Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission, 44049-44050 [2018-18690]

Agencies

• FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 168 (Wednesday, August 29, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44049-44050]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-18690]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0463]


Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal 
Communications Commission

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, 
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 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 October 29, 
2018. 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 Cathy Williams, FCC, via email: 
[email protected] and to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the 
information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0463.
    Title: Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech 
Services

[[Page 44050]]

for Individuals With Hearing and Speech Disabilities, CG Docket No. 03-
123.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Individuals or 
household; State, Local and Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 5,072 respondents; 7,314 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.5 hours (30 minutes) to 80 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Annually, monthly, on occasion, and one-time 
reporting requirements; Recordkeeping and Third-Party Disclosure 
requirements.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefit. The 
statutory authority for the information collection requirements is 
found at section 225 of the Communications Act, 47 U.S.C. 225. The law 
was enacted on July 26, 1990, as Title IV of the ADA, Public Law 101-
336, 104 Stat. 327, 366-69.
    Total Annual Burden: 12,342 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $10,800.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Confidentiality is an issue 
to the extent that individuals and households provide personally 
identifiable information, which is covered under the FCC's updated 
system of records notice (SORN), FCC/CGB-1, ``Informal Complaints, 
Inquiries, and Requests for Dispute Assistance.'' As required by the 
Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a, the Commission also published a SORN, FCC/
CGB-1 ``Informal Complaints, Inquiries, and Requests for Dispute 
Assistance,'' in the Federal Register on August 15, 2014 (79 FR 48152) 
which became effective on September 24, 2014.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: The FCC completed a Privacy Impact 
Assessment (PIA) on June 28, 2007. It may be reviewed at https://www.fcc.gov/general/privacy-act-information#pia. The Commission is in 
the process of updating the PIA to incorporate various revisions to it 
as a result of revisions to the SORN.

Needs and Uses

    On December 21, 2001, the Commission released the 2001 TRS Cost 
Recovery Order, document FCC 01-371, published at 67 FR 4203, January 
29, 2002, in which the Commission:
    (1) Directed the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) 
Fund (TRS Fund) administrator to continue to use the average cost per 
minute compensation methodology for the traditional TRS compensation 
rate;
    (2) required TRS providers to submit certain projected TRS-related 
cost and demand data to the TRS Fund administrator to be used to 
calculate the rate; and
    (3) directed the TRS Fund administrator to expand its form for 
providers to itemize their actual and projected costs and demand data, 
and to include specific sections to capture speech-to-speech (STS) and 
video relay service (VRS) costs and minutes of use.
    In 2003, the Commission released the 2003 Second Improved TRS 
Order, published at 68 FR 50973, August 25, 2003, which among other 
things required that TRS providers offer certain local exchange carrier 
(LEC)-based improved services and features where technologically 
feasible, including a speed dialing requirement which may entail 
voluntary recordkeeping for TRS providers to maintain a list of 
telephone numbers. See also 47 CFR 64.604(a)(3)(vi)(B).
    In 2007, the Commission released the Section 225/255 VoIP Report 
and Order, published at 72 FR 43546, August 6, 2007, extending the 
disability access requirements that apply to telecommunications service 
providers and equipment manufacturers under 47 U.S.C. 225, 255 to 
interconnected voice over internet protocol (VoIP) service providers 
and equipment manufacturers. As a result, under rules implementing 
section 225 of the Act, interconnected VoIP service providers are 
required to publicize information about telecommunications relay 
services (TRS) and 711 abbreviated dialing access to TRS. See also 47 
CFR 64.604(c)(3).
    In 2007, the Commission also released the 2007 Cost Recovery Report 
and Order and Declaratory Ruling, published at 73 FR 3197, January 17, 
2008, in which the Commission:
    (1) Adopted a new cost recovery methodology for interstate 
traditional TRS and interstate STS based on the Multi-state Average 
Rate Structure (MARS) plan, under which interstate TRS compensation 
rates are determined by weighted average of the states' intrastate 
compensation rates, and which includes for STS additional compensation 
approved by the Commission for STS outreach;
    (2) requires STS providers to file a report annually with the TRS 
Fund administrator and the Commission on their specific outreach 
efforts directly attributable to the additional compensation approved 
by the Commission for STS outreach.
    (3) adopted a new cost recovery methodology for interstate 
captioned telephone service (CTS), as well as internet Protocol 
captioned telephone service (IP CTS), based on the MARS plan;
    (4) adopted a cost recovery methodology for internet Protocol (IP) 
Relay based on price caps;
    (5) adopted a cost recovery methodology for VRS that adopted tiered 
rates based on call volume;
    (6) clarified the nature and extent that certain categories of 
costs are compensable from the Fund; and
    (7) addressed certain issues concerning the management and 
oversight of the Fund, including prohibiting financial incentives 
offered to consumers to make relay calls.
    In 2018, the Commission released the IP CTS Modernization Order, 
published at 83 FR 30082, June 27, 2018, in which the Commission:
    (1) Determined that it would transition the methodology for IP CTS 
cost recovery from the MARS plan to cost-based rates and adopted 
interim rates; and
    (2) added two cost reporting requirements for IP CTS providers: (i) 
In annual cost data filings and supplementary information provided to 
the TRS Fund administrator, IP CTS providers that contract for the 
supply of services used in the provision of TRS, shall include 
information about payments under such contracts, classified according 
to the substantive cost categories specified by the TRS Fund 
administrator; and (ii) in the course of an audit or otherwise upon 
demand, IP CTS providers must make available any relevant 
documentation. 47 CFR 64.604(c)(5)(iii)(D)(1), (6).

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-18690 Filed 8-28-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P