[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 186 (Monday, September 26, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66020-66021]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23049]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[DA 16-1011]


Federal Advisory Committee Act; Disability Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC 
or Commission) announces its intent to renew a Federal Advisory 
Committee, known as the ``Disability Advisory Committee'' (hereinafter 
``the Committee''), and to solicit nominations for membership to the 
next term of this Committee in accordance with the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act.

DATES: Applications are due as soon as possible, but no later than 
October 14, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elaine Gardner, Designated Federal 
Officer, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, (202) 418-0581 
(voice or relay), or the ASL Consumer Support Line: 1-844-432-2275 via 
videophone; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Applications and nominations for membership, 
including a statement of qualifications as noted below, should be 
submitted by email to the Federal Communications Commission at 
[email protected]. Applications will be acknowledged shortly after receipt 
via email. No specific application form is required; however 
applications from consumer organizations, corporations, nonprofits, or 
other entities (hereinafter ``organizational applicants'') should 
include the following information:
     The name of the organizational applicant applying for 
Committee membership (including whether the organizational applicant 
has previously served on the Committee);
     The name of the organizational applicant's primary 
representative, including title, postal mailing address, email address, 
and telephone number;
     The name of the organizational applicant's alternate 
representative, if any, including title, postal mailing address, email 
address, and telephone number;
     A statement noting the constituency represented by the 
organizational applicant (e.g., persons with disabilities, government, 
industry, etc.);
     The areas of communications accessibility in which the 
applicant has an interest, as well as the applicant's knowledge of and 
expertise in these areas and on other issues to be addressed by the 
Committee;
     A statement indicating the willingness of the 
organizational applicant to serve a two-year term; attend at least 
three plenary Committee meetings per year in Washington DC; serve on at 
least one working group or subcommittee; and an acknowledgement that 
the organizational applicant will serve without reimbursement of travel 
expenses or payment of honoraria, or a statement indicating that 
partial reimbursement of travel expenses will be sought; and
     A narrative statement detailing the organizational 
applicant's previous involvement concerning issues relevant to the 
Committee's work and the applicant's ability and willingness to 
contribute substantively to the Committee's deliberations.
    In the case of an individual applicant the application should 
include the following:
     The areas of communications accessibility in which the 
applicant has an interest, as well as the applicant's knowledge of and 
expertise in these areas and on other issues to be addressed by the 
Committee;
     A statement that the individual applicant is not a 
registered lobbyist (as noted above, financial and other additional 
disclosures may also apply to individual applicants);
     A statement by the individual applicant indicating a 
willingness to serve on the Committee for a two-year term; a commitment 
to attend three (3) plenary one-day meetings per year in Washington, 
DC; a commitment to work on at least one working group or subcommittee; 
and an acknowledgement that the individual applicant will serve without 
reimbursement of travel expenses or payment of honoraria, or a 
statement indicating that partial reimbursement of travel expenses will 
be sought; and
     A statement as to whether the individual applicant has 
served on the Committee previously.
    All members will have an initial and continuing obligation to 
disclose any interests in, or connections to, persons or entities that 
are, or will be, regulated by or have interests before the Commission. 
Please note this Notice is not intended to be the exclusive method by 
which the Commission will solicit nominations of and expressions of 
interest from qualified candidates. All candidates for membership on 
the Committee will, however, be subject to the same evaluation 
criteria.

[[Page 66021]]

    After the applications have been reviewed, the Commission will 
publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing the appointment of 
the Committee members and the first meeting date of the Committee. All 
applicants will be notified via email or U.S. mail concerning the 
disposition of their applications. The Commission anticipates that 
appointments or re-appointments to the Committee will be commensurate 
with the renewal date of the Committee (December 30, 2016), and that 
the first meeting of the renewed Committee will occur in early 2017.
    To request materials in accessible formats for people with 
disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), 
send an email to [email protected] or call the Consumer and Governmental 
Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), or call ASL Consumer Support 
Line at (844) 432-2275 via videophone.

Synopsis

    1. On December 29, 2014, the Committee was established for a period 
of two years from the original charter date. The Commission anticipates 
that the Committee will hold the final meeting of its current term on 
December 6, 2016. Thereafter the Committee's charter and all member 
appointments will terminate on December 29, 2016. The Commission 
anticipates that the Committee's charter will be renewed for another 
two-year term. The Committee will operate in accordance with the 
provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2 
(1988). Each meeting of the Committee will be open to the public. A 
notice of each meeting will be published in the Federal Register at 
least fifteen days in advance of the meeting. Records will be 
maintained of each meeting and made available for public inspection. 
More information about the Committee's recommendations and 
subcommittees may be found at its Web site: https://www.fcc.gov/general/disability-advisory-committee.
    2. The Committee, which was created under the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act, provides a vehicle for consumers and other stakeholders 
to provide feedback and recommendations to the Commission on a wide 
array of disability issues within the FCC's jurisdiction. In addition 
to keeping the Commission apprised of current and evolving 
communications accessibility issues for persons with disabilities, 
recommendations from the Committee have enabled the FCC to build on its 
record of ensuring access to communications and video programming for 
people with disabilities. Some of the issues the Committee has 
addressed, and will continue to address, include telecommunications 
relay services, closed captioning, video description, access to 
emergency information on television and telephone emergency services, 
device accessibility, IP and other technology transitions, and the 
National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program. When renewed, the 
Committee will also address new accessibility issues that arise.
    3. The Commission seeks applications from interested consumer 
organizations, industry and trade associations, corporations, 
governmental entities, and individuals that wish to be considered for 
membership on the Committee. Selections will be made on the basis of 
factors such as expertise and diversity of viewpoints that are 
necessary to effectively address the questions before the Committee. 
The Commission will determine the appropriate Committee size necessary 
to effectively accomplish the Committee's work. The Commission expects 
that on an annual basis the Committee will meet in Washington, DC for a 
minimum of three one-day meetings, all of which will be fully 
accessible to individuals with disabilities. In addition, working 
groups or subcommittees will be established as needed to facilitate the 
Committee's work between meetings of the full Committee. Working group 
and subcommittee deliberations will be conducted primarily through 
email and teleconference/videoconference meetings.
    4. Members must be willing to commit to a two-year term of service, 
should be willing and able to attend three one-day meetings per year in 
Washington, DC, and will also be expected to participate in 
deliberations of at least one working group or subcommittee. The time 
commitment to each working group or subcommittee may be substantial. 
The Commission does not provide payment or honoraria to members, and 
generally does not reimburse members for travel expenses, although it 
may have very limited funds to partially reimburse travel expenses of 
members who demonstrate need.
    5. Some applicants possessing expertise or perspectives of interest 
to the Committee, and who will serve on the Committee in an individual 
capacity (and not as the representative of a corporation, nonprofit, or 
other entity), are deemed to be Special Government Employees (SGEs). 
Such individuals are ineligible to serve if they are federally 
registered lobbyists. In addition, although all individuals serving on 
the Committee or its working groups, whether representatives or SGEs, 
can have personal or financial interests in their individual capacities 
that could create a conflict with the work of the Disability Advisory 
Committee if not properly addressed in consultation with the 
Commission's Office of General Counsel, SGEs specifically are subject 
to a variety of restrictions under the conflict of interest statutes, 
18 U.S.C. 203 et seq., and the Standards of Ethical Conduct for 
Employees of the Executive Branch, 5 CFR 2635. While not subject to 
those ethics restrictions to the same extent as more typical government 
employees because there are exceptions and waiver provisions available 
only to SGEs, SGEs do have to file confidential employee financial 
disclosure forms prior to beginning their service and annually 
thereafter. SGEs will also be subject to ethics restrictions in section 
4(b) of the Communications Act, 47 U.S.C. 154(b), and in the 
Commission's rules, 47 CFR 19, 5 CFR 3901 and 3902.

Federal Communications Commission.
Karen Peltz Strauss,
Deputy Chief, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2016-23049 Filed 9-23-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P