National Verifier December 20, 2019 Launch

The December 20, 2019 launch group consists of California, Oregon, and Texas (the NLAD opt-out states).

On December 20, 2019, the Lifeline National Verifier soft launched in the NLAD opt-out states through a partnership that enables consumers to continue using the states’ existing application process to obtain both state and federal Lifeline support.

California, Oregon, and Texas continue to manage eligibility verification and duplicate checking for the federal Lifeline program but the National Verifier uses state eligibility data to validate service provider claims for federal Lifeline support.

Additionally, the National Verifier performs reviews of state eligibility information and documentation to ensure that state eligibility determinations are made in accordance with FCC rules.

Enhanced Program Integrity Efforts

USAC relies upon data provided by these three states to ensure that claims for federal Lifeline reimbursement filed by service providers operating in these states are accurate.

Service providers must continue to file and certify their own claims in the Lifeline Claims System (LCS). USAC may reject a claim if it cannot be substantiated by state data, and the service provider will have to refile.

We encourage service providers to file their claims as soon as they are ready so any issues can be identified quickly.

National Verifier Applications

California, Oregon, and Texas manage eligibility verification and duplicate checking for the federal Lifeline program in parallel with administering their own state low-income subsidy programs.

However, there is an exception for standalone broadband subscribers in California, where the state does not verify the eligibility of subscribers. In that instance, the National Verifier verifies consumer eligibility. For more information on each state’s processes, please refer to the chart below.

Process by State

The table below provides a breakdown of each NLAD opt-out state and the specific Lifeline processes for that state.

State	Consumer	Application Process	Enrollment Process
CA	Consumers with broadband-only service type	Consumers apply with the assistance of their SP (through the NV).	SPs enroll consumers in NLAD.
CA	Consumers with voice or bundled service types	Consumers contact California Lifeline to begin the application process.	SPs enroll consumers through the state.
OR	All consumers	Consumers apply through the Oregon PUC.	SPs enroll consumers through the state.
TX	All consumers	Consumers apply through the Texas PUC.	SPs enroll consumers through the state.

Resources

For more information on state-specific processes, visit the California, Oregon, and Texas state Lifeline websites.

Full Launch

On November 18, 2020, the National Verifier fully launched in Texas and Oregon. The National Verifier fully launched in California on December 18, 2020.

Review the National Verifier Office Hours: Full Launch in Oregon and Texas slides for more information about the full launch for these two states.

Review the National Verifier Training: Full Launch in CA for more information about the full launch in California.

LCS

Review the LCS Training: NLAD Opt-Out State Process for more information about the claims process for all three states or review the LCS Office Hours: NLAD Opt-Out State Process for high-level information about this process.