47 CFR 54.1606 – Household eligibility determinations
(a) Eligibility verification processes. To verify whether a household is an eligible household, a participating provider shall—
(1) Use the National Verifier; or
(2) Rely upon an alternative verification process of the participating provider, if—
(i) The participating provider submits information as required by the Commission regarding the alternative verification process prior to seeking reimbursement; and
(ii) Not later than 7 days after receiving the information required under paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section, the Wireline Competition Bureau—
(A) Determines that the alternative verification process will be sufficient to avoid waste, fraud, and abuse; and
(B) Notifies the participating provider of the determination under paragraph (a)(2)(ii)(A) of this section; or
(3) Rely on a school to verify the eligibility of a household based on the participation of the household in the free and reduced price lunch program or the school breakfast program as described in 47 CFR 54.1600(h)(2). The participating provider must retain documentation demonstrating the school verifying eligibility, the program(s) that the school participates in, the qualifying household, and the program(s) the household participates in.
(b) Provider policies and procedures. All participating providers must implement policies and procedures for ensuring that their Emergency Broadband Benefit Program households are eligible to receive the Emergency Broadband Benefit. A provider may not provide a consumer with service that it represents to be Emergency Broadband Benefit-supported service or seek reimbursement for such service, unless and until it has:
(1) Confirmed that the household is an eligible household pursuant to 47 CFR 54.1605;
(2) Completed any other necessary enrollment steps, and;
(3) Securely retained all information and documentation it receives related to the eligibility determination and enrollment, consistent with 47 CFR 54.1611.
(c) One-Per-Household Worksheet. If the prospective household shares an address with one or more existing Emergency Broadband Benefit Program subscribers according to the National Lifeline Accountability Database or National Verifier, the prospective subscriber must complete a form certifying compliance with the one-per-household rule prior to initial enrollment.
(d) The National Lifeline Accountability Database. In order to receive Emergency Broadband Benefit Program support, participating providers must comply with the following requirements:
(1) All participating providers must query the National Lifeline Accountability Database to determine whether a prospective subscriber is currently receiving an Emergency Broadband Benefit-supported service from another participating provider; and whether anyone else living at the prospective subscriber’s residential address is currently receiving an Emergency Broadband Benefit-supported service.
(2) If the National Lifeline Accountability Database indicates that a prospective subscriber who is not seeking to transfer his or her Emergency Broadband Benefit, is currently receiving an Emergency Broadband Benefit-supported service, the participating provider must not provide and shall not seek or receive Emergency Broadband Benefit reimbursement for that subscriber.
(3) Participating providers may query the National Lifeline Accountability Database only for the purposes provided in paragraphs (e)(1) and (2) of this section, and to determine whether information with respect to its subscribers already in the National Lifeline Accountability Database is correct and complete.
(4) Participating providers must transmit to the National Lifeline Accountability Database in a format prescribed by the Administrator each new and existing Emergency Broadband Benefit Program subscriber’s full name; full residential address; date of birth; the telephone number associated with the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program service; the date on which the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program discount was initiated; the date on which the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program discount was terminated, if it has been terminated; the amount of support being sought for that subscriber; and the means through which the subscriber qualified for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program.
(5) All participating providers must update an existing Emergency Broadband Benefit Program subscriber’s information in the National Lifeline Accountability Database within ten business days of receiving any change to that information, except as described in paragraph (d)(7) of this section.
(6) All participating providers must obtain, from each new and existing subscriber, consent to transmit the subscriber’s information. Prior to obtaining consent, the participating provider must describe to the subscriber, using clear, easily understood language, the specific information being transmitted, that the information is being transmitted to the Administrator to ensure the proper administration of the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, and that failure to provide consent will result in subscriber being denied the Emergency Broadband Benefit.
(7) When a participating provider de-enrolls a subscriber from the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, it must transmit to the National Lifeline Accountability Database the date of Emergency Broadband Benefit Program de-enrollment within one business day of de-enrollment.
(8) All participating providers must securely retain subscriber documentation that the participating provider reviewed to verify subscriber eligibility, for the purposes of production during audits or investigations or to the extent required by National Lifeline Accountability Database or National Verifier processes, which require, inter alia, verification of eligibility, identity, address, and age.
(9) A participating provider must not enroll or claim for reimbursement a prospective subscriber in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program if the National Lifeline Accountability Database or National Verifier cannot verify the subscriber’s status as alive, unless the subscriber produces documentation to demonstrate his or her identity and status as alive.
(e) Connected device reimbursement and the National Lifeline Accountability Database. In order to receive Emergency Broadband Benefit Program reimbursement for a connected device, participating providers must comply with the following requirements:
(1) Such participating provider must query the National Lifeline Accountability Database to determine whether a prospective connected device benefit recipient has previously received a connected device benefit.
(2) If the National Lifeline Accountability Database indicates that a prospective subscriber has received a connected device benefit, the participating provider must not seek a connected device reimbursement for that subscriber.
(3) Such participating provider shall not seek a connected device reimbursement for a subscriber that is not receiving the Emergency Broadband Benefit for service provided by the same participating provider.
(4) Where two or more participating providers file a claim for a connected device reimbursement for the same subscriber, only the participating provider whose information was received and processed by the National Lifeline Accountability Database or Lifeline Claims System first, as determined by the Administrator, will be entitled to a connected device reimbursement for that subscriber.
(5) All participating providers must obtain from each subscriber consent to transmit the information required under paragraph (e)(1) of this section. Prior to obtaining consent, the participating provider must describe to the subscriber, using clear, easily understood language, the specific information being transmitted, that the information is being transmitted to the Administrator to ensure the proper administration of the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program connected device benefit, and that failure to provide consent will result in the subscriber being denied the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program connected device benefit.