What is the Telephone Relay Service Surcharge?
The Telecommunications Relay Service Fund (TRS Fund) charge supports the service that enables speaking and/or hearing-impaired individuals to communicate over the telephone network. Under Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all telephone companies must provide relay services free of charge to users either directly or through state programs throughout the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and all of the U.S. territories. All telephone subscribers are billed one TRS Fund charge per phone line whether a household uses the service or not. This charge varies by state and is also known as the Telecommunications Access System Act Surcharge, the Telecommunications Relay Service Surcharge or as compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
