Hearing Loss Compatible Wireless Handsets, 47 CFR § 20.19, Hearing Aid Compatibility Act, 47 U.S.C. § 610

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) is requesting that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approve a revision to the Commission’s currently approved information collection for OMB Control No. 3060-0999. This information collection relates to the Commission’s Hearing Loss Compatible Wireless Handsets rules in section 20.19 of the Commission’s rules. This revision is necessary to implement the final rules that the Commission unanimously adopted in a Report and Order, WT Docket No. 23-388, FCC 24-112, on October 17, 2024, and released on October 18, 2024 (100% HAC Report and Order). The 100% HAC Report and Order adopted rules requiring 100% of all future wireless handset models to be hearing aid compatible. The revisions to these rules included revising the heading of section 20.19 of the Commission’s rules from “Hearing aid-compatible mobile handsets” to “Hearing loss compatible wireless handsets.” In addition, the Commission unanimously adopted revisions to the currently approved information collection in order to implement the 100% hearing aid compatibility requirement and to remove outdated information collection provisions. As a result of this rulemaking, the changes to sections 20.19(b)(3)(iii), (f), (h), and (i)(4)-(5) constitute new or modified information collections subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Public Law 104-13. These rules will become effective once OMB completes its review of these rules, and the Commission publishes a notice in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of the rules.

The latest form for Hearing Loss Compatible Wireless Handsets, 47 CFR § 20.19, Hearing Aid Compatibility Act, 47 U.S.C. § 610 expires 2028-05-31 and can be found here.