I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4858 
To update the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act 
of 2010. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 25, 2023 
Ms. ESHOO (for herself, Ms. NORTON, and Mr. CARSON) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To update the 21st Century Communications and Video 
Accessibility Act of 2010. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility 
Act of 2023’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
TITLE I—CLOSED CAPTIONING AND AUDIO DESCRIPTION 
Sec. 101. Definitions. 
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Sec. 102. Closed captioning. 
Sec. 103. Audio description. 
Sec. 104. Technical and conforming amendments relating to economic burden. 
Sec. 105. American Sign Language video programming. 
Sec. 106. Internet protocol closed captioning and audio description advisory 
committee. 
TITLE II—VIDEO PLAYBACK APPARATUSES 
Sec. 201. Video playback apparatuses. 
TITLE III—COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES 
Sec. 301. Video conferencing. 
Sec. 302. Relay services. 
Sec. 303. National DeafBlind equipment distribution program. 
Sec. 304. Advanced Communications Services Advisory Committee. 
Sec. 305. Real-time text. 
Sec. 306. Advanced communications services software. 
TITLE IV—EMERGING TECHNOLOGY 
Sec. 401. Emerging technology. 
TITLE V—ENFORCEMENT AND REPORTING 
Sec. 501. Accessibility enforcement. 
Sec. 502. Reports to Congress. 
TITLE I—CLOSED CAPTIONING 
AND AUDIO DESCRIPTION 
SEC. 101. DEFINITIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 713(h) of the Commu-
nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 613(h)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘VIDEO DE-
SCRIPTION’’ and inserting ‘‘AUDIO
DESCRIP-
TION’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘video description’’ and in-
serting ‘‘audio description’’; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (2) as para-
graph (6); 
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(3) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) LIVE PROGRAMMING.—The term ‘live pro-
gramming’ means video programming published or 
exhibited or made available substantially simulta-
neously with its performance. 
‘‘(3) NEAR-LIVE
PROGRAMMING.—The term 
‘near-live programming’ means video programming 
that is not live programming and is published or ex-
hibited or made available not more than 12 hours 
after its performance and recording. 
‘‘(4) PRERECORDED PROGRAMMING.—The term 
‘prerecorded programming’ means video program-
ming that is not live programming or near-live pro-
gramming. 
‘‘(5) 
USER-GENERATED
VIDEO.—The 
term 
‘user-generated video’ means video programming 
that is— 
‘‘(A) made available via a service using 
Internet protocol or any successor protocol; 
‘‘(B) created and added to the service by 
a user of the service; and 
‘‘(C) not the subject of a contractual ar-
rangement between the user and the service 
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vided by a television broadcast station; 
and 
‘‘(B) does not include user-generated video 
unless the user-generated video is generated by 
an entity that also generates video program-
ming that is— 
‘‘(i) not user-generated video in the 
ordinary course of its business; or 
‘‘(ii) generated by an entity that earns 
more than $1,000,000 in annual revenue 
resulting from user-generated videos.’’. 
(b) DEFINITION OF ‘‘ACHIEVABLE’’.—Section 716(g) 
of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 617(g)) 
is amended, in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
striking ‘‘section 718’’ and inserting ‘‘sections 713, 716A, 
and 718’’. 
(c) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) REPEAL
OF
DEFINITION
OF ‘‘CONSUMER 
GENERATED MEDIA’’.—Section 3 of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153) is amended— 
(A) by striking paragraph (14); and 
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (15) 
through (59) as paragraphs (14) through (58), 
respectively. 
(2) OTHER AMENDMENTS.— 
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(A) Section 271(c)(1)(A) of the Commu-
nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 271(c)(1)(A)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘section 3(47)(A)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘subparagraph (A) of the paragraph 
defining that term in section 3’’. 
(B) Section 203(a) of the Rural Elec-
trification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 924(a)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘section 3(o)’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘section 3’’. 
(C) Section 248 of the Television Broad-
casting to Cuba Act (22 U.S.C. 1465ff) is 
amended by striking ‘‘section 3(c)’’ each place 
the term appears and inserting ‘‘section 3’’. 
(d) MODERNIZING TITLE
OF HEAD
OF COMMIS-
SION.—The Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 
et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in section 4 (47 U.S.C. 154)— 
(A) in subsection (a)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ after ‘‘(a)’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘chairman’’ and in-
serting ‘‘Chair’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) Any reference in any law, regulation, docu-
ment, paper, or other record of the United States to 
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the chairman or the Chairman of the Commission 
shall be deemed to be a reference to the Chair of the 
Commission.’’; 
(B) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘Chair-
man’’ each place the term appears and insert-
ing ‘‘Chair’’; 
(C) in subsection (f)(2), by striking ‘‘chair-
man’’ each place the term appears and insert-
ing ‘‘Chair’’; and 
(D) in subsection (g)(1), by striking 
‘‘chairman’’ and inserting ‘‘Chair’’; 
(2) in section 5 (47 U.S.C. 155)— 
(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘chair-
man’’ each place the term appears and insert-
ing ‘‘Chair’’; and 
(B) in subsection (e), by striking ‘‘Chair-
man’’ each place the term appears and insert-
ing ‘‘Chair’’; 
(3) in section 13(c) (47 U.S.C. 163(c)), by 
striking ‘‘Chairman’’ and inserting ‘‘Chair’’; 
(4) in section 309(j)(8)(G)(iv) (47 U.S.C. 
309(j)(8)(G)(iv)), by striking ‘‘Chairman’’ and in-
serting ‘‘Chair’’; 
(5) in section 344 (47 U.S.C. 344)— 
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(A) in subsection (b)(1), by striking 
‘‘Chairman’’ and inserting ‘‘Chair’’; and 
(B) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘Chair-
man’’ each place the term appears and insert-
ing ‘‘Chair’’; and 
(6) in section 410(c) (47 U.S.C. 410(c)), by 
striking ‘‘Chairman of the Commission’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘Chair of the Commission’’. 
SEC. 102. CLOSED CAPTIONING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 713 of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 613) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsections (d) through (h) 
as subsections (e) through (i), respectively; 
(2) in subsection (c), by striking paragraphs (2) 
and (3) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(2) DEADLINES
FOR
PROGRAMMING
MADE 
AVAILABLE USING INTERNET PROTOCOL.— 
‘‘(A) REGULATIONS
ON
CLOSED
CAP-
TIONING ON VIDEO PROGRAMMING MADE AVAIL-
ABLE
USING
INTERNET
PROTOCOL
OR
SUC-
CESSOR PROTOCOL.—Not later than 18 months 
after the date of submission of the report to the 
Commission required under section 106(f)(1) of 
the Communications, Video, and Technology 
Accessibility Act of 2023, the Commission shall 
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revise its regulations to require the provision, 
receipt, and display of closed captioning on 
video programming made available using Inter-
net protocol or any successor protocol published 
or exhibited after the effective date of the re-
vised regulations. 
‘‘(B) SCHEDULE.—The regulations revised 
under this paragraph shall include an appro-
priate schedule of deadlines, the latest of which 
shall be not later than 6 years after the date of 
submission of the report to the Commission re-
quired under section 106(f)(1) of the Commu-
nications, Video, and Technology Accessibility 
Act of 2023, for the provision, receipt, and dis-
play of closed captioning on video programming 
made available using Internet protocol or any 
successor protocol, taking into account whether 
the programming— 
‘‘(i) is prerecorded, live, or near-live; 
‘‘(ii) has been made available to view-
ers before the effective date of the revised 
regulations; and 
‘‘(iii) was live or near-live at the time 
it was initially made available. 
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‘‘(C) 
REQUIREMENTS
FOR
REGULA-
TIONS.—The regulations revised under this 
paragraph— 
‘‘(i) shall— 
‘‘(I) ensure that English-lan-
guage and Spanish-language video 
programming first published or exhib-
ited after the effective date of the re-
vised regulations is fully accessible 
through the provision of closed cap-
tions in the original language of the 
audio track of the programming; 
‘‘(II) define categories of entities 
engaged in making available video 
programming; and 
‘‘(III) apportion the responsibil-
ities for the provision, quality, pass- 
through, and rendering of closed cap-
tions among the entities defined by 
the 
Commission 
under 
subclause 
(II)— 
‘‘(aa) to ensure full access 
by viewers via all entities and 
combinations 
of 
entities 
that 
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make video programming avail-
able to viewers; 
‘‘(bb) to ensure that the reg-
ulations can be enforced effec-
tively against responsible parties; 
and 
‘‘(cc) to ensure that closed 
caption data remains with the 
video programming to which the 
data is added and is distributed 
in common formats so that closed 
captions can be exhibited intact 
by all other entities that subse-
quently make the programming 
available to viewers; 
‘‘(ii) shall require that an entity en-
gaged in making available user-generated 
video, whether or not the entity is also en-
gaged in making available video that is not 
user-generated video, provide easy-to-use 
authoring tools that— 
‘‘(I) permit users who post videos 
on the entity’s platform to add closed 
captions; and 
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‘‘(II) conspicuously prompt users 
who post videos on the entity’s plat-
form to use the tools; 
‘‘(iii) shall not distinguish between 
full-length programming and video clips; 
and 
‘‘(iv) for the purposes of determining 
closed captioning obligations under this 
section and assessing compliance with the 
regulations of the Commission governing 
the quality of closed captioning under 
paragraphs (j), (k), and (m) of section 
79.1 of title 47, Code of Federal Regula-
tions, or any successor regulation gov-
erning closed captioning quality, treat any 
programming that was live programming 
or near-live programming at the time that 
it was initially made available to viewers as 
prerecorded programming if it is again 
made available to viewers more than 24 
hours after its initial availability.’’; 
(3) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(d) CAPTION QUALITY UPDATES.— 
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‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 4 years 
after the date of enactment of the Communications, 
Video, and Technology Accessibility Act of 2023, the 
Commission shall revise its regulations to extend the 
requirements for the quality of closed captions under 
paragraphs (j), (k), and (m) of section 79.1 of title 
47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor 
regulation, to all programming made available via 
Internet protocol or any successor protocol. 
‘‘(2) REGULAR
UPDATES.—Not later than 4 
years after the date of enactment of the Commu-
nications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act of 
2023, and every 4 years thereafter, the Commission 
shall— 
‘‘(A) update its regulations pertaining to 
the quality of closed captions as necessary to 
reflect technological and methodological ad-
vances, to the extent deployment of such ad-
vances will improve the quality of closed cap-
tions; and 
‘‘(B) take any action, including enforce-
ment, necessary to ensure compliance with its 
regulations pertaining to the quality of closed 
captions.’’; and 
(4) in subsection (e), as so redesignated— 
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(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘subsection (b)’’ and inserting ‘‘sub-
sections (b) and (c)’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘the pro-
vider or owner of such programming’’ and in-
serting ‘‘an entity responsible for publishing, 
exhibiting, or making available such program-
ming’’; and 
(C) by striking paragraph (3) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(3) an entity responsible for publishing, exhib-
iting, or making available video programming may 
petition the Commission for an exemption from the 
requirements of subsection (b) or (c), and the Com-
mission may grant the petition upon a showing that 
the requirements would be economically burdensome. 
The Commission shall act to grant or deny any such 
petition, in whole or in part, not later than 6 months 
after the Commission receives the petition, unless 
the Commission finds that an extension of the 6- 
month period is necessary to determine whether the 
requirements are economically burdensome.’’. 
(b) ELIMINATION OF CERTAIN CATEGORICAL EX-
EMPTIONS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commis-
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sion shall reassess the second sentence of paragraph 
(a)(10) and reassess paragraph (d) of section 79.1 of title 
47, Code of Federal Regulations, to eliminate categorical 
exemptions that impede access to video programming, are 
outdated, or are no longer warranted under subsection 
(e)(1) of section 713 of the Communications Act of 1934 
(47 U.S.C. 613), as so redesignated by subsection (a) of 
this section. 
SEC. 103. AUDIO DESCRIPTION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (g) of section 713 of 
the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 613), as re-
designated by section 102, is amended— 
(1) in the heading, by striking ‘‘Video’’ and in-
serting ‘‘Audio’’; and 
(2) by striking paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(2) REVISION
TO
REINSTATED
AUDIO
DE-
SCRIPTION REGULATIONS FOR PROGRAMMING PUB-
LISHED OR EXHIBITED ON TELEVISION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 18 
months after the date of enactment of the Com-
munications, Video, and Technology Accessi-
bility Act of 2023, the Commission shall revise 
section 79.3 of title 47, Code of Federal Regu-
lations (relating to audio description of video 
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programming) in accordance with subparagraph 
(B). 
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS.—The regulations 
revised under subparagraph (A)— 
‘‘(i) shall ensure that all English-lan-
guage and Spanish-language video pro-
gramming first published or exhibited on 
television after the effective date of the re-
vised regulations is fully accessible through 
the provision of audio description in the 
original language of the audio track of the 
programming; 
‘‘(ii) shall include an appropriate 
schedule of deadlines, the latest of which 
shall be not later than 6 years after the ef-
fective date of the revised regulations, for 
the provision, receipt, and performance of 
audio described programming published or 
exhibited on television, taking into account 
whether the programming— 
‘‘(I) is prerecorded, live, or near- 
live; 
‘‘(II) has been published or ex-
hibited prior to the effective date of 
the revised regulations; and 
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as it is achievable (as defined in section 
716); 
‘‘(v) shall require any entity involved 
in the publishing or exhibiting of audio de-
scribed programming published or exhib-
ited on television to provide contact infor-
mation, consistent with sections 79.1(i) 
and 79.4(c)(2)(iii) of title 47, Code of Fed-
eral Regulations, or any successor regula-
tions, for users to report problems related 
to audio description; and 
‘‘(vi) for the purposes of determining 
audio description obligations under this 
paragraph and assessing compliance with 
regulations adopted to assess the quality of 
audio description under paragraph (4), 
shall treat any programming that was live 
or near-live programming at the time of its 
initial airing as prerecorded programming 
if it is re-exhibited by an entity more than 
36 hours after its initial airing. 
‘‘(3) AUDIO DESCRIPTION ON VIDEO PROGRAM-
MING MADE AVAILABLE VIA INTERNET PROTOCOL.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of submission of the report to the 
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Commission 
required 
under 
subsection 
106(f)(2) of the Communications, Video, and 
Technology Accessibility Act of 2023, the Com-
mission shall revise its regulations to require 
the provision, receipt, and performance of audio 
description on video programming made avail-
able using Internet protocol or any successor 
protocol published or exhibited after the effec-
tive date of the revised regulations. 
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS.—The regulations 
revised under subparagraph (A)— 
‘‘(i) shall ensure that all video pro-
gramming made available using Internet 
protocol or any successor protocol is fully 
accessible through the provision of audio 
description; 
‘‘(ii) shall include an appropriate 
schedule of deadlines, the latest of which 
shall be not later than 6 years after the ef-
fective date of the revised regulations, for 
the provision, receipt, and performance of 
audio described programming made avail-
able using Internet protocol or any suc-
cessor protocol, taking into account wheth-
er the programming— 
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‘‘(I) is prerecorded, live, or near- 
live; 
‘‘(II) has been made available to 
users prior to the effective date of the 
revised regulations; and 
‘‘(III) was live or near-live at the 
time it was initially made available; 
‘‘(iii) shall— 
‘‘(I) define categories of entities 
engaged in making available video 
programming using Internet protocol 
or any successor protocol; and 
‘‘(II) apportion the responsibil-
ities for the provision, quality, pass- 
through, and performance of audio de-
scription among the entities identified 
by the Commission under subclause 
(I)— 
‘‘(aa) to ensure full access 
by viewers; 
‘‘(bb) to ensure that the reg-
ulations can be enforced effec-
tively against responsible parties; 
and 
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‘‘(cc) to ensure that audio 
description data remains with the 
video programming to which the 
data is added and is distributed 
in common formats so that audio 
description can be exhibited in-
tact by all other entities that 
subsequently make the program-
ming available to viewers; 
‘‘(iv) shall require that an entity en-
gaged in making available user-generated 
video, whether or not the entity is also en-
gaged in making available video that is not 
user-generated video, provides easy-to-use 
authoring tools that— 
‘‘(I) permit users who post videos 
on the entity’s platform to add audio 
description; and 
‘‘(II) conspicuously prompt users 
who post videos on the entity’s plat-
form to use the tools; 
‘‘(v) shall provide that audio described 
programming made available using Inter-
net protocol or any successor protocol 
shall— 
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‘‘(I) be labeled and searchable or 
otherwise easily discoverable through 
navigation devices, apparatuses, appli-
cations, and other methods on which 
the programming is made available; 
and 
‘‘(II) include a recognizable tone 
at the beginning of the programming 
on all audio channels provided in the 
same languages as the available audio 
description streams to indicate that 
audio description is available in those 
languages; 
‘‘(vi) shall provide that audio descrip-
tion of video programming made available 
using Internet protocol or any successor 
protocol shall be provided on an audio 
track solely dedicated to audio description, 
so long as it is achievable (as defined in 
section 716); 
‘‘(vii) shall require entities engaged in 
making available audio described program-
ming using Internet protocol or any suc-
cessor protocol to provide contact informa-
tion, consistent with sections 79.1(i) and 
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79.4(c)(2)(iii) of title 47, Code of Federal 
Regulations, or any successor regulations, 
for users to report problems related to 
audio description; and 
‘‘(viii) for the purposes of determining 
audio description obligations under this 
paragraph and assessing compliance with 
regulations adopted to assess the quality of 
audio description under paragraph (4), 
shall treat any programming that was live 
or near-live programming at the time it 
was initially made available as prerecorded 
programming if it is made available by any 
entity more than 36 hours after it was ini-
tially made available. 
‘‘(4) AUDIO DESCRIPTION QUALITY.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years 
after the date of submission of the report to the 
Commission 
required 
under 
subsection 
106(f)(2) of the Communications, Video, and 
Technology Accessibility Act of 2023, the Com-
mission shall adopt regulations to ensure the 
quality of audio description on video program-
ming, including video programming published 
or exhibited on television or made available via 
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Internet protocol or any successor protocol, as 
necessary to afford access to video program-
ming that is functionally equivalent to the ac-
cess provided by the visual components of the 
programming, including, to the extent prac-
ticable, open subtitles in the same language as 
the audio or in other languages if the subtitles 
convey information relevant to the program that 
is not conveyed in the audio of the program. 
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS.—The regulations 
adopted under subparagraph (A) shall require 
that audio description— 
‘‘(i) sufficiently convey key elements 
of the visual component; 
‘‘(ii) be appropriately voiced, consid-
ering whether the use of synthetic voices is 
permissible and if so, under what cir-
cumstances; and 
‘‘(iii) be appropriately edited and en-
coded to ensure consistency with the edit-
ing and encoding of the non-description 
audio track of the programming. 
‘‘(5) AUDIO DESCRIPTION EXEMPTIONS.—Not-
withstanding paragraphs (2) and (3)— 
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‘‘(A) the Commission may exempt by regu-
lation from the requirements under paragraphs 
(2) and (3) programs, classes of programs, or 
services for which the Commission has deter-
mined that the provision of audio description 
would be economically burdensome to an entity 
responsible for publishing or exhibiting or mak-
ing available such programming; and 
‘‘(B) an entity responsible for publishing 
or exhibiting or making available video pro-
gramming may petition the Commission for an 
exemption from the requirements under para-
graphs (2) and (3), and the Commission may 
grant the exemption upon a showing that the 
requirement to include audio description would 
be economically burdensome. The Commission 
shall act to grant or deny any such petition, in 
whole or in part, not later than 6 months after 
the Commission receives the petition, unless the 
Commission finds that an extension of the 6- 
month period is necessary to determine whether 
the requirements are economically burden-
some.’’. 
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(b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
Title III of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
301 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in section 303 (47 U.S.C. 303)— 
(A) in subsection (u)— 
(i) in paragraph (1)(B)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘video descrip-
tion’’ and inserting ‘‘audio descrip-
tion’’; and 
(II) by striking ‘‘section 713(f)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘section 713(g)’’; and 
(ii) by moving the left margin of that 
subsection and each paragraph, subpara-
graph, and clause therein 2 ems to the left; 
and 
(B) in subsection (z)(1), by striking ‘‘video 
description’’ each place the term appears and 
inserting ‘‘audio description’’; and 
(2) in section 330(b) (47 U.S.C. 330(b)), by 
striking ‘‘video description’’ each place the term ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘audio description’’. 
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SEC. 104. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS RE-
LATING TO ECONOMIC BURDEN. 
Subsection (f) of section 713 of the Communications 
Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 613), as redesignated by section 
102, is amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘The term ‘undue burden’ 
means’’ and inserting ‘‘For purposes of this 
section, the term ‘economically burdensome’ 
means’’; 
(B) by inserting ‘‘or audio description’’ 
after ‘‘closed captions’’; 
(C) by striking ‘‘this paragraph’’ and in-
serting ‘‘subsections (e) and (g)(5)’’; and 
(D) by striking ‘‘result in an undue eco-
nomic burden’’ and inserting ‘‘be economically 
burdensome’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘or audio de-
scription’’ after ‘‘closed captions’’. 
SEC. 105. AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE VIDEO PROGRAM-
MING. 
Section 713 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 613) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsections (i) (as redesig-
nated by section 102) and (j) as subsections (j) and 
(k), respectively; and 
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(2) by inserting before subsection (j), as so re-
designated, the following: 
‘‘(i) AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION 
OF VIDEO PROGRAMMING.—Not later than 2 years after 
the date of submission of the report to the Commission 
required under section 106(f)(3) of the Communications, 
Video, and Technology Accessibility Act of 2023, the Com-
mission shall prescribe regulations to— 
‘‘(1) establish uniform standards for the display 
and visibility of American Sign Language interpreta-
tion where it is provided for video programming, in-
cluding standards for ensuring that an interpreter is 
visible on the viewer’s screen during the program-
ming; and 
‘‘(2) ensure that all video programming pub-
lished or exhibited on television or made available 
via Internet protocol or any successor protocol that 
includes American Sign Language interpretation 
complies with the uniform standards established 
under paragraph (1) to the extent that compliance 
with such standards is achievable (as defined in sec-
tion 716) by each entity responsible for delivering 
the programming.’’. 
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SEC. 106. INTERNET PROTOCOL CLOSED CAPTIONING AND 
AUDIO DESCRIPTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The term ‘‘Advi-
sory Committee’’ means the Closed Captioning and 
Audio Description Advisory Committee established 
under subsection (b). 
(2) CHAIR.—The term ‘‘Chair’’ means the 
Chair of the Commission. 
(3) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Federal Communications Commission. 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 60 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Chair shall establish 
an advisory committee to be known as the ‘‘Closed Cap-
tioning and Audio Description Advisory Committee’’. 
(c) MEMBERSHIP.—As soon as practicable after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Chair shall appoint indi-
viduals who have the technical knowledge and engineering 
expertise to serve on the Advisory Committee in the fulfill-
ment of its duties, including the following: 
(1) Representatives of entities engaged in mak-
ing available video programming Internet protocol or 
any successor protocol, or a national organization or 
organization representing such entities. 
(2) Representatives of vendors, developers, and 
manufacturers of systems, facilities, equipment, and 
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capabilities for the provision of video programming, 
including programming delivered using Internet pro-
tocol or successor protocols, or a national organiza-
tion representing such vendors, developers, or manu-
facturers. 
(3) Representatives of manufacturers of con-
sumer electronics or information technology equip-
ment used in the delivery of video programming, in-
cluding programming delivered via Internet protocol 
or successor protocols, or a national organization 
representing such manufacturers. 
(4) Individuals with expertise generating user- 
generated video, or a national organization rep-
resenting such individuals. 
(5) Representatives of national organizations 
representing accessibility advocates, including people 
with disabilities and older Americans. 
(6) Representatives of service agencies engaged 
in the provision of captioning and audio description 
for video programming, including programming de-
livered via Internet protocol or successor protocols. 
(7) Academic experts or representatives of re-
search institutes with expertise on captioning and 
audio description. 
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(8) Individuals with technical and engineering 
expertise, as the Chair determines appropriate. 
(d) COMMISSION OVERSIGHT.—The Chair shall ap-
point a member of the Commission’s staff to moderate and 
direct the work of the Advisory Committee. 
(e) TECHNICAL STAFF.—The Chair shall appoint a 
member of the Commission’s technical staff to provide 
technical assistance to the Advisory Committee. 
(f) DEVELOPMENT OF RECOMMENDATIONS.— 
(1) CLOSED CAPTIONING REPORT.—Not later 
than 1 year after the date of the first meeting of the 
Advisory Committee, the Advisory Committee shall 
develop and submit to the Commission a report that 
includes the following: 
(A) A recommended schedule of deadlines 
for the provision of closed captioning on video 
programming made available via Internet pro-
tocol or any successor protocol. 
(B) Identification of the protocols, tech-
nical capabilities, and technical procedures 
needed to permit responsible entities to reliably 
provide, receive, and display closed captions of 
video programming made available via using 
Internet protocol or any successor protocol. 
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(C) Identification of additional protocols, 
technical capabilities, and technical procedures 
beyond those available as of the date of enact-
ment of this Act needed for the provision, re-
ceipt, and display of closed captions of video 
programming made available using Internet 
protocol or any successor protocol. 
(D) A recommendation for technical stand-
ards to address the protocols, capabilities, and 
procedures identified under subparagraph (B). 
(E) A recommendation for any regulations 
that may be necessary to ensure compatibility 
between video programming made available 
using Internet protocol or any successor pro-
tocol and apparatuses and navigation devices 
capable of receiving and displaying such pro-
gramming in order to facilitate access to closed 
captions. 
(F) An identification of attributes of easy- 
to-use authoring tools that can be used by view-
ers to add closed captions to video program-
ming made available using Internet protocol or 
any successor protocol. 
(G) An identification of the categories of 
entities involved in the online delivery of video 
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programming, along with a recommendation on 
how to apportion the responsibilities for the 
provision, quality, pass-through, and display of 
closed captions among those entities to ensure 
full access by viewers. 
(H) A recommendation for best practices 
for ensuring that programming that was live 
programming or near-live programming at the 
time that it was initially made available to view-
ers is subsequently made available at the level 
of quality required for prerecorded program-
ming. 
(I) A recommendation for defining metrics 
and thresholds to be used for measuring the ac-
curacy, synchronicity, completeness, and place-
ment of closed captions for live programming as 
necessary to afford access to video program-
ming that is functionally equivalent to the ac-
cess provided by the audio track, with minimum 
thresholds that are neutral to different modali-
ties for creating closed captions. 
(2) AUDIO
DESCRIPTION
REPORT.—Not later 
than 1 year after the date of the first meeting of the 
Advisory Committee, the Advisory Committee shall 
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develop and submit to the Commission a report that 
includes the following: 
(A) A recommended schedule of deadlines 
for the provision of audio description on video 
programming made available using Internet 
protocol or any successor protocol. 
(B) Identification of the protocols, tech-
nical capabilities, and technical procedures 
needed to permit responsible entities to reliably 
provide, receive, and perform audio description 
of video programming made available via Inter-
net protocol or any successor protocol. 
(C) Identification of additional protocols, 
technical capabilities, and technical procedures 
beyond those available as of the date of enact-
ment of this Act needed for the delivery of 
audio description of video programming. 
(D) A recommendation for technical stand-
ards to address the protocols, capabilities, and 
procedures identified under subparagraph (B). 
(E) A recommendation for any regulations 
that may be necessary to ensure compatibility 
between video programming made available 
using Internet protocol or any successor pro-
tocol and apparatuses and navigation devices 
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capable of receiving and displaying such pro-
gramming in order to facilitate access to audio 
description. 
(F) A recommendation for standards, pro-
tocols, and procedures to ensure that audio de-
scribed video programming is labeled and 
searchable or otherwise easily discoverable 
through navigation devices, apparatuses, appli-
cations, and other methods on which such pro-
gramming is published or exhibited or made 
available. 
(G) A recommendation for the achievability 
of making audio description available on a dedi-
cated audio channel. 
(H) An identification of the categories of 
entities engaged in the online delivery of video 
programming, along with a recommendation on 
how to apportion the responsibilities for the 
provision, quality, pass-through, and perform-
ance of audio description among those entities 
to ensure full access by viewers. 
(I) A recommendation for defining metrics 
to be used for measuring the quality of audio 
description as necessary to afford access to 
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video programming that is functionally equiva-
lent to the access provided visually. 
(J) An identification of easy-to-use author-
ing tools that can be used by viewers to add 
audio description to video programming made 
available via Internet protocol or any successor 
protocol. 
(3) AMERICAN
SIGN
LANGUAGE
VIDEO
PRO-
GRAMMING REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the first meeting of the Advisory Com-
mittee, the Advisory Committee shall develop and 
submit to the Commission a report that includes a 
recommendation for standards for the display and 
visibility of American Sign Language interpretation 
where it is provided for video programming, includ-
ing standards for ensuring that an interpreter is 
visible on a viewer’s screen during the programming. 
(4) CONSIDERATION OF WORK BY STANDARDS- 
SETTING ORGANIZATIONS.—The recommendations of 
the Advisory Committee shall, insofar as possible, in-
corporate standards, protocols, and procedures that 
have been adopted by recognized industry standards- 
setting organizations for each of the purposes de-
scribed in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3). 
(g) MEETINGS.— 
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(1) INITIAL MEETING.—The initial meeting of 
the Advisory Committee shall take place not later 
than 45 days after the date on which the Chair has 
appointed all the members of the Advisory Com-
mittee under subsection (c). 
(2) OTHER MEETINGS.—After the initial meet-
ing, the Advisory Committee shall meet at the call 
of the Chair. 
(3) NOTICE; OPEN
MEETINGS.—Any meeting 
held by the Advisory Committee— 
(A) shall be noticed not later than 14 days 
before the meeting; and 
(B) shall be open to the public. 
(h) PROCEDURAL RULES.— 
(1) QUORUM.—The presence of one-third of the 
members of the Advisory Committee shall constitute 
a quorum for conducting the business of the Advi-
sory Committee. 
(2) SUBCOMMITTEES.—To assist the Advisory 
Committee in carrying out its functions, the Chair 
may establish appropriate subcommittees composed 
of members of the Advisory Committee and other 
subject matter experts. 
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(3) ADDITIONAL
PROCEDURAL
RULES.—The 
Advisory Committee may adopt other procedural 
rules as needed. 
(i) INAPPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COM-
MITTEE ACT.—Chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code, 
shall not apply with respect to the Advisory Committee 
or the activities of the Advisory Committee. 
TITLE II—VIDEO PLAYBACK 
APPARATUSES 
SEC. 201. VIDEO PLAYBACK APPARATUSES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 303 of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 303) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (u)— 
(A) by adjusting the margins two ems to 
the left; 
(B) in paragraph (1)(C), by striking ‘‘vis-
ually impaired’’ and inserting ‘‘low vision’’; 
(C) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) by striking subparagraph (A); and 
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs 
(B) and (C) as subparagraphs (A) and 
(B), respectively; 
(2) in subsection (z)— 
(A) by adjusting the margins two ems to 
the left; 
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(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘video 
description’’ each place it appears and inserting 
‘‘audio description’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘available to’’ and in-
serting the following: ‘‘available— 
‘‘(A) to’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (A), as so des-
ignated— 
(I) by striking ‘‘or render’’; and 
(II) by striking ‘‘audible.’’ and 
inserting 
the 
following: 
‘‘audible, 
which— 
‘‘(i) shall require encoding closed cap-
tions and audio description data along with 
audio and video transmission in a format 
that can be adjusted and rendered by the 
consumer equipment consistent with the 
requirements of subsection (cc); and 
‘‘(ii) does not include merely ren-
dering closed captions or audio description 
into visual or aural forms on the source de-
vice; and’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
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‘‘(B) to enable the activation of closed cap-
tions, audio description, and emergency infor-
mation on the consumer equipment.’’; and 
(3) by striking subsections (aa) and (bb) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(aa) Require for all digital apparatus designed to 
receive or play back video programming made available si-
multaneously with sound, including apparatus designed to 
receive or display video programming made available using 
Internet protocol or any successor protocol, and navigation 
devices (as defined in section 76.1200 of title 47, Code 
of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation) for 
the display or selection of multichannel video program-
ming manufactured or imported into the United States, 
that each apparatus or device— 
‘‘(1) be designed, developed, and fabricated so 
that control of appropriate built-in apparatus func-
tions are accessible to and usable by individuals with 
disabilities, including individuals who are blind or 
low-vision, individuals with mobility disabilities, and 
individuals with speech disabilities, except that the 
Commission may not specify the technical standards, 
protocols, procedures, and other technical require-
ments for meeting this requirement; 
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‘‘(2) if equipped with built-in on-screen text 
menus or other visual indicators that are used to ac-
cess its functions, to accompany such functions with 
audio output that is either integrated or peripheral 
to the apparatus or navigation device, so that such 
menus or indicators are accessible to and usable by 
individuals who are blind or low-vision in real-time; 
‘‘(3) provides easy access to closed captioning 
activation by— 
‘‘(A) if the apparatus or device is con-
trolled by a physical remote control included 
with the apparatus or device at the time of pur-
chase, providing a dedicated and tactilely identi-
fiable button of at least similar size to other 
buttons on the remote control that is— 
‘‘(i) clearly labeled for closed captions; 
and 
‘‘(ii) easily locatable on the remote 
control to activate and deactivate closed 
captions; and 
‘‘(B) if the apparatus or device is con-
trolled by means other than a remote control, 
providing a dedicated button, key, or icon that 
is prominently displayed, clearly labeled for 
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closed captions, and easily locatable to activate 
and deactivate closed captions; 
‘‘(4) provides easy access to audio description 
activation by— 
‘‘(A) if the apparatus or device is con-
trolled by a physical remote control included 
with the apparatus or device at the time of pur-
chase, providing a dedicated and tactilely identi-
fiable button of at least similar size to other 
buttons on the remote control that is— 
‘‘(i) clearly labeled for audio descrip-
tion; and 
‘‘(ii) easily locatable on the remote 
control to activate and deactivate audio de-
scription; and 
‘‘(B) if the apparatus or device is con-
trolled by means other than a remote control, 
providing a dedicated button, key, or icon that 
is prominently displayed, clearly labeled for 
audio description, and easily locatable to acti-
vate and deactivate audio description; 
‘‘(5) provides easy access to closed captioning 
display settings, including the technical capabilities 
set forth in section 79.103(c) of title 47, Code of 
Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation, 
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and audio description performance settings, includ-
ing the capability to adjust the relative volumes of 
audio description and the audio track of a program, 
by— 
‘‘(A) if the apparatus or device is con-
trolled by a physical remote control included 
with the apparatus or device at the time of pur-
chase, providing a dedicated and tactilely identi-
fiable button that is prominently displayed, 
clearly labeled for accessibility settings, and 
easily locatable on the remote control— 
‘‘(i) to permit the user to change 
closed captioning and audio description 
settings; 
‘‘(ii) that permits previewing the set-
tings while leaving the underlying pro-
gramming visible and audible; and 
‘‘(iii) that is of at least similar size to 
other buttons on the remote control; and 
‘‘(B) if the apparatus or device is con-
trolled by means other than a remote control, 
providing a dedicated button, key, or icon that 
is prominently displayed, clearly labeled for ac-
cessibility settings, and easily discoverable 
that— 
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‘‘(i) permits the user to change closed 
captioning display and audio description 
performance settings; and— 
‘‘(ii) is displayed proximately to the 
video playback interface; and 
‘‘(iii) permits previewing the settings 
while leaving the underlying programming 
visible and audible; 
‘‘(6) provides a user with a prompt to modify 
closed caption activation and display settings and 
audio description activation and performance set-
tings required under paragraphs (1) through (5) 
upon initial power-on after user purchase of the ap-
paratus or device or upon a reset to factory settings 
of the apparatus or device; 
‘‘(7) ensures that closed caption activation and 
display settings and audio description activation and 
performance settings required under paragraphs (1) 
through (6) persist across all video playback 
functionality on the apparatus or device, including in 
applications or other software or plug-ins added by 
the user after the sale of the apparatus or device, 
and after powering off or restarting the apparatus 
or device, until a user changes the settings or the 
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apparatus or device is reset to factory default set-
tings by the user; and 
‘‘(8) provides the necessary hardware and soft-
ware to achieve compatibility with assistive tech-
nologies and services, peripheral devices, or special-
ized customer premises equipment commonly used 
by individuals with disabilities to achieve access, in-
cluding refreshable braille displays, switch activation 
such as sip and puff devices, hearing aids, hands- 
free technologies, and voice control technologies.’’. 
(b) IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS.— 
(1) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term 
‘‘navigation device’’ has the meaning given the term 
in section 76.1200 of title 47, Code of Federal Reg-
ulations, or any successor regulation. 
(2) REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 18 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Federal 
Communications Commission shall prescribe such 
regulations as are necessary to implement the 
amendments made by subsection (a), which shall— 
(A) define categories of entities engaged in 
manufacturing, importing into the United 
States, maintaining, operating, or providing ap-
plications, plugins, or other software for appa-
ratus and navigation devices; and 
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(B) apportion the responsibilities for com-
pliance with subsections (u), (z), and (aa) of 
section 303 of the Communications Act of 1934 
(47 U.S.C. 303) among the entities defined by 
the Commission under paragraph (1)— 
(i) to ensure full access by viewers via 
all entities and combinations of entities re-
sponsible for digital apparatus and naviga-
tion devices; and 
(ii) to ensure that the regulations can 
be enforced effectively against responsible 
parties. 
TITLE III—COMMUNICATIONS 
SERVICES 
SEC. 301. VIDEO CONFERENCING. 
The Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et 
seq.) is amended— 
(1) in section 3 (47 U.S.C. 153), as amended 
by section 101— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(D), by striking 
‘‘interoperable’’; 
(B) by striking paragraph (26), as so re-
designated by section 101; 
(C) by redesignating paragraphs (27) 
through (58), as so redesignated by section 
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101, as paragraphs (26) through (57), respec-
tively; 
(D) by redesignating paragraph (57), as so 
redesignated by subparagraph (C), as para-
graph (60); and 
(E) by inserting after paragraph (56), as 
so redesignated by subparagraph (C), the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(57) VIDEO
CONFERENCING
SERVICE.—The 
term ‘video conferencing service’ means a service 
that provides real-time video communications, in-
cluding audio, to enable users to share information 
of the user’s choosing. 
‘‘(58) 
VISUAL
IMAGE
DESCRIPTIVE 
FUNCTIONALITY.—The term ‘visual image descrip-
tive functionality’ means functionality that generates 
real-time descriptions of visual information, includ-
ing images and text, for the purpose of conveying 
those descriptions to individuals with disabilities. 
‘‘(59) VISUAL IMAGE DESCRIPTIVE SERVICE.— 
The term ‘visual image descriptive service’ means a 
third party service that provides visual image de-
scriptive functionality.’’; and 
(2) in section 716(e) (47 U.S.C. 617(e)), by 
adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(3) REVISION OF REGULATIONS; VIDEO CON-
FERENCING SERVICES.—Not later than 18 months 
after the date on which the Advanced Communica-
tions Services Advisory Committee submits the re-
port required under section 304(f)(1) of the Commu-
nications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act of 
2023, the Commission shall revise the regulations 
promulgated under this subsection to— 
‘‘(A) require that all obligations applicable 
to advanced communications services, and 
equipment used for advanced communications 
services, extend to video conferencing services 
and equipment used for video conferencing serv-
ices; 
‘‘(B) require that all advanced communica-
tions services and equipment capable of pro-
viding or enabling video conferencing services— 
‘‘(i) have built-in closed captioning 
functionality using automatic speech rec-
ognition or similar or successor tech-
nologies; 
‘‘(ii) to the extent technically feasible, 
have built-in automated visual image 
functionality; 
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‘‘(iii) implement application program-
ming interfaces or similar technical mecha-
nisms to allow the interconnection of, and 
achieve compatibility with, assistive tech-
nologies and services, peripheral devices, 
and specialized customer premises equip-
ment commonly used by individuals with 
disabilities to achieve access, including— 
‘‘(I) third-party captioning serv-
ices; 
‘‘(II) third-party sign language 
interpreting services; 
‘‘(III) visual image descriptive 
services; 
‘‘(IV) telecommunications relay 
services that have been approved by 
the Commission under section 225; 
‘‘(V) screen-readers for all user 
interface elements and visual informa-
tion, including presentations, videos, 
and interactive documents shared dur-
ing video conference calls; 
‘‘(VI) refreshable braille displays 
and other devices used for the tactile 
conveyance of interface elements and 
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visual information, including presen-
tations, videos, and interactive docu-
ments shared during video conference 
calls; and 
‘‘(VII) hands-free technologies 
and voice control technologies. 
‘‘(iv) enable users and telecommuni-
cations relay service communications as-
sistants to control the activation and de-ac-
tivation, and customize the display, of cap-
tions, video interpreters, and communica-
tions assistants independently from hosts 
of video conferencing sessions; 
‘‘(v) provide a simplified user inter-
face that is accessible to individuals with 
cognitive disabilities, including, if achiev-
able, a simplified, secure modality for initi-
ating and authenticating a video confer-
encing session; and 
‘‘(vi) provide instructional materials 
for activating a video conferencing session 
with plain and simple language and iconog-
raphy that is accessible to individuals with 
cognitive disabilities; 
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‘‘(C) adopt quality requirements for built- 
in closed captioning functionality to facilitate 
effective communication under subparagraph 
(B)(i); and 
‘‘(D) adopt quality requirements for built- 
in 
automated 
visual 
image 
descriptive 
functionality to facilitate effective communica-
tion under subparagraph (B)(ii).’’. 
SEC. 302. RELAY SERVICES. 
The Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et 
seq.), as amended by this Act, is amended— 
(1) in section 225 (47 U.S.C. 225)— 
(A) in subsection (a)— 
(i) by redesignating paragraphs (2) 
and (3) as paragraphs (5) and (6), respec-
tively; 
(ii) by inserting after paragraph (1) 
the following: 
‘‘(2) COMMUNICATION FACILITATOR.—The term 
‘communication facilitator’ means a skilled user of 
American Sign Language who is able to facilitate 
the ability of a DeafBlind person to engage in trans-
mission and other services described in this section 
by conveying the information provided during the 
use of those services to the DeafBlind person 
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through close vision or tactile American Sign Lan-
guage. 
‘‘(3) DEAF INTERPRETER.—The term ‘Deaf in-
terpreter’ means an individual who— 
‘‘(A) is deaf or hard of hearing; 
‘‘(B) possesses native or near-native flu-
ency in American Sign Language; and 
‘‘(C) has specialized training or experience 
to assist in providing functionally equivalent 
sign language interpretation for an individual 
using American Sign Language in a situation 
that— 
‘‘(i) requires linguistic or cultural me-
diation; 
‘‘(ii) may be highly complex in nature; 
or 
‘‘(iii) may involve individuals who face 
linguistic challenges, such as through 
atypical language use, language depriva-
tion, or idiosyncratic signing styles. 
‘‘(4) DIRECT
VIDEO
CALLING
SERVICE.—The 
term ‘direct video calling service’ means telephone 
customer support using one-to-one video communica-
tion that— 
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‘‘(A) is facilitated by a contact center rep-
resentative; and 
‘‘(B) enables a real-time conversation to 
occur directly between not fewer than 2 parties 
using American Sign Language— 
‘‘(i) not less than 1 of the parties to 
which is a governmental agency, business, 
non-profit organization, emergency author-
ity, or other enterprise; and 
‘‘(ii) not less than 1 of the parties to 
which— 
‘‘(I) is deaf, hard of hearing, or 
DeafBlind; or 
‘‘(II) has a speech disability or 
auditory processing disorder.’’; and 
(iii) by striking paragraph (6), as so 
redesignated, and inserting the following: 
‘‘(6) 
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
RELAY
SERV-
ICES.—The term ‘telecommunications relay services’ 
means— 
‘‘(A) transmission services that provide the 
ability for an individual who is deaf, hard of 
hearing, or DeafBlind, or who has a speech dis-
ability or an auditory processing disorder, to 
engage in communication by wire or radio with 
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1 or more individuals, in a manner that is func-
tionally equivalent to (or, if technically feasible, 
equal to) the ability of a hearing individual who 
does not have a speech disability to commu-
nicate using voice communication services or 
advanced communications services by wire or 
radio; and 
‘‘(B) other services facilitating functionally 
equivalent communication by wire or radio for 
an individual who is deaf, hard of hearing, or 
DeafBlind, or who has a speech disability or an 
auditory processing disorder, including the pro-
vision of communication facilitators for an indi-
vidual who is DeafBlind and the provision of di-
rect video calling services for a call center to fa-
cilitate point-to-point communication in Amer-
ican Sign Language between government agen-
cies, businesses, emergency authorities, or other 
enterprises and users of American Sign Lan-
guage.’’; and 
(B) in subsection (d), by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(4) AMERICAN
SIGN
LANGUAGE
ACCESS
TO 
EMERGENCY
SERVICES; 
COMMUNICATION 
FACILITATORS; DIRECT VIDEO CALLING SERVICES.— 
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this paragraph, 
the Commission shall promulgate such regula-
tions as are necessary to— 
‘‘(i) define as eligible for relay service 
support from the fund described in section 
64.604(c)(5)(iii) of title 47, Code of Fed-
eral Regulations, as in effect on that date 
of enactment— 
‘‘(I) programs that are approved 
by the Commission to support direct 
video calling services; 
‘‘(II) programs that are approved 
by the Commission to support the 
provision 
of 
communication 
facilitators; 
‘‘(III) the expenses associated 
with the provision of a Deaf inter-
preter when necessary to provide func-
tional equivalency for a party on a call 
using video relay service, as defined in 
section 64.601(a)(51) of title 47, Code 
of Federal Regulations, or any suc-
cessor regulation; 
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‘‘(IV) programs that are de-
signed, in accordance with subpara-
graph (B), to improve access to emer-
gency authorities by users of video 
relay services and direct video calling 
services to achieve the objectives de-
scribed in clause (ii); and 
‘‘(V) expenses approved by the 
Commission to interconnect with video 
conferencing services; 
‘‘(ii) achieve full, equal, and direct ac-
cess to public safety answering points, as 
that term is defined in section 222(h), and 
other local emergency authorities, includ-
ing emergency authorities responding to 
wireless calls made by dialing 9–1–1, by 
individuals who— 
‘‘(I) are deaf, hard of hearing, or 
DeafBlind, or who have a speech dis-
ability or a cognitive disability; and 
‘‘(II) use American Sign Lan-
guage; 
‘‘(iii) ensure that a person can have a 
single telephone number for the purpose of 
receiving calls and messages from other en-
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tities calling by means of video relay serv-
ices or voice or electronic text messaging 
services; and 
‘‘(iv) ensure that all telecommuni-
cations relay services can directly and na-
tively interconnect with video conferencing 
services and the public switched telephone 
network. 
‘‘(B) CONTENTS.—The regulations de-
scribed in subparagraph (A)(i)(IV) shall, at a 
minimum, require that users communicating by 
means of a video relay service, as that term is 
defined in section 64.601 of title 47, Code of 
Federal Regulations, or any successor regula-
tion, shall be capable of using native dialing or 
1-step access on a mobile phone so that such 
communication— 
‘‘(i) includes the location information 
of the user, to be transmitted and delivered 
immediate and directly to the applicable 
emergency authority; and 
‘‘(ii) is received by the applicable 
emergency authority with the same speed 
and efficiency as a voice call made by dial-
ing 9–1–1. 
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‘‘(5) REASSESSMENT OF AVAILABLE SERVICES 
AND MINIMUM STANDARDS.—Not later than 4 years 
after the date of enactment of this paragraph, and 
once every 4 years thereafter, the Commission shall, 
as necessary to respond to evolving communication 
technologies, reassess and, as necessary, update the 
regulations prescribed under this subsection to en-
sure that those regulations effectively satisfy the 
communication needs of individuals with disabilities 
who are covered by this Act, including by— 
‘‘(A) assessing the need for new modes of 
telecommunications relay services; 
‘‘(B) increasing and improving the manda-
tory minimum standards to ensure the quality 
of telecommunications relay services; and 
‘‘(C) assessing the impact that evolving 
communication technologies have on the privacy 
of users of telecommunications relay services.’’; 
and 
(2) by inserting after section 715 (47 U.S.C. 
616) the following: 
‘‘SEC. 715A. VIDEO CONFERENCING SERVICES’ SUPPORT OF 
RELAY SERVICES. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘TRS 
Fund’ means the fund described in 64.604(c)(5)(iii) of 
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title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on the 
date of enactment of this section. 
‘‘(b) REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this section, each provider of video 
conferencing services shall participate in, and contribute 
to, the TRS Fund in a manner prescribed by the Commis-
sion by regulation to provide for obligations of those pro-
viders that are consistent with, and comparable to, the ob-
ligations of other contributors to the TRS Fund. 
‘‘(c) USE OF AMOUNTS.—The Commission shall use 
contributions made under subsection (b) to carry out the 
program under subpart GG of part 64 of title 47, Code 
of Federal Regulations, as in effect on the date of enact-
ment of this section.’’. 
SEC. 303. NATIONAL DEAFBLIND EQUIPMENT DISTRIBU-
TION PROGRAM. 
Section 719 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 620) is amended— 
(1) by striking subsections (a) and (b) and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(a) UPDATED REGULATIONS.—Not later than 18 
months after the date of enactment of the Communica-
tions, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act of 2023, the 
Commission shall update the rules under section 64.610 
of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor 
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regulation, to define as eligible for telecommunications 
relay service support those programs that are approved 
by the Commission for the distribution of specialized cus-
tomer premises equipment and software designed to make 
telecommunications service, internet access service, and 
advanced communications, including interexchange serv-
ices and advanced telecommunications and information 
services, accessible to individuals who are DeafBlind. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘indi-
vidual who is DeafBlind’— 
‘‘(1) has the meaning given the term ‘individual 
who is deaf-blind’ in section 206(2) of the Helen 
Keller National Center Act (29 U.S.C. 1905(2)), as 
amended by the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 
1992; and 
‘‘(2) includes an individual who— 
‘‘(A) for the purposes of satisfying sub-
paragraph (A)(i) of such section 206(2), has 
been diagnosed with a cortical or cerebral visual 
impairment; 
‘‘(B) for the purposes of satisfying sub-
paragraph (A)(ii) of such section 206(2), has 
been diagnosed with an auditory processing dis-
order; or 
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‘‘(C) for the purposes of satisfying sub-
paragraphs (A)(i) and (A)(ii) of such section 
206(2), has been diagnosed with both a cortical 
or cerebral visual impairment and an auditory 
processing disorder.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘$10,000,000’’ 
and inserting ‘‘$20,000,000, which the Commission 
shall adjust annually for inflation using an inflation 
factor determined by the Commission’’. 
SEC. 304. ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES ADVI-
SORY COMMITTEE. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ADVANCED
COMMUNICATIONS
SERVICES; 
VIDEO CONFERENCING SERVICE; VISUAL IMAGE DE-
SCRIPTIVE FUNCTIONALITY; VISUAL IMAGE DESCRIP-
TIVE SERVICE.—The terms ‘‘advanced communica-
tions services’’, ‘‘video conferencing service’’, ‘‘visual 
image descriptive functionality’’, and ‘‘visual image 
descriptive service’’ have the meanings given the 
terms in section 3 of the Communications Act of 
1934 (47 U.S.C. 153), as amended by this Act. 
(2) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The term ‘‘Advi-
sory Committee’’ means the Advanced Communica-
tions Services Advisory Committee established under 
subsection (b). 
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(3) CHAIR.—The term ‘‘Chair’’ means the 
Chair of the Commission. 
(4) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Federal Communications Commission. 
(5) TELECOMMUNICATIONS RELAY SERVICES.— 
The term ‘‘telecommunications relay services’’ has 
the meaning given the term in section 225(a) of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 225(a)), as 
amended by this Act. 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 60 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Chair shall establish 
an advisory committee to be known as the Advanced Com-
munications Services Advisory Committee. 
(c) MEMBERSHIP.—As soon as practicable after the 
date on which the Chair establishes the Advisory Com-
mittee, the Chair shall appoint individuals who have the 
technical knowledge and engineering expertise to serve on 
the Advisory Committee in the fulfillment of the duties 
of the Advisory Committee, including the following: 
(1) Representatives of entities involved in the 
provision of video conferencing services (or a na-
tional organization representing such entities). 
(2) Representatives of vendors, developers, and 
manufacturers of systems, facilities, equipment, and 
capabilities for the provision of video conferencing 
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services (or a national organization representing 
such vendors, developers, or manufacturers). 
(3) Representatives of vendors, developers, and 
manufacturers of systems, facilities, equipment, and 
capabilities for the provision of assistive technologies 
used with video conferencing services (or a national 
organization representing such vendors, developers, 
or manufacturers). 
(4) Representatives of manufacturers of con-
sumer electronics or information technology equip-
ment engaged in the provision of video conferencing 
services (or a national organization representing 
such manufacturers). 
(5) Representatives of national organizations 
representing accessibility advocates, including people 
with disabilities and older Americans. 
(6) Representatives of service agencies engaged 
in the provision of captioning, interpretation serv-
ices, and visual image descriptive services for video 
conferencing services. 
(7) Representatives of providers of tele-
communications relay services. 
(8) Academic experts or representatives of re-
search institutions with expertise regarding ad-
vanced communication services. 
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(9) Individuals with technical and engineering 
expertise, as the Chair determines appropriate. 
(d) COMMISSION OVERSIGHT.—The Chair shall ap-
point a member of the staff of the Commission to mod-
erate and direct the work of the Advisory Committee. 
(e) TECHNICAL STAFF.—The Chair shall appoint a 
member of the technical staff of the Commission to pro-
vide technical assistance to the Advisory Committee. 
(f) DEVELOPMENT OF RECOMMENDATIONS.— 
(1) ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES RE-
PORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date on 
which the Advisory Committee first meets, the Advi-
sory Committee shall submit to the Commission a 
report that, subject to paragraph (2), includes the 
following: 
(A) A recommended schedule of deadlines 
for— 
(i) making video conferencing services 
and equipment accessible to individuals 
with disabilities; and 
(ii) compliance with quality metrics 
and thresholds for automatic closed cap-
tioning 
and 
visual 
image 
descriptive 
functionality that is built into video confer-
encing services and equipment. 
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(B) An identification of the protocols, tech-
nical capabilities, and technical procedures 
needed to— 
(i) permit video conferencing services 
to 
include 
built-in 
closed 
captioning 
functionality; and 
(ii) allow the interconnection of, and 
compatibility with, assistive technologies 
and services, peripheral devices, and spe-
cialized customer premises equipment com-
monly used by individuals with disabilities 
to achieve access. 
(C) A recommendation for technical stand-
ards to address the protocols, technical capabili-
ties, and technical procedures identified under 
subparagraph (B). 
(D) A recommendation for standards to be 
used to ensure that the quality of built-in closed 
captioning functionality for video conferencing 
services facilitates effective communication. 
(2) CONSIDERATION OF WORK BY STANDARDS– 
SETTING ORGANIZATIONS.—The recommendations of 
the Advisory Committee contained in the report sub-
mitted under paragraph (1) shall, to the extent pos-
sible, incorporate the standards, protocols, and pro-
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cedures that have been adopted by recognized indus-
try standard-setting organizations for each of the 
purposes described in that paragraph. 
(g) MEETINGS.— 
(1) INITIAL MEETING.—The initial meeting of 
the Advisory Committee shall take place not later 
than 45 days after the date on which the Chair ap-
points the members of the Advisory Committee 
under subsection (c). 
(2) OTHER MEETINGS.—After the initial meet-
ing of the Advisory Committee under paragraph (1), 
the Advisory Committee shall meet at the call of the 
Chair. 
(3) NOTICE; OPEN MEETINGS.—Each meeting 
held by the Advisory Committee shall be— 
(A) noticed not fewer than 14 days before 
the date of that meeting; and 
(B) open to the public. 
(h) PROCEDURAL RULES.— 
(1) QUORUM.—The presence of 1⁄3 of the mem-
bers of the Advisory Committee shall constitute a 
quorum for conducting the business of the Advisory 
Committee. 
(2) SUBCOMMITTEES.—To assist the Advisory 
Committee in carrying out the functions of the Advi-
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sory Committee, the Chair may establish appropriate 
subcommittees composed of members of the Advisory 
Committee and other subject matter experts. 
(3) ADDITIONAL
PROCEDURAL
RULES.—The 
Advisory Committee may adopt other procedural 
rules as needed. 
(i) INAPPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COM-
MITTEE ACT.—The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 
U.S.C. App.) shall not apply with respect to the Advisory 
Committee or the activities of the Advisory Committee. 
SEC. 305. REAL-TIME TEXT. 
Title VII of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 
716 (47 U.S.C. 617) the following: 
‘‘SEC. 716A. REAL-TIME TEXT. 
‘‘Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this section, the Commission shall revise the regulations 
of the Commission to require that all interconnected and 
non-interconnected VoIP services, whether delivered using 
wireless or wireline infrastructure, enable, so long as it 
is achievable (as defined in section 716)— 
‘‘(1) the delivery of real-time text with other 
wireless and wireline VoIP services; and 
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‘‘(2) connectivity of real-time text to public 
safety answering points, as defined in section 
222(h).’’. 
SEC. 306. ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES SOFT-
WARE. 
Section 716(e) of the Communications Act of 1934 
(47 U.S.C. 617(e)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(3) REVISION
OF
REGULATIONS.—Not later 
than 1 year after the date of enactment of this para-
graph, the Commission shall update the regulations 
prescribed under this subsection to require that all 
obligations applicable to equipment used for ad-
vanced communications services extend to software 
used for those services, without regard to whether 
that software is pre-installed on equipment used for 
those services.’’. 
TITLE IV—EMERGING 
TECHNOLOGY 
SEC. 401. EMERGING TECHNOLOGY. 
Title VII of the Communications Act of 1934 (42 
U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘SEC. 723. EMERGING TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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‘‘(1) AUGMENTATIVE AND ALTERNATIVE COM-
MUNICATION.—The term ‘augmentative and alter-
native communication’ means any tool, method, tech-
nology, strategy, service, training, coaching, or other 
support used to supplement or replace speech. 
‘‘(2) DISABILITY.—The term ‘disability’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 3 of the Ameri-
cans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
12102). 
‘‘(b) REPORTS
TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 3 
years after the date of enactment of this section, and every 
5 years thereafter, the Commission shall, in consultation 
with the United States Access Board, submit to the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of 
the House of Representatives a report assessing— 
‘‘(1) the extent to which any accessibility bar-
riers exist for individuals with disabilities, including 
individuals who are blind, deaf, or DeafBlind or have 
low vision, an auditory processing disorder, a cor-
tical or cerebral visual impairment, a speech dis-
ability, including individuals who use augmentative 
and alternative communication, a mobility disability, 
or a cognitive disability, with respect to emerging 
communications and video programming technologies 
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and services, including communication and video 
programming technologies that use augmented re-
ality, virtual reality, extended reality, dual reality, 
spatial computing, artificial intelligence, and other 
advanced machine learning, wireless technologies, in-
cluding Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, robotics, the Internet 
of Things, and other forms of advanced computing 
power; and 
‘‘(2) solutions needed to ensure that new or 
emerging communications and video programming 
technologies and services such as those described in 
paragraph (1)— 
‘‘(A) are accessible to individuals with dis-
abilities; and 
‘‘(B) provide the necessary hardware and 
software to achieve compatibility with periph-
eral devices or specialized customer premises 
equipment commonly used by individuals with 
disabilities to achieve access. 
‘‘(c) CONSIDERATION OF EFFECT ON INDIVIDUALS 
WITH PARTICULAR BARRIERS.—In preparing each report 
required under subsection (b), the Commission shall con-
sider the effect of emerging technologies on individuals 
with disabilities who use those technologies and have par-
ticular barriers to participation and communication with 
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those technologies, including individuals with disabilities 
using those technologies— 
‘‘(1) who have limited language or limited 
English language; 
‘‘(2) who have significant, targeted, or multiple 
disabilities, including individuals who have a speech 
disability, including individuals who use augment-
ative and alternative communication, individuals who 
are DeafBlind, and individuals who have mobility 
disabilities; 
‘‘(3) who have disabilities limiting communica-
tion; 
‘‘(4) who lack access to broadband services and 
technology; or 
‘‘(5) who face heightened barriers due to race, 
ethnicity, national origin, age, sex, sexual orienta-
tion, gender identity, Tribal affiliation, or socio-
economic status. 
‘‘(d) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 2 years after 
the date on which the Commission submits each report 
required under subsection (b), the Commission shall issue 
new or update existing regulations for ensuring the acces-
sibility of emerging communications and video program-
ming technologies and services by individuals with disabil-
ities where doing so is necessary to further the goals of 
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the statutory provisions implemented by the regulations 
of the Commission under parts 6, 7, 14, and 79 of title 
47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regula-
tion, intended to fulfill these goals.’’. 
TITLE V—ENFORCEMENT AND 
REPORTING 
SEC. 501. ACCESSIBILITY ENFORCEMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 503(b)(5) of the Commu-
nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 503(b)(5)) is amended 
by inserting after ‘‘uses that tower’’ the following: ‘‘, or 
in the case of violations of this Act related to requirements 
of accessibility for individuals with disabilities, including 
violations 
of 
section 
225, 
section 
255, 
section 
276(b)(1)(A), subsections (u) through (aa) of section 303, 
section 330(b), section 710, section 711, section 713, or 
sections 715 through 719’’. 
(b) OTHER LAWS.—The violation of any provision of 
the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.), 
as amended by this Act, related to requirements of accessi-
bility for individuals with disabilities, including a violation 
of section 225, section 255, section 276(b)(1)(A), sub-
sections (u) through (aa) of section 303, section 330(b), 
section 710, section 711, section 713, or sections 715 
through 719 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 225, 255, 276(b)(1)(A), 303, 330(b), 610, 611, 
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613, 616, 617, 618, 619, 620), shall not be used as a 
basis to preclude enforcement of violations of other State 
or Federal disability rights and civil rights laws, including 
the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
12101 et seq.) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 
U.S.C. 701 et seq.), stemming from the same conduct. 
SEC. 502. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 
Title VII of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 601 et seq.), as amended by section 401 of this 
Act, is amended— 
(1) in section 717 (47 U.S.C. 618)— 
(A) by striking subsection (b); 
(B) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), 
and (e) as subsections (b), (c), and (d), respec-
tively; and 
(C) in subsection (d), as so redesignated, 
by striking ‘‘subsection (d)’’ and inserting ‘‘sub-
section (c)’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 724. ACCESSIBILITY REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. 
‘‘Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this section, and every 2 years thereafter, the Commis-
sion shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on 
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Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives 
a report that includes the following: 
‘‘(1) The number and nature of complaints re-
ceived pursuant to subsection (u), (z), or (aa) of sec-
tion 303, section 330(b), section 713, and section 
716(a) during the period covered by the report. 
‘‘(2) A description of the actions taken to re-
solve the complaints described in paragraph (1), in-
cluding forfeiture penalties assessed. 
‘‘(3) The length of time that was taken by the 
Commission to resolve each such complaint. 
‘‘(4) The number, status, nature, and outcome 
of each action for mandamus filed pursuant to sec-
tion 717(a)(6) and the number, status, nature, and 
outcome of each appeal filed pursuant to section 
402(b)(10).’’. 
Æ 
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