Sec. 106. Internet protocol closed captioning and audio description advisory committee
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In this section: The term Advisory Committee means the Closed Captioning and Audio Description Advisory Committee established under subsection (b). The term Chair means the Chair of the Commission. The term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission. Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Chair shall establish an advisory committee to be known as the Closed Captioning and Audio Description Advisory Committee . As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the Chair shall appoint individuals who have the technical knowledge and engineering expertise to serve on the Advisory Committee in the fulfillment of its duties, including the following:
Representatives of entities engaged in making available video programming internet protocol or any successor protocol, or a national organization or organization representing such entities. Representatives of vendors, developers, and manufacturers of systems, facilities, equipment, and capabilities for the provision of video programming, including programming delivered using internet protocol or successor protocols, or a national organization representing such vendors, developers, or manufacturers.
Representatives of manufacturers of consumer electronics or information technology equipment used in the delivery of video programming, including programming delivered via internet protocol or successor protocols, or a national organization representing such manufacturers. Individuals with expertise generating user-generated video, or a national organization representing such individuals. Representatives of national organizations representing accessibility advocates, including people with disabilities and older Americans.
Representatives of service agencies engaged in the provision of captioning and audio description for video programming, including programming delivered via internet protocol or successor protocols. Academic experts or representatives of research institutes with expertise on captioning and audio description. Individuals with technical and engineering expertise, as the Chair determines appropriate. The Chair shall appoint a member of the Commission's staff to moderate and direct the work of the Advisory Committee.
The Chair shall appoint a member of the Commission's technical staff to provide technical assistance to the Advisory Committee. Not later than 1 year after the date of the first meeting of the Advisory Committee, the Advisory Committee shall develop and submit to the Commission a report that includes the following: A recommended schedule of deadlines for the provision of closed captioning on video programming made available via internet protocol or any successor protocol. Identification of the protocols, technical capabilities, and technical procedures needed to permit responsible entities to reliably provide, receive, and display closed captions of video programming made available via using internet protocol or any successor protocol.
Identification of additional protocols, technical capabilities, and technical procedures beyond those available as of the date of enactment of this Act needed for the provision, receipt, and display of closed captions of video programming made available using internet protocol or any successor protocol. A recommendation for technical standards to address the protocols, capabilities, and procedures identified under subparagraph (B). A recommendation for any regulations that may be necessary to ensure compatibility between video programming made available using internet protocol or any successor protocol and apparatuses and navigation devices capable of receiving and displaying such programming in order to facilitate access to closed captions.
An identification of attributes of easy-to-use authoring tools that can be used by viewers to add closed captions to video programming made available using internet protocol or any successor protocol. An identification of the categories of entities involved in the online delivery of video programming, along with a recommendation on how to apportion the responsibilities for the provision, quality, pass-through, and display of closed captions among those entities to ensure full access by viewers.
A recommendation for best practices for ensuring that programming that was live programming or near-live programming at the time that it was initially made available to viewers is subsequently made available at the level of quality required for prerecorded programming. A recommendation for defining metrics and thresholds to be used for measuring the accuracy, synchronicity, completeness, and placement of closed captions for live programming as necessary to afford access to video programming that is functionally equivalent to the access provided by the audio track, with minimum thresholds that are neutral to different modalities for creating closed captions.
Not later than 1 year after the date of the first meeting of the Advisory Committee, the Advisory Committee shall develop and submit to the Commission a report that includes the following: A recommended schedule of deadlines for the provision of audio description on video programming made available using internet protocol or any successor protocol. Identification of the protocols, technical capabilities, and technical procedures needed to permit responsible entities to reliably provide, receive, and perform audio description of video programming made available via internet protocol or any successor protocol.
Identification of additional protocols, technical capabilities, and technical procedures beyond those available as of the date of enactment of this Act needed for the delivery of audio description of video programming. A recommendation for technical standards to address the protocols, capabilities, and procedures identified under subparagraph (B). A recommendation for any regulations that may be necessary to ensure compatibility between video programming made available using internet protocol or any successor protocol and apparatuses and navigation devices capable of receiving and displaying such programming in order to facilitate access to audio description.
A recommendation for standards, protocols, and procedures to ensure that audio described video programming is labeled and searchable or otherwise easily discoverable through navigation devices, apparatuses, applications, and other methods on which such programming is published or exhibited or made available. A recommendation for the achievability of making audio description available on a dedicated audio channel. An identification of the categories of entities engaged in the online delivery of video programming, along with a recommendation on how to apportion the responsibilities for the provision, quality, pass-through, and performance of audio description among those entities to ensure full access by viewers.
A recommendation for defining metrics to be used for measuring the quality of audio description as necessary to afford access to video programming that is functionally equivalent to the access provided visually. An identification of easy-to-use authoring tools that can be used by viewers to add audio description to video programming made available via internet protocol or any successor protocol. Not later than 180 days after the date of the first meeting of the Advisory Committee, the Advisory Committee shall develop and submit to the Commission a report that includes a recommendation for standards for the display and visibility of American Sign Language interpretation where it is provided for video programming, including standards for ensuring that an interpreter is visible on a viewer’s screen during the programming.
The recommendations of the Advisory Committee shall, insofar as possible, incorporate standards, protocols, and procedures that have been adopted by recognized industry standards-setting organizations for each of the purposes described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3). The initial meeting of the Advisory Committee shall take place not later than 45 days after the date on which the Chair has appointed all the members of the Advisory Committee under subsection (c). After the initial meeting, the Advisory Committee shall meet at the call of the Chair.
Any meeting held by the Advisory Committee— shall be noticed not later than 14 days before the meeting; and shall be open to the public. The presence of one-third of the members of the Advisory Committee shall constitute a quorum for conducting the business of the Advisory Committee. To assist the Advisory Committee in carrying out its functions, the Chair may establish appropriate subcommittees composed of members of the Advisory Committee and other subject matter experts. The Advisory Committee may adopt other procedural rules as needed.
The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply with respect to the Advisory Committee or the activities of the Advisory Committee.