OFFICE OF
THE CHAIRMAN
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
WASHINGTON
January 11,2010
The Honorable Lynn Woolsey
U.S. House ofRepresentatives
2263 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Congresswoman Woolsey:
Thank you for your letter regarding the Purple Communications, Inc., Petition for
Rulemaking on the Video Relay Service (VRS), a form ofTelecommunications Relay Service. I
strongly support VRS and appreciate its development into a critical communications tool for
many. The Commission remains dedicated to fulfilling Congress's objectives in creating the
VRS program.
Purple's petition, among other things, had asked the Commission to adopt formal rules
confirming that the ADA permits the reimbursement ofmulti-pmiy VRS calls, regardless of
whether a hearing individual is on the call. The petition also asked the Commission to confirm
the lawfulness of certain outreach and marketing practices. In dismissing the relevant portion of
Purple's petition on September 18,2009, the Commission's Consumer and Governmental
Affairs Bureau noted that Purple (through a predecessor company, GoAmerica) had, along with
other petitioners in January 2009, "accepted ... that the Commission currently does not allow
compensation for services that enable individuals who are deaf, hard ofhearing, or speech
disabled to communicate with each other via VRS." The Bureau additionally reiterated that VRS
calls not involving a hearing individual are not compensable under current law.
Purple has filed an Application for Review ofthe Bureau's decision, and Commission
staff currently is reviewing the filing. Your concerns will be considered as part ofthis review.
I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know ifI can be of any further
assistance.