Hearing Aid Compatibility
Status Report and Section 20.19, Hearing-Aid Compatible Mobile
Handsets (Hearing Aid Compatibility Act)
Revision of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
08/04/2021
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
06/30/2022
934
934
13,049
13,049
0
0
The Federal Communications Commission
(Commission) is submitting this request to obtain the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) approval of a revised information
collection contained at 47 CFR § 20.19(f), (h)(1), and (i). This
modified information collection reflects changes made by the
Commission in its recently adopted Report and Order in WT Docket
No. 20-3, FCC 21-28 (2021 Report and Order) that addressed the
Commission’s wireless hearing aid compatibility requirements. The
Commission’s wireless hearing aid compatibility provisions require,
among other things, that handset manufacturers and service
providers make available to the public a minimum number of hearing
aid-compatible wireless handsets that meet industry agreed upon
technical standards. The Commission originally adopted wireless
hearing aid compatibility requirements in a 2003 Report and Order
in WT Docket 01-309, FCC 03-168. The 2003 Report and Order modified
the exemption for telephones used with public mobile services from
the requirements of the Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988.
Besides requiring that handset manufacturers and service providers
offer a minimum number of hearing aid-compatible handsets that meet
agreed upon technical standards, the Commission’s hearing aid
compatibility rules include consumer outreach, product labeling and
disclosure, record retention, reporting, and website posting
requirements. These provisions allow the Commission to verify
compliance with the Commission’s rules and to monitor the status of
hearing aid-compatible handset deployment in the marketplace, as
well as to ensure that consumers have the information that they
need to make informed purchasing decisions.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.