Sponsors (7)
Official title: To update the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010.
Introduced April 16, 2026 by Debbie Dingell · Last progress April 16, 2026
The bill substantially improves accessibility, usability, and enforcement for people with disabilities across video and communications technologies, but it does so at the cost of significant compliance and administrative burdens, possible coverage gaps, and risks of higher prices or uneven implementation.
People with hearing, vision, speech, and cognitive disabilities will get substantially broader access to video and communications: mandatory captions, audio description, sign-language support, real‑time visual‑description, simplified interfaces, and accessible conferencing across internet‑delivered, on‑demand, device, and conferencing platforms.
Deaf, hard‑of‑hearing, DeafBlind, and speech‑disabled users will have improved emergency and real‑time communications access through relay parity with 9‑1‑1, defined communication facilitators, expanded relay eligibility, and mandated real‑time sign‑language customer support.
Accessible features will be easier to find and enable: devices must prompt users at first power‑on or after reset, providers must label and make audio‑described programming searchable, and plain‑language/simplified interfaces will aid usability.
Small platforms, manufacturers, video providers, and app makers will face significant development, production, and operational costs to implement captions, audio description, sign‑language support, and other accessibility features—costs that may be passed to consumers or reduce product choice.
Exclusions for consumer‑generated media and the possibility of economic‑burden waivers for small providers create persistent coverage gaps, leaving many user‑created videos and content from resource‑constrained providers inaccessible.
Multiple rulemakings, advisory committee steps, recurring reviews, and added reporting requirements create administrative burden and regulatory uncertainty for industry and the FCC, risking delayed or uneven implementation.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Expands accessibility rules for video, devices, conferencing, and customer support; directs the FCC to set technical standards, timelines, and recurring reporting.
Expands accessibility requirements across video programming, playback devices, video conferencing, and customer support so people with disabilities can access internet-delivered and live video content, interfaces, and support services. It updates statutory definitions, directs the FCC to issue technical and compliance rules and timelines, and requires periodic reporting and reviews of emerging technologies. Requires the FCC to write new or revised rules on closed captioning, audio description, device accessibility, interoperable video conferencing features, real‑time sign‑language customer support, and studies of emerging technologies; imposes compliance obligations on manufacturers, service providers, and software vendors; and mandates recurring FCC reports on complaints and accessibility barriers.