Interstate TRS Fund
Frequently Asked Questions

A: The Interstate Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund is used to support communications service for persons who have hearing or speech disabilities or who are deaf-blind.  

A: On March 7, 2011, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) awarded Rolka Loube Saltzer Associates, LLC (RLSA) of Harrisburg, PA a contract to administer the Interstate TRS Fund, beginning a transition of fund administration from the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) to RLSA.  See the public notice here. The official transition date was July 1, 2011.

For proof that NECA is no longer administering the Interstate TRS Fund and that we have taken over, please see public notices from the FCC about the transition including this one: http://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-names-new-interstate-trs-fund-manager

A: This is an online invoice and payment authorization system for telecommunications carriers who must contribute to the Interstate TRS Fund.  It is a customized web product called inLattice, licensed by RLSA from a third party vendor, infonics.

A: Invoices and payment status can be viewed and printed from the Interstate TRS Fund Administration Portal if your company’s account has been set up within the system.  The portal can be accessed at r-l-s-a.inlattice.com.

A: This part of our site is exclusively for telecommunications carriers.  To gain access to this part of our site, please contact us at trs@r-l-s-a.com or 717-231-6669.

A: Try the “forgot password” option:

Enter your username and select forgot password.

A window will prompt you for your email address. Enter it and submit it.

You will then receive an email from the site with your correct login credentials.

A: There is another step. After you have updated your bank account information, you also need to authorize the payment on the portal site. That option is found under the pay this invoice menu.

A: Although we recognize that your company may be used to receiving Interstate TRS Fund invoices through USPS, we have set up a modern electronic portal which will notify you via email when a new invoice is posted. 

Through this system:

• You will be able to receive your invoice much faster than USPS can deliver it.

• You can print your invoice if and when you like.

• The time between receiving the TRS invoice and the due date are greatly expanded using this portal. 

• You can review unpaid and paid invoices.

• You can make a last minute payment that will be considered on time if it is authorized by 5 PM on the day it’s due, rather than hoping your USPS check payment arrives by noon (banking deadline to receive and process a payment) that day. 

• The expense your company experiences (for the check stock, envelope, mailing and handling costs) is reduced or eliminated.

• Copies of the invoice can be distributed more widely at reduced expense in less time.

• We can keep your contact information up to date more quickly

Please contact us if you need to discuss the delivery of invoices.

A: The assessment is calculated using FCC Form 499A data, from various lines and columns as follows:

(420(d) + 420(e) + 412(e) – 511(b)) x [assessment rate] = [annual assessment]

The assessment rate for 2011-2012 is 0.01058.  (Note that the 2010-2011 rate of 0.00585 was about half of the previous and successive rates.  The 2009-2010 rate was .01137) 

A: The method to calculate the assessment has not changed; however, the assessment rate does change each year.  The 2010-2011 assessment rate was about 50% of the normal rate.  The 2011-2012 rate is 0.01058. Historical rate information can be found in the FACTOR column at: http://www.r-l-s-a.com/TRS/RELAYRATESHISTORY.pdf. 

A: See the filing instructions for the Form 499-A form on USAC’s website.  There are sections on jurisdiction, contribution calculations and many references to the laws and rules that support the calculation, determined by the FCC. http://www.usac.org/_res/documents/fund-administration/pdf/forms/form-499A-fy2011-instructions.pdf 

A: Yes. If your company’s annual assessment is more than $1200, we have divided it into 12 installments so that your company can benefit from the interest received and the use of your capital throughout the year.  However, if your company wishes to pay the annual assessment in advance, please contact us at trs@r-l-s-a.com or 717-231-6669.  In a subsequent month, we can invoice your company for the remainder of the annual assessment due.  Your company should pay the invoice(s) that you have already received.

A: The fund rules do not offer the option for quarterly billing. If you would like to pay quarterly, you can pay three times the monthly invoice, by check or ACH debit*.  If you prefer to pay semi-annually, multiply the monthly assessment by 6. 

*Companies who want to overpay are welcome to do so, however, our online payment portal only allows payment of the invoiced amount, not more or less.  In order to pay a different amount than invoiced, a check must be mailed OR an ACH credit must be initiated through your financial organization.  Contact us at trs@r-l-s-a.com or 717-231-6669 for those alternate payment options.

A: All companies are subject to late filing sanctions regarding the Form 499-A, as it is a required filing regardless of de minimis status.

If a TRS fund contributor is more than 30 days late (i.e. delinquent) in filing a Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet (“Worksheet”) Form 499-A, the Administrator may assess an administrative remedial charge for reasonable administrative expenses resulting from improper filing or failure to file, as well as interest on overdue contributions.

The minimum administratively imposed remedial charge imposed for failure to timely submit a Worksheet is $100.

The Commission may also pursue enforcement action against delinquent contributors and late filers, and assess costs for collection activities in addition to those imposed by the Administrator.

Companies may continue to receive late filing sanctions on a monthly basis for forms not submitted to the administrator by the due date, until such time as the form is submitted.

A: The finance charge rate applicable to late payments is the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) interest rate for underpayments for the calendar quarter beginning July 1. The rate can be found at the IRS website, www.irs.gov, or at 26 CFR 301-6621-1.

The minimum late payment penalty charged each month will be $1.00.

A: Contact us at trs@r-l-s-a.com or 717-231-6669.

A: We have not forgotten the remittance address.  We intentionally did not include a postal mailing address on the invoice for several reasons.  The primary reason is that most of the invoices are distributed electronically through the Interstate TRS Fund Administration Portal, where it is easy to supply banking information and authorize an ACH debit to pay the invoice(s).  Mailed invoices as well as those distributed electronically include ways to reach us so that we can discuss the payment options.  We encourage all carriers to provide electronic communications means as well as pay electronically because of a myriad of benefits.  We would be happy to provide you with those advantages as well.  Contact us at trs@r-l-s-a.com or 717-231-6669 for more information.  In order of our preference, payment options include ACH debit through the portal, ACH credit initiated from your financial organization, and paper check via courier or USPS.  Of these, a check is the most expensive method for you to use to pay a bill, especially if you send it via courier rather than USPS, which takes the longest and is the least reliable with regard to arrival date.

A: Payments can be set up for ACH debit from your account, through the Interstate TRS Administration Portal.  If you do not have credentials to logon, please contact us at trs@r-l-s-a.com or 717-231-6669.  An ACH credit can be initiated from your financial organization or a check payment can be sent by USPS or by courier.  Please contact us for details.  For fraud and theft prevention, we do not post those details to our website.

A: You will see the following information:

(Your name)       (Your ID)

INTERSTATE TRS               (Your account number)

A: Payments are posted in our network first, then our files go to the bank. It may take up to 5 days for the amount to be deducted from your bank account.  Your payment will be considered as having been made at the time of the authorization, not the date/time that it comes out of your account.

A: The ABA number we provide within the alternate payment instructions should show that it is associated with “Joint UPIC Account”, Winston-Salem, NC.

A: This is a costly way to pay and receive money.  Should this be the only method available to you to pay, you may contact us to discuss the fees associated with this payment method.

A: As the Interstate TRS Fund administrator, we receive the filing data from USAC.  If we have assessed a late filing penalty but your company’s filing was timely, contact USAC and they will in turn, correct the data they have provided to us.  We can then and only then, adjust your account.  USAC can be reached at 888-641-8722 or form499@usac.org

A: Click here www.r-l-s-a.com/trs/interstatetrs-W9.pdf

A: You can find Form 499-A information on USAC’s website at http://www.usac.org/fund-administration/forms/default.aspx

A: You can contact USAC at 888-641-8722 or form499@usac.org

A: Accounts can be grouped together where there is a match of contact information (namely the email address) provided to USAC through one of the following;

• Filing Form 499A,

• Filing an Alternative Billing Arrangements Form with USAC

• Other means acceptable to USAC, including emailing form499@usac.org

Once they have been grouped, the individual filer accounts that we have set up within the portal will no longer receive new invoices.

Group credentials will provide access to all of the grouped filer invoices from that point forward.  Individuals associated with the individual filers will still receive notifications that an invoice has been added to the Interstate TRS Fund Administration portal but unless they are given the group login credentials by the group’s primary contact, they won’t be able to access those invoices. 

We will not give the group credentials to anyone other than the group’s primary contact.

A: The Interstate TRS Fund Extranet is only for registered TRS service providers, not telecommunications carriers.  To gain access to this system, contact msaltzer@r-l-s-a.com for the forms needed to register.  Providers will also need to acquire a FCC Registration Number (FRN), which may require a separate registration process with the FCC.  See https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/coresWeb/publicHome.do for details.

A: The first filing requesting reimbursement cannot be submitted for 30 days after we receive 1) notice of participation and 2) if a VRS provider, a call center list.  Thus, if RLSA receives the form(s) on December 31, RLSA cannot accept the first filing requesting reimbursement until January 30.  January service, however, is not due to be submitted for reimbursement until the 10th business day of February.  Filings that make that deadline will be considered for reimbursement on the March payment schedule.  Filings that miss the filing deadline will delay the reimbursement.

A: Telecommunications carriers and general questions can be directed to trs@r-l-s-a.com or 717-231-6669.  Questions specific to service providers or the content of this website can be directed to msaltzer@r-l-s-a.com. For additional contact information, use the link at the bottom of this page.