2016 Boards and Commissions

Nebraska Telecommunications Relay Service Advisory Committee

General Information

Formal Name:Nebraska Telecommunications Relay Service Advisory Committee
Contact Person:: Mr. John Wyvill, Executive Director, Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, 4600 Valley Rd., Ste. 420, Lincoln, NE 68510-4844. Phone 402-471-3593 or Gene Hand, Director-Communications Department, Public Service Commission, PO Box 94927, Lincoln,
Purpose:To provide guidance for the development, monitoring, and promotion of state-wide telecommunications relay and specialized telecommunications equipment program services in Nebraska; and to review the surcharge and rules and regulations established by the Public Service Commission.
How Many Affectable:365,268. Source: John Hopkins Medicine. (http:www.hopkinsmedicine.orgnewsmediareleasesoneinfiveamericanshashearingloss). Other sources: National information Center on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health (http:www.ni
How Many Served:57,825 relay calls for the fiscal year 2012-13; 54,967 for fiscal year 2013-14 and 48,284 for fiscal year 2014-15; and 33,529 for fiscal year 2015-16 (updated through May, 2016). Expenditures for the Nebraska Specialized Telecommunications Equipment Prog
Year Created:1991
Year Active:1991
Sunset Date:None

Authorization

Authorization Citation:86-301 to 86-315 with Committee authorization referenced in 86-315
Parent Agency:Nebraska Public Service Commission

Memberships and Meetings

Number Of Members:7
Who Appoints:Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Legislative Approval:No
Qualifications Of Members:One member shall be a deaf person; one member shall be a deaf or hard of hearing person; one member shall be a speech-impaired person; one member shall represent the Public Service Commission; one member shall represent the telephone industry; one member shall represent the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; and one member shall represent the public.
Per Diem:No
Expense Reimbursement:Yes, personal vehicle mileage for out of town travel for committee members and cost of interpreters at committee meetings. FY 2012-13 mileage and interpreter costs of $58 and $190, respectively were submitted; FY 2013-14 mileage and interpreter costs of
Term Length:3 years with no term limits
Terms Rotate or Expire At Once:Terms Rotate

Meetings Required In:

Required FY 13-14:1
Held FY 13-14:1
Required FY 14-15:1
Held FY 14-15:1
Required FY 15-16:1
Held FY 15-16:1

Operations

Support Staff:Yes
Shared or Separate:Separate
FY 13-14 Budget:0
FY 14-15 Budget:0
FY 15-16 Budget:0
Other Funding Sources:None
Spending Authority:None

Accomplishments

Since July 1, 2012:17.The Advisory Committee in the NovemberDecember 2013 timeframe provided guidance on proposing services, terms and conditions to facilitate the selection of a new relay provider beginning July 1, 2014. A committee member was chosen to represent hard of hearing individuals using CapTel service. This service utilizes voice recognition and captioning technology for hard of hearing individuals. The committee continues to provide advice and direction in making further improvements to this program. The Public Service Commission continues to work with the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in receiving and reviewing applications and assisting applicants for the NSTEP program. The TRS Advisory Committee provides continuing advice regarding policies and procedures for the administration of the NSTEP program as well as issues affecting quality of service for the relay center. The Commission works with this committee in determining the surcharge necessary to fund the relay service and the NSTEP voucher program. This committee also has provided advice on expanding the NSTEP program to include wireless devices. As of June of 2016 the Commission has business relationships with Sprint, Verizon and NE Colorado Cellular (dba Viaero Wireless). With direction of this committee, the Commission is seeking to expand wireless provider choices to include US Cellular.