Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC, Commission, or Agency) is modifying an existing system of records, FCC/WCB-1, Lifeline Program, subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. This action is necessary to meet the requirements of the Privacy Act to publish in the Federal Register notice of the existence and character of records maintained by the agency. The Lifeline Program (or "Lifeline") provides discounts for one Lifeline Program voice service per household and/or broadband internet access service (BIAS) to qualifying low- income individuals. Individuals may qualify for Lifeline through proof of income or participation in another qualifying program. Since the enactment of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (1996 Act), the Lifeline Program has been administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) under the direction of the Commission and, by delegation, of the Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB). This system of records contains information about individuals who have started an application online or applied to participate in the Lifeline Program, respondents to consumer surveys related to the Lifeline program, and enrollment representatives. The modification updates the Categories of Records in the System and adds one new routine use.

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 200 (Monday, October 19, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 200 (Monday, October 19, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66145-66148]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-21381]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[FR ID: 372594]


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice of a modified system of records.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC, Commission, or 
Agency) is modifying an existing system of records, FCC/WCB-1, Lifeline 
Program, subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. This action is 
necessary to meet the requirements of the Privacy Act to publish in the 
Federal Register notice of the existence and character of records 
maintained by the agency. The Lifeline Program (or ``Lifeline'') 
provides discounts for one Lifeline Program voice service per household 
and/or broadband internet access service (BIAS) to qualifying low-
income individuals. Individuals may qualify for Lifeline through proof 
of income or participation in another qualifying program. Since the 
enactment of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (1996 Act), the 
Lifeline Program has been administered by the Universal Service 
Administrative Company (USAC) under the direction of the Commission 
and, by delegation, of the Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau 
(WCB). This system of records contains information about individuals 
who have started an application online or applied to participate in the 
Lifeline Program, respondents to consumer surveys related to the 
Lifeline program, and enrollment representatives. The modification 
updates the Categories of Records in the System and adds one new 
routine use.

DATES: This modified system of records will become effective on October 
19, 2026. Written comments on the routine uses are due by November 18, 
2026. The routine uses in this action will become effective on November 
18, 2026, unless comments are received that require a contrary 
determination.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Shana Yates, FCC, 45 L Street NE, 
Washington, DC 20554, care of the Office of General Counsel, Privacy 
Team; or to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#daaaa8b3acbbb9a39abcb9b9f4bdb5ac"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a6d6d4cfd0c7c5dfe6c0c5c588c1c9d0">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: FCC Office of General Counsel, Privacy 
Team, at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3a4a48534c5b59437a5c5959145d554c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0676746f7067657f4660656528616970">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice modifies FCC/WCB-1, Lifeline 
Program system of records as a result of necessary changes and updates. 
The substantive changes and modifications to the previously published 
version of the FCC/WCB-1 system of records includes updating the 
Categories of Records in the System and adding one new routine use 
(listed by the routine use number provided in this notice): (22) 
Suspension and Debarment Disclosure.
SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
    FCC/WCB-1, Lifeline Program.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
    Unclassified.

SYSTEM LOCATION:
    Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), 700 12th Street 
NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20005; and Wireline Competition Bureau 
(WCB), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), 45 L Street NE, 
Washington, DC 20554.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S):
    USAC administers the Lifeline Program for the FCC. Address 
inquiries to the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), 700 
12th Street NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20005; or Wireline 
Competition Bureau (WCB), 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
    47 U.S.C. 151-154, 201-205, 214, 254, 403; Safe Connections Act of 
2022, Public Law 117-223, 116 Stat. 2280.

PURPOSE(S) OF THE SYSTEM:
    The Lifeline Program provides discounts for one Lifeline voice 
service and/or BIAS per household, and the initial connection charge in 
certain Tribal areas to support such service, to qualifying low-income 
individuals, including survivors eligible to receive emergency 
communications support. Individuals may qualify for Lifeline through 
proof of income, proof of participation in another qualifying program, 
or proof of the need for emergency communications support for 
survivors, including documentation of financial hardship as defined in 
FCC regulations and orders. The Lifeline Program system of records is 
maintained to determine whether the applicant meets the eligibility 
requirements for initial enrollment and recertification, including the 
limit of one benefit per household; program administration; dispute 
resolution; monitoring of enrollment representatives; and consumer 
surveys.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
    The categories of individuals in this system include those 
individuals residing in a single household who have applied for 
benefits; are currently receiving benefits; are individuals who enable 
another individual in their household to qualify for benefits; are 
minors whose status qualifies a parent or guardian for benefits; are 
individuals who have received benefits under the Lifeline Program; are 
survivors seeking emergency communications support and, as required, 
their alleged abusers; are individuals that respond to a consumer 
survey developed using information in this system; and are individuals 
acting as contractor, supplier or enrollment representatives, or their 
agents or representatives and providing information directly or 
indirectly into USAC's Lifeline Systems on behalf of an eligible 
telecommunications carrier (ETC) to enroll subscribers, recertify 
subscribers, or update subscriber information in the Lifeline Program.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
    The categories of records in the system include first and last name 
of the applicant, subscriber, other household members, survivor, 
alleged abuser, caregiver, or consumer survey participant; date of 
birth; last four digits of Social Security Number or a full Tribal 
identification number; residential address; descriptive address; 
address based on geographic coordinates (geolocation); internet 
Protocol (IP) address; contact information; evidence of residence on 
Tribal lands; qualifying program participation; financial information; 
username and password; account security questions and answers; Lifeline 
subscriber identification number; assigned Representative ID Number; 
Lifeline participation status; amount of benefit received; documents 
demonstrating eligibility; documents showing only one benefit is 
received per household; voice recordings; USAC-assigned identifying 
numbers, such as Application ID, Eligibility Check ID, or eligibility 
ID numbers; for survivors seeking emergency communications support, 
documentation related to the

[[Page 66146]]

submission of a legitimate line separation request to a 
telecommunications provider and documentation or certification of 
financial hardship (such as income self-certification or documentation 
related to receipt of Pell Grants or qualification for federal 
nutrition programs); and signatures.
    For ETC enrollment representatives who register to access the 
National Verifier or National Lifeline Accountability Database the 
following information may be collected: first and last name, date of 
birth, the last four digits of his or her social security number, email 
address, residential address, or other identity proof documentation, 
and suspension and debarment history and current status, as well as 
history of misconduct germane to suspension or debarment. For 
contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, consultants, or their agents 
who are not ETC enrollment representatives, suspension and debarment 
history and current status, as well as history of misconduct germane to 
suspension or debarment may be collected.

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
    The sources for the information in the Lifeline Program system of 
records include ETCs and their contractors, suppliers and registered 
enrollment representatives; applicants; consumer survey respondents; 
State, Tribal, and Federal databases; and, third-party identity 
verifiers.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES 
OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
    In addition to those disclosures generally permitted under 5 U.S.C. 
552a(b) of the Privacy Act, all or a portion of the records or 
information contained in this system may be disclosed to authorized 
entities, as is determined to be relevant and necessary, outside the 
FCC as a routine use pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3) as follows. In 
each of these cases, the FCC will determine whether disclosure of the 
records is compatible with the purpose(s) for which the records were 
collected:
    1. Program Management--Records may be disclosed to USAC employees 
to conduct official duties associated with the management, operation, 
and oversight of the Lifeline Program, NLAD, National Verifier, 
Lifeline Claims System, and Representative Accountability Database, as 
directed by the Commission.
    2. Application, Enrollment, and Recertification--Records may be 
disclosed to facilitate the Lifeline application, enrollment, or 
recertification processes, including for survivors seeking or receiving 
communications support, records from this system may be disclosed to 
the individual who originally submitted the records, to the individual 
applicant to whom the records pertain, or to an authorized 
representative, entity, or organization supporting the individual in 
the application, enrollment, or recertification process.
    3. Third Party Contractors--Records may be disclosed to an employee 
of a third-party contractor, or subcontractor of the third-party 
contractor, engaged by USAC or an ETC to, among other things, develop 
the Lifeline Eligibility Database, conduct the eligibility verification 
process, recertification process, run call center and email support 
operations, and assist in dispute resolution.
    4. Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Entity--Records may be 
disclosed to an employee of the BPO engaged by USAC or an employee of a 
third-party contractor engaged by the BPO to perform and review 
eligibility evaluations where the National Verifier conducts such 
processes for purposes of conducting the eligibility verification 
process or recertification process, performing manual eligibility 
verification (when needed), run call center and email support 
operations, and to assist in dispute resolution.
    5. State Agencies and Other Authorized State Government Entities--
Records may be disclosed to designated State agencies and other 
authorized governmental entities, including State public utility 
commissions, State departments of health and human services or other 
State entities that share data with USAC or the FCC, and their agents, 
as is consistent with applicable Federal and State laws, for purposes 
of eligibility verification and recertification; administering the 
Lifeline Program on behalf of ETCs in that State; performing other 
management and oversight duties and responsibilities; enabling the 
National Verifier to perform eligibility verification for individuals 
applying for or re-certifying for Lifeline support; enabling the State 
to perform eligibility verification for individuals applying for or re-
certifying for Lifeline support; providing enrollment and other 
selected reports to the State; comparing information contained in the 
National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) and Lifeline 
eligibility, recertification, and related systems to information 
contained in state databases associated with State-administered 
Lifeline Programs in order to assess differences between State and 
Federal programs and make adjustments.
    6. Social Service Agencies and Other Approved Third Parties--
Records may be disclosed to social service agencies and other third 
parties that have been approved by USAC for purposes of assisting 
individuals in applying for and recertifying for Lifeline support.
    7. Federal Agencies--Records may be disclosed to other Federal 
agencies for the development of and operation under data sharing 
agreements with USAC or the FCC to enable the National Verifier to 
perform eligibility verification or recertification for individuals 
applying for Lifeline support or another federal program using Lifeline 
qualification as an eligibility criterion.
    8. Tribal Nations--Records may be disclosed to Tribal Nations to 
perform eligibility verification or recertification for individuals 
applying for Lifeline support, to provide enrollment and other selected 
reports to Tribal Nations, and for purposes of assisting individuals in 
applying for and recertifying for Lifeline support.
    9. Service Providers--Records may be disclosed to service providers 
and their registered representatives in states or territories where the 
National Verifier is operating where the service provider is using the 
carrier eligibility and status check Application Programming Interface 
(API) to initiate Lifeline applications and eligibility checks and 
complete benefit transfer requests. Records may also be disclosed to 
service providers who have been designated as ETCs to facilitate the 
provision of service, allow for the service provider to receive 
reimbursement through the Lifeline Program, to provide information to 
the relevant ETC about an ETC representative whose account has been 
disabled for cause, and provide enrollment and other selected reports 
to service providers.
    10. FCC Enforcement Actions--When a record in this system involves 
an informal complaint filed alleging a violation of the Communications 
Act of 1934, as amended, or FCC regulations or orders (FCC Rules and 
Regulations) by an applicant, licensee, certified or regulated entity, 
or an unlicensed person or entity, the complaint may be provided to the 
alleged violator for a response. Where a complainant in filing his or 
her complaint explicitly requests confidentiality of his or her name 
from public disclosure, the Commission will endeavor to protect such 
information from public disclosure. Complaints that contain requests 
for confidentiality may be dismissed if the Commission determines that 
the request impedes the

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Commission's ability to investigate and/or resolve the complaint.
    11. Congressional Inquiries--Information may be provided to a 
Congressional office in response to an inquiry from that Congressional 
office made at the written request of the individual to whom the 
information pertains.
    12. Government-Wide Program Management and Oversight--Records may 
be disclosed to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to obtain that 
department's advice regarding disclosure obligations under the Freedom 
of Information Act (FOIA); or the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
to obtain that office's advice regarding obligations under the Privacy 
Act.
    13. Other Federal Program Eligibility--Records related to an 
individual's Lifeline participation or qualification status may be 
disclosed to a Federal agency or contractor when a federal program 
administered by the agency or its contractor uses qualification for 
Lifeline as an eligibility criterion.
    14. Law Enforcement and Investigation--When the FCC investigates 
any violation or potential violation of a civil or criminal law, 
regulation, policy, executed consent decree, order, or any other type 
of compulsory obligation and determines that a record in this system, 
either alone or in conjunction with other information, indicates a 
violation or potential violation of law, regulation, policy, consent 
decree, order, or other compulsory obligation, the FCC may disclose 
pertinent information as it deems necessary to the target of an 
investigation, as well as with the appropriate Federal (including the 
Internal Revenue Service to investigate income eligibility 
verification), State, local, Tribal, international, or multinational 
agencies, or a component of such an agency, responsible for 
investigating, prosecuting, enforcing, or implementing a statute, rule, 
regulation, order, or other compulsory obligation.
    15. Litigation--Records may be disclosed to the DOJ when: (a) the 
FCC or any component thereof; (b) any employee of the FCC in his or her 
official capacity; (c) any employee of the FCC in his or her individual 
capacity where the DOJ or the FCC has agreed to represent the employee; 
or (d) the United States Government is a party to litigation or has an 
interest in such litigation, and by careful review, the FCC determines 
that the records are both relevant and necessary to the litigation, and 
the use of such records by the DOJ is for a purpose that is compatible 
with the purpose for which the FCC collected the records.
    16. Adjudication--Records may be disclosed in a proceeding before a 
court or adjudicative body, when: (a) the FCC or any component thereof; 
(b) any employee of the FCC in his or her official capacity; (c) any 
employee of the FCC in his or her individual capacity; or (d) the 
United States Government, is a party to litigation or has an interest 
in such litigation, and by careful review, the FCC determines that the 
records are both relevant and necessary to the litigation, and that the 
use of such records is for a purpose that is compatible with the 
purpose for which the agency collected the records.
    17. Breach Notification--Records may be disclosed to appropriate 
agencies, entities (including USAC), and persons when: (a) the 
Commission suspects or has confirmed that there has been a breach of 
the system of records; (b) the Commission has determined that as a 
result of the suspected or confirmed compromise there is a risk of harm 
to individuals, the Commission (including its information systems, 
programs, and operations), the Federal Government, or national 
security; and (c) the disclosure made to such agencies, entities, and 
persons is reasonably necessary to assist in connection with the 
Commission's efforts to respond to the suspected or confirmed breach or 
to prevent, minimize, or remedy such harm.
    18. Assistance to Federal Agencies and Entities Related to 
Breaches--Records may be disclosed to another Federal agency, Federal 
entity, or USAC when the Commission determines that information from 
this system is reasonably necessary to assist the recipient agency or 
entity in: (a) responding to a suspected or confirmed breach or (b) 
preventing, minimizing, or remedying the risk of harm to individuals, 
the recipient agency or entity (including its information systems, 
program, and operations), the Federal Government, or national security, 
resulting from a suspected or confirmed breach.
    19. Computer Matching Program Disclosure--Records may be disclosed 
to (a) Federal, State, and local agencies; and (b) USAC, their 
employees, and agents for the purpose of developing and conducting 
computer matching programs as regulated by the Privacy Act of 1974, as 
amended (5 U.S.C. 552a).
    20. Department of Treasury--Records may be disclosed to the U.S. 
Department of the Treasury when disclosure of the information is 
relevant to review payment and award eligibility through the Do Not Pay 
Working System for the purposes of identifying, preventing, or 
recouping improper payments to an applicant for, or recipient of, 
Federal funds, including funds disbursed by a state (meaning a state of 
the United States, the District of Columbia, a territory or possession 
of the United States, or a federally recognized Indian tribe) in a 
state-administered, federally funded program.
    21. Prevention of Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Disclosure--Records may 
be disclosed to Federal agencies, non-Federal entities, their 
employees, and agents (including contractors, their agents or 
employees; employees or contractors of the agents or designated 
agents); or contractors, their employees or agents with whom the FCC or 
USAC has a contract, service agreement, cooperative agreement, or 
computer matching agreement for the purpose of: (1) detection, 
prevention, and recovery of improper payments; (2) detection and 
prevention of fraud, waste, and abuse in Federal programs administered 
by a Federal agency or non-Federal entity; (3) detection of fraud, 
waste, and abuse by individuals in their operations and programs, but 
only to the extent that the information shared is necessary and 
relevant to verify pre-award and prepayment requirements prior to the 
release of Federal funds, prevent and recover improper payments for 
services rendered under programs of the FCC or of those Federal 
agencies and non-Federal entities to which the FCC or USAC provides 
information under this routine use.
    22. Suspension and Debarment Disclosure--The FCC may disclose 
information from this system to other Federal agencies considering 
suspension or debarment action if the information is relevant to the 
suspension and debarment action.
    23. Non-Federal Personnel--Records may be disclosed to non-Federal 
personnel, including FCC or USAC contractors, other vendors (e.g., 
identity verification services), grantees, or volunteers who have been 
engaged to assist the FCC or USAC in the performance of a contract 
service, grant, cooperative agreement, or other activity related to 
this system of records that has not been otherwise identified in this 
Notice and who need to have access to the records in order to perform 
their activity.
    24. Consumer Survey Development and Execution--Records may be 
disclosed to contractors, grantees, experts, consultants and their 
agents, or others performing or working under a contract service, 
grant, or cooperative agreement with the FCC or USAC, when necessary to 
develop and conduct consumer surveys as described in this

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system of records. Individuals who are provided information under these 
routine use conditions are subject to Privacy Act requirements and 
disclosure limitations imposed on the Commission.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORAGE OF RECORDS:
    The information pertaining to the Lifeline Program includes 
electronic records, files, data, paper documents, records, and may 
include audio recordings of calls. Records are maintained in secure, 
limited access areas. Physical entry by unauthorized persons is 
restricted through use of locks, passwords, and other security 
measures. Both USAC and its contractors will jointly manage the 
electronic data housed at USAC and at the contractors' locations. Paper 
documents and other physical records (i.e., tapes, compact discs, etc.) 
will be kept in locked, controlled access areas. Paper documents 
submitted by applicants to the Lifeline Program will be digitized, and 
paper copies will be immediately destroyed.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVAL OF RECORDS:
    Information in the Lifeline Program system of records may be 
retrieved by various identifiers, including, but not limited to the 
individual's name, last four digits of the Social Security Number 
(SSN), Tribal identification number, date of birth, phone number, 
residential address, and Lifeline subscriber identification number.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETENTION AND DISPOSAL OF RECORDS:
    The information in this system is maintained and disposed of in 
accordance with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) 
Records Schedule DAA-0173-2017-0001-0002 (Universal Service).

ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS:
    The electronic records, data, and files are maintained in the FCC 
and the USAC computer network databases, which are protected by the 
FCC's and USAC's privacy safeguards, a comprehensive and dynamic set of 
safety and security protocols and features that are designed to meet 
all Federal IT privacy standards, including those required by OMB, the 
National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST) and the Federal 
Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA). In addition, 
access to the electronic files is restricted to authorized USAC and 
contractors' supervisors and staff and to the FCC's IT supervisors and 
staff and to the IT contractors who maintain these computer databases. 
Other FCC employees and contractors may be granted access only on a 
``need-to-know'' basis. In addition, data in the network servers for 
both USAC and its contractors will be routinely backed-up. The servers 
will be stored in secured environments to protect the data.
    The paper documents and files are maintained in file cabinets in 
USAC and the contractors' office suites. The file cabinets are locked 
when not in use and at the end of the business day. Access to these 
files is restricted to authorized USAC and its contractors' staffs.

RECORDS ACCESS PROCEDURES:
    Individuals wishing to request access to and/or amendment of 
records about themselves should follow the Notification Procedures 
below.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
    Individuals wishing to request an amendment of records about 
themselves should follow the Notification Procedures below.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES:
    Individuals wishing to determine whether this system of records 
contains information about themselves may do so by writing to 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a0d0d2c9d6c1c3d9e0c6c3c38ec7cfd6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6616140f1007051f2600050548010910">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>. Individuals requesting access must also comply with 
the FCC's Privacy Act regulations regarding verification of identity to 
gain access to the records (47 CFR part 0, subpart E).

EXEMPTIONS PROMULGATED FOR THE SYSTEM:
    None.

HISTORY:
    91 FR 9251 (Feb. 25, 2026).

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2026-21381 Filed 10-16-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P


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