Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval to the Office of Management and Budget, 48419-48420 [2016-17502]

Agencies

• FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 142 (Monday, July 25, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48419-48420]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-17502]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0298, 3060-0400, 3060-0819]


Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval 
to the Office of Management and Budget

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, 
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3501-3520), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) 
invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this 
opportunity to comment on the following information collections. 
Comments are requested concerning: Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; 
ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the 
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the 
information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer 
than 25 employees. The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of 
information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) control number. No person shall be subject to any 
penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject 
to the PRA that does not display a valid OMB control number.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before August 24, 
2016. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find 
it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, 
you should advise the contacts below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, OMB, via 
email Nicholas_A._Fraser@omb.eop.gov; and to Nicole Ongele, FCC, via 
email PRA@fcc.gov and to Nicole.Ongele@fcc.gov. Include in the comments 
the OMB control number as shown in the Supplementary Information 
section below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies 
of the information collection, contact Nicole Ongele at (202) 418-2991. 
To view a copy of this information collection request (ICR) submitted 
to OMB: (1) Go to the Web page <https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain>, (2) look for the section of the Web page called ``Currently 
Under Review,'' (3) click on the downward-pointing arrow in the 
``Select Agency'' box below the ``Currently Under Review'' heading, (4) 
select ``Federal Communications Commission'' from the list of agencies 
presented in the ``Select Agency'' box, (5) click the ``Submit'' button 
to the right of the ``Select Agency'' box, (6) when the list of FCC 
ICRs currently under review appears, look for the OMB control number of 
this ICR and then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC 
submission to OMB will be displayed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0298.
    Title: Part 61, Tariffs (Other than Tariff Review Plan).
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 2,840 respondents; 4,277 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 30 hours-50 hours.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. 151-155, 201-205, 208, 251-271, 403, 502, and 503 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion, annual, biennial, and one-time 
reporting requirements.
    Total Annual Burden: 156,080 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $1,307,670.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission is not 
requesting that the respondents submit confidential information to the 
FCC. Respondents may, however, request confidential treatment for 
information they believe to be confidential under 47 CFR 0.459 of the 
Commission's rules.
    Needs and Uses: On March 23, 2016, the Commission adopted a Report 
and Order, FCC 16-33, which reformed universal service for rate-of-
return local exchange carriers (LECs). These reforms require 
approximately 95 rate-of-return LECs to make one-time tariff filings 
and NECA to make two tariff filings with the necessary support 
materials outside the normal annual filing period. We note that we are 
removing the requirement that competitive and incumbent LECs make a 
one-time intrastate tariff filing to establish Voice over Internet 
Protocol rates at intrastate levels, as this requirement has been met. 
Part 61 of the Commission's Rules, 47 CFR part 61, prescribes the 
framework for the initial establishment of and subsequent revisions to 
tariffs. The information collected through the carriers' tariffs and 
supporting documentation is used by the Commission and state 
commissions to determine whether the services are offered in a just and 
reasonable manner.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0400.
    Title: Part 61, Tariff Review Plan (TRP).
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 2,840 respondents; 5,437 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.5 hours-53 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion, annual, biennial, and one-time 
reporting requirements.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. 201, 202, 203, and 251(b)(5) of the Communications Act of 1934, 
as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 66,000 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Respondents are not being 
asked to submit confidential information to the Commission. If the 
Commission requests respondents to submit information which respondents 
believe are confidential, respondents may request confidential 
treatment of such information under 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's 
rules.
    Needs and Uses: On March 23, 2016, the Commission adopted the Rate-
of-Return Order, FCC 16-33, which reformed universal service for rate-
of-return local exchange carriers (LECs). These reforms require rate-
of-return LECs to make tariff filings with the necessary support 
materials outside the normal tariff filing period. We note that

[[Page 48420]]

at this time, we are removing the requirement that competitive and 
incumbent LECs make a one-time intrastate tariff filing to establish 
Voice over Internet Protocol rates at intrastate levels, as this 
requirement has been met.
    Sections 201, 202, and 203 of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended (the Act) require common carriers to establish just and 
reasonable charges, practices, and regulations for their interstate 
telecommunications services provided. For services that are still 
covered under Section 203, tariff schedules containing charges, rates, 
rules, and regulations must be filed with the Commission. Part 61 of 
the Commission's Rules, 47 CFR part 61, prescribes the framework for 
the establishment of and subsequent revisions to tariffs. Certain local 
exchange carriers are required to submit a biennial or annual Tariff 
Review Plan (TRP) in partial fulfillment of cost support material 
required by Part 61. The Commission developed the TRP to minimize 
reporting burdens on reporting incumbent local exchange carriers 
(ILECs). TRPs set forth the summary material ILECs file to support 
revisions to the rates in their interstate access service tariffs. For 
those services still requiring cost support, TRPs assist the Commission 
in determining whether ILEC access charges are just and reasonable as 
required under the Act.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0819.
    Title: Lifeline and Link Up Reform and Modernization, 
Telecommunications Carriers Eligible for Universal Service Support, 
Connect America Fund.
    Form Numbers: FCC Form 497, 555, & 481.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Individuals or households and business or other for-
profit.
    Number of Respondents: 21,162,260 respondents; 23,956,240 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: .0167 hours-250 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Annual and on occasion reporting 
requirements and third party disclosure requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    Total Annual Burden: 13,484,412 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $937,500.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: Yes. The Commission completed a 
Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) for some of the information collection 
requirements contain in this collect. The PIA was published in the 
Federal Register at 78 FR 73535 on December 6, 2013. The PIA may be 
reviewed at: https://www.fcc.gov/omd/privacyact/Privacy_Impact_Assessment.html.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Some of the requirements 
contained in this information collection do affect individuals or 
households, and thus, there are impacts under the Privacy Act. The 
FCC's system of records notice (SORN), FCC/WCB-1, ``Lifeline Program.'' 
The Commission will use the information contained in FCC/WCB-1 to cover 
the personally identifiable information (PII) that is required as part 
of the Lifeline Program (``Lifeline''). As required by the Privacy Act 
of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a, the Commission also published a 
SORN, FCC/WCB-1 ``Lifeline Program'' in the Federal Register on 
December 6, 2013 (78 FR 73535).
    Also, respondents may request materials or information submitted to 
the Commission or to the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC 
or Administrator) be withheld from public inspection under 47 CFR 0.459 
of the FCC's rules. We note that USAC must preserve the confidentiality 
of all data obtained from respondents; must not use the data except for 
purposes of administering the universal service programs; and must not 
disclose data in company-specific form unless directed to do so by the 
Commission.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this information 
collection after this comment period to obtain the full, three-year 
clearance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The 
Commission also proposes several revisions to this information 
collection.
    On April 27, 2016, the Commission released an order reforming its 
low-income universal service support mechanisms. Lifeline and Link Up 
Reform and Modernization; Telecommunications Carriers Eligible for 
Universal Service Support; Connect America Fund, WC Docket Nos. 11-42, 
09-197, 10-90, Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Order on 
Reconsideration, and Further Report and Order, (Lifeline Third Reform 
Order). This revised information collection addresses requirements to 
carry out the programs to which the Commission committed itself in the 
Lifeline Third Reform Order. Under this information collection, the 
Commission seeks to revise the information collection to comply with 
the Commission's new rules, adopted in the Lifeline Third Reform Order, 
regarding phasing out support for mobile voice over the next six years, 
requiring Eligible Telecommunications Carriers (ETCs) to certify 
compliance with the new minimum service requirements, creating a new 
ETC designation for Lifeline Broadband Providers (LBPs), updating the 
obligations to advertise Lifeline offerings, modifying the non-usage 
de-enrollment requirements within the program, moving to rolling annual 
subscriber recertification, and streamlining the first-year ETC audit 
requirements. Also, the Commission seeks to update the number of 
respondents for all the existing information collection requirements, 
thus increasing the total burden hours for some requirements and 
decreasing the total burden hours for other requirements. Finally, the 
Commission seeks to revise the FCC Forms 555, 497, and 481 to 
incorporate the new Commission rules and modify the filings for FCC 
Forms 555 and 497 to include detailed field descriptions.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-17502 Filed 7-22-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P