Senator Markey and Rep Doyle Urge Chairman Pai to Reject Line Item Charges for Telecommunications Relay Services on Customer Bills

Sen Ed Markey (D-MA) and House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle (D-PA) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai urging the FCC to deny a petition by the ITTA-Voice of America’s Broadband Providers that would permit carriers to display Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund contributions on customer bills. TRS ensures persons with hearing or speech disabilities are able to use necessary telephone services at no additional cost to an individual consumer. “To specifically identify the cost of any [Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)] 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,” write Sen Markey and Chairman Doyle. “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.”