USAC has a 19-member Board of Directors. Members of the Board of Directors provide leadership and guidance in USAC's administration of universal service.
All meetings of USAC's Board are open to the public and are held in Washington, DC. The quarterly meeting schedule and the non-quarterly meeting schedule are available along with the minutes from previous board meetings.
USAC's Board does not make policy or interpret statutes or rules or the intent of Congress, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), or any state or federal agency. Board members do not receive compensation for service on the Board, but are entitled to reimbursement for expenses directly incurred as a result of participation on the USAC Board.
Three directors represent incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) made up from the following:
Two directors represent interexchange carriers (IXCs) (i.e., long distance companies) made up from the following:
Three directors represent schools that are eligible to receive discounts.
One director represents libraries that are eligible to receive discounts.
Two directors represent rural health care providers that are eligible to receive discounts.
Seven directors, each representing one of the following:
USAC's chief executive officer is also a Board member.
Sixty days before the expiration of a Board member's term, the industry or non-industry group that is represented by that member nominates, by consensus, a new candidate. The industry or non-industry group submits the name of its nominee, along with relevant professional and biographical information, to the Chairman of the FCC. Only members of the industry or non-industry group that a Board member will represent may submit a nomination for that position.
The Chairman of the FCC reviews the nominations submitted by industry and non-industry groups and selects each member of USAC's Board. If an industry or non-industry group does not reach consensus on a nominee or fails to submit a nomination for a position on the Board, the Chairman of the FCC can select the representative for the group.
USAC's corporate by-laws have been adopted by the Board of Directors and establish the rules governing the management of the corporation, such as annual meeting dates, quorum requirements, committees, and officer duties. The current committees of the Board of Directors include: