20160429Decision Memo.pdf

DECISION MEMORANDUM 1
DECISION MEMORANDUM

TO: COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER
COMMISSIONER RAPER
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON
COMMISSION SECRETARY
COMMISSION STAFF

FROM: DON HOWELL
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL

DATE: APRIL 29, 2016

SUBJECT: STAFF APPLICATION FOR AN ORDER APPROVING THE
DISTRIBUTION OF TIER 2 QPAP FUNDS, CASE NO. GNR-T-16-04

On April 27, 2016, Commission Staff filed an Application requesting that the
Commission authorize the disbursement of the remaining balance of Tier 2 funds accumulated
under the Qwest Performance Assurance Plan (QPAP). Section 271 of the federal
Telecommunications Act of 1996 established procedures for Bell Operating Companies (such as
Qwest’s predecessor U S WEST) to obtain authorization from the Federal Communications
Commission before providing in-region interLATA and interstate telecommunications services.
47 U.S.C. § 271; Application at 1-2. If Qwest failed to meet the various performance standards
set out in its QPAP, the plan required that Qwest make remedial payments to either the affected
local exchange carrier or to a fund established by the state commission. Payments to the Tier 2
accounts were discontinued in November 2010 per Order No. 32106.
Given the discontinuance of the Tier 2 payments, Staff believes it is now appropriate
to disburse the funds. The current balance of the consolidated Tier 2 QPAP accounts is
$89,710.56 as of April 1, 2016. Staff recommends that the funds be disbursed to the two
telecommunications programs identified below. Staff further recommends that the Application
be processed under Modified Procedure.
THE APPLICATION
A. Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline
The first program recommended to receive a portion of the Tier 2 funds is the Idaho
Suicide Prevention Hotline administered by the Department of Health & Welfare, Division of
Behavioral Health. According to statistics from the Suicide Prevention Action Network of
DECISION MEMORANDUM 2
Idaho, suicide is the second leading cause of death for Idahoans aged 15-34. Application at 3
(footnote omitted). The Department of Health & Welfare has also identified four special at-risk
groups in Idaho. The first of these at-risk groups for suicide is male teenagers between the ages
of 15 and 17 years old. Id. (footnote omitted).
To address this priority at-risk group, the Suicide Prevention Hotline proposes to
launch a new telecommunications service called “Texts for Life” to reach people who are more
comfortable texting or using on-line chat services. The new service would focus on increasing
“support for youth and other groups who favor these technologies, such as veterans.” Id. at 4.
The Division of Behavioral Health has proposed to utilize approximately $44,900 of QPAP
funds to procure the following equipment and facilities to implement this program:
1. $18,000 to build and equip six additional workstations with telephones,
computers, power-jack wiring.

2. $6,000 to improve acoustic dampening between and among the existing
responder workstations and the new workstations.

3. $4,000 for two LED wall displays showing the waiting queue for calls and
texts.

4. $4,000 for ICAROL IT software to provide crisis texts & chat
functionality and voice-call management for one year.

5. $5,000 for access and security systems.

6. $7,900 for office supplies, other equipment, and administrative
management.

Application at 4; Exh. 1.
B. Idaho Emergency Communications Standards
The second program recommended by Staff is based upon a proposal from the Idaho
Emergency Communications Commission (IECC). This program would utilize approximately
$44,910 of QPAP funding to develop employment, training, and certification standards for
emergency dispatchers located at public safety call centers (911 centers). Id. at 4. The POST
Academy has a voluntary dispatcher training program. Application at 5. The IECC proposes to
use the QPAP funds to develop the curriculum and standards for a mandatory certification and
recertification program at the Police Officer Standards & Training (POST) Academy at about
$10,000 per year. “Utilizing available QPAP funds would provide the necessary funding for
DECISION MEMORANDUM 3
approximately four years while other funding solutions are identified.” Id. If approved, funding
would be transferred to the IECC and eventually to the POST Academy. Exh. 2.
Staff believes that the available QPAP funds can be put to good use by these two
programs. Staff believes that these communications programs are competitively and
technologically neutral, do not favor any telecommunications carrier, and are in the public
interest. Staff recommends the Commission process this case under Modified Procedure and
suggests a 21-day comment period and 7-day reply period by Staff, if necessary.
COMMISSION DECISION
Does the Commission wish to issue a Notice of Application and Notice of Modified
Procedure regarding Staff’s Application for an Order approving the disbursement of the
remaining balance of the QPAP funds to these two proposals?
Does the Commission wish to set a 21-day comment period and a 7-day reply
period?
Anything else?

bls/M:GNR-T-16-04_don