The Regulatory Mix, TMI’s daily blog of regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court, issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of a TMI Regulatory Bulletin.
TELECOM
US Congress
On November 26, 2014, the E-LABEL Act was signed into law. The law allows phones and other electronic devices to display required FCC equipment authorization information on their screens instead of on a physical label. (E-LABEL stands for Enhance Labeling, Accessing, and Branding of Electronic Licenses.) The legislation requires the FCC to adopt implementing rules within nine months. S 2583 passed the Senate on September 18, 2014; HR 5161 passed the House of Representatives on September 11, 2014. The two bills are identical.
FCC
The FCC has asked for comment on an Emergency Petition for Declaratory Ruling that state laws and regulations that impose 911 fees on Lifeline customers who receive no-charge, federally-funded wireless Lifeline service violate federal law. Filed by TracFone Wireless, Inc. the petition asks the FCC to preempt enforcement of state laws which contain such requirements. Comments are due December 8, 2014; reply comments are due December 23, 2014.
