Notice2021-21271
Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 30, 2021
Issuing agencies
Federal Communications Commission
Abstract
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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 187 (Thursday, September 30, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 187 (Thursday, September 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54190-54191]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21271]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[OMB 3060-0463, FR ID 50435]
Information Collections 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 November 29,
2021. 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:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#84d4d6c5c4e2e7e7aae3ebf2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f4a4a6b5b4929797da939b82">[email protected]</span></a> and to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4c0f2d382435621b252020252d213f0c2a2f2f622b233a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fbb89a8f9382d5ac929797929a9688bb9d9898d59c948d">[email protected]</span></a>.
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 for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities;
Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Service Program; Misuse of
internet Protocol (IP) Captioned Telephone Service, CG Docket Nos. 03-
123, 10-51, and 13-24.
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; 7,988
responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 0.1 hours (6 minutes) to 80 hours.
Frequency of Response: Annually, semi-annually, eight times a year,
monthly, on occasion, one-time, and quarterly 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, in Title IV of the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990, Public Law 101-336, 104 Stat. 327, 366-69.
Total Annual Burden: 14,524 hours.
Total Annual Cost: $291,700.
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 <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/general/privacy-act-information#pia">https://www.fcc.gov/general/privacy-act-information#pia</a>. 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, among other things:
(1) Required internet-based 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
(2) directed the TRS Fund administrator to expand its data
collection forms accordingly.
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).
[[Page 54191]]
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, interstate speech-to-speech service (STS), captioned
telephone service (CTS), and Internet Protocol captioned telephone
service (IP CTS) 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) adopted a cost recovery methodology for Internet Protocol (IP)
Relay based on a price cap like methodology;
(3) adopted a cost recovery methodology for video relay service
(VRS) that adopted tiered rates based on call volume;
(4) clarified the nature and extent that certain categories of
costs are compensable from the Fund; and
(5) addressed certain issues concerning the management and
oversight of the Fund, including prohibiting financial incentives
offered to consumers to make relay calls.
The 2007 TRS Cost Recovery Order requires that state relay
administrators and TRS providers submit to the TRS Fund administrator
the following information annually, for intrastate traditional TRS,
STS, and CTS:
(1) The per-minute compensation rate(s) and other compensation
received for the provision of TRS;
(2) whether the rate applies to session minutes or conversation
minutes, which are a subset of session minutes;
(3) the number of intrastate session minutes; and
(4) the number of intrastate conversation minutes.
Also, STS providers must 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.
In 2011, to help prevent waste, fraud, and abuse, the Commission
adopted three VRS orders to curtail these harmful practices. Each of
these orders (collectively, the 2011 VRS Orders) included information
collection requirements.
On April 6, 2011, in document FCC 11-54, the Commission released
the 2011 Fraud Prevention Order, published at 76 FR 30841, May 27,
2011, which included several measures designed to eliminate the waste,
fraud and abuse, while ensuring that VRS remains a viable and a
valuable communication tool for Americans who use it on a daily basis.
On July 28, 2011, in document FCC 11-118 the Commission released
the VRS Certification Order, published at 76 FR 47469, August 5, 2011,
amending its rules for certifying internet-based TRS providers as
eligible for payment from the Interstate TRS Fund (Fund) for their
provision of internet-based TRS.
On October 17, 2011, in document FCC 11-155, the Commission
released the Second VRS Certification Order, published at 76 FR 67070,
October 31, 2011, addressing three petitions related to the VRS
Certification Order by revising the burdens contained in the
requirements for the submission of documentation of a provider's VRS
equipment and technologies and the submission of documentation
regarding sponsorship arrangements.
The following are the final information collection requirements
contained in the 2011 VRS Orders:
(1) The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer
(CFO), or other senior executive of a TRS provider shall certify, under
penalty of perjury, that: (1) Minutes submitted to the Interstate TRS
Fund (Fund) administrator for compensation were handled in compliance
with the Commission's rules and are not the result of impermissible
financial incentives to generate calls, and (2) cost and demand data
submitted to the Fund administrator related to the determination of
compensation rates are true and correct.
(2) VRS providers shall: (a) Submit to the Commission and the TRS
Fund administrator a call center report twice a year and (b) notify the
Commission and the TRS Fund administrator at least 30 days prior to any
change to their call centers' locations.
(3) VRS providers shall submit detailed call data records (CDRs)
and speed of answer compliance data to the Fund administrator.
(4) TRS providers shall use an automated record keeping system to
capture the CDRs and shall submit such data electronically in
standardized form to the TRS Fund administrator.
(5) internet-based TRS providers shall retain the CDRs that are
used to support payment claims submitted to the Fund administrator for
a minimum of five years, in an electronic format.
(6) VRS providers shall: (a) Maintain copies of all third-party
contracts or agreements and make them available to the Commission and
the TRS Fund administrator upon request; and (b) describe all
agreements in connection with marketing and outreach activities in
their annual submissions to the TRS Fund administrator.
(7) TRS providers shall provide information about their TRS
whistleblower protections to all employees and contractors, in writing.
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. 2021-21271 Filed 9-29-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.