ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT States Want To Maintain Oversight In FCC's Lifeline Program Law360 (April 21, 2021, 10:15 PM EDT) -- Congress should not discard a key eligibility requirement for telecom carriers to qualify for the FCC's Lifeline program because that would weaken the low-income subsidy program and lead to fraud and abuse, dozens of state utility regulators say. A group representing public service commissions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories urged multiple committee leaders on Capitol Hill to reject a proposal to drop the Eligible Telecommunications Carrier designation. The ETC qualifications were created under federal law so state regulators could approve carriers for federal universal service programs, including Lifeline.