a meeting Friday. Working Group 1's next-generation transition report includes analysis and recommendations of best practices for enhancing the migration from legacy 911 systems, said Budge Currier, branch manager of the California Governor Office of Emergency Services, presenting highlights. He said the report also deals with cybersecurity issues. "Read the report -- there's a lot of good information in there," he said. Working Group 1 received FCC approval to continue to review best practices and identify gaps that could be filled, with a target of reporting back by December, and no later than spring 2019, he said. Dorothy Spears-Dean, public safety communications coordinator of the Virginia Information Technology Agency, said the group is developing a report on the small carrier NG-911 transition for the Sept. 28 CSRIC meeting. Working Group 2's report made a series of recommendations for emergency alerting mechanisms, including on technical enhancements, improved geographic targeting to devices, and improving alert usefulness for people with hearing or vision disabilities, said Farrokh Khatibi, Qualcomm director-engineering, showing highlights. "It's really important we take care of everyone." Drew Morin, T-Mobile director-federal cyber security technology and engineering programs, presented an update on Working Group 3's efforts to deliver in September best practices and recommendations to secure wireless 5G networks.

The National Emergency Number Association said the FCC should address misrouting of 911 calls to public safety answering points. “Occurrence of 9-1-1 ‘misroutes’ is significant enough to merit action,” NENA said. Most industry players with replies in docket 18-64 urged caution and suggested the FCC wait for an industry-supported solution to emerge. In March, the agency released a notice of inquiry on ways to ensure wireless 911 calls are routed directly to the appropriate call center (see 1803230023). Initial comments were posted in May (see 1805080040).