OAR 860-033-0050: Tribal Lifeline and Tribal Link-Up

(1) The Commission must determine if a prospective Tribal Lifeline or Tribal Link Up recipient who has executed a certification pursuant to 47 C.F.R. § 54 Subpart E (2013) has previously received a Tribal Lifeline or Tribal Link Up benefit at the residential address provided by the prospective subscriber to prevent duplicative support. An eligible resident of Tribal lands may receive the benefit of the Tribal Link Up program for a second or subsequent time only for otherwise qualifying commencement of telecommunications service at a principal place of residence with an address different from the address for which Tribal Link Up assistance was previously provided. (2) Within five business days of a request for Tribal Lifeline or Tribal Link Up benefit, the Eligible Telecommunications Provider must submit to the Commission in an electronic format accessible by the Commission the Tribal Lifeline or Tribal Link Up applicant’s first and last name, residential address, date of birth, telephone number or broadband internet access service account number associated with the application for Tribal Lifeline or Tribal Link Up benefit, and last four digits of his or her social security number or Tribal identification number. Each Eligible Telecommunications Provider must obtain, from each new and existing subscriber, consent to transmit the information as specified in this section of this rule. Prior to obtaining consent, the Eligible Telecommunications Provider must describe to the subscriber, using plain language, the specific information being submitted, that the information is being submitted to the Commission to ensure proper administration of the Tribal Lifeline and Tribal Link Up program, and that failure to provide consent will result in the subscriber being denied the Tribal Lifeline or Tribal Link Up benefit. (3) If the Commission notifies the Eligible Telecommunications Provider that a prospective subscriber is receiving a Tribal Lifeline benefit or has received a Tribal Link Up benefit at the residential address provided by the subscriber, the Eligible Telecommunications Provider may not seek universal service support reimbursement for duplicate service. (4) If the Commission notifies the Eligible Telecommunications Provider that a prospective subscriber is not receiving a Tribal Lifeline benefit or has not received a Tribal Link Up benefit at the residential address provided by the subscriber, the Eligible Telecommunications Provider must provide the customer’s service initiation date and service type. (5) When two or more Eligible Telecommunications Providers submit the information required in section (2) of this rule for the same subscriber, only the Eligible Telecommunications Provider whose information was received and processed by the Commission first, as determined by the Commission, will be entitled to reimbursement from the universal service fund for that subscriber. (6) Tribal Lifeline and Tribal Link Up Order Activity Report: The Tribal Lifeline and Tribal Link Up Order Activity Report is a listing of all Tribal Lifeline and Tribal Link Up customers whose phone service or broadband internet access service was disconnected, who voluntarily de-enrolled or were de-enrolled for failure to use the Tribal Lifeline service which the Eligible Telecommunications Provider offers at no charge and a list of all Tribal Lifeline and Tribal Link Up customers whose telephone numbers, addresses, or service initiation dates and service types have changed. The listing must include the customer's first and last name and Commission-assigned Oregon Lifeline Identification Number. Each Eligible Telecommunications Provider must submit this report weekly to the Commission in an electronic format accessible by the Commission.