Rule2023-14498
Closure of FCC Lockbox 979097 Used To File Fees for Services Provided by the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau
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
July 13, 2023
Effective
August 14, 2023
Issuing agencies
Federal Communications Commission
Abstract
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) adopts an Order that closes Lockbox 979097 and modifies the relevant rule provisions to require electronic filing and fee payments.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 133 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 133 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 44735-44737]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14498]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
47 CFR Parts 0, 1, and 80
[MD Docket No. 23-156; FCC 23-39; FR ID 145447]
Closure of FCC Lockbox 979097 Used To File Fees for Services
Provided by the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC
or Commission) adopts an Order that closes Lockbox 979097 and modifies
the relevant rule provisions to require electronic filing and fee
payments.
DATES: Effective August 14, 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Warren Firschein, Office of Managing
Director at (202) 418-2653 or Roland Helvajian, Office of Managing
Director at (202) 418-0444.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Order,
FCC 23-39, MD Docket No. 23-156, adopted on May 17, 2023 and released
on May 18, 2023, which is the subject of this rulemaking. The full text
of this document is available for public inspection and copying by
downloading the text from the Commission's website at <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/document/closure-lockbox-used-collect-fee-payments-wtb">https://www.fcc.gov/document/closure-lockbox-used-collect-fee-payments-wtb</a>.
I. Procedural Matters
A. Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
1. Section 603 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, as amended,
requires a regulatory flexibility analysis in notice and comment
rulemaking proceedings. See 5 U.S.C. 603(a). As we are adopting these
rules without notice and comment, no regulatory flexibility analysis is
required.
B. Final Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Analysis
2. This document does not contain new or modified information
collection requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), Public Law 104-13. In addition, therefore, it does not contain
any new or modified information collection burden for small business
concerns with fewer than 25 employees, pursuant to the Small Business
Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, Public Law 107-198, see 44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(4).
C. Congressional Review Act
3. The Commission will not send a copy of the Order pursuant to the
Congressional Review Act, see 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A), because the
adopted rules are rules of agency organization, procedure, or practice
that do not ``substantially affect the rights or obligations of non-
agency parties. See 5 U.S.C. 804(3)(C).
II. Introduction
4. In the Order, we reduce expenditures by the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) and modernize Commission
procedures by amending Sec. 1.1102 of our rules, 47 CFR 1.1102, which
sets forth the fees for applications and other filings processed by the
FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB). The rule amendment
reflects the closure of the P.O. Box 979097 (i.e., lockbox) \1\ used
for manual payment of filing fees for three different broad categories
of filings: (1) Site-based license applications; (2) Personal license
applications; and (3) Geographic-based license applications. We
discontinue the option of manual fee payments and instead require the
use of an electronic payment for each listing in this rule, and make
conforming changes to other related provisions.
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\1\ Our rules and other Commission documents refer to a series
of P.O. Boxes used for the collection of fees as ``lockboxes.''
These P.O. Boxes are located at U.S. Bank in St. Louis, Missouri.
Once a payment is received, it is processed and recorded by the
bank.
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5. Section 1.1102 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.1102,
provides a schedule of fees for applications and other filings
processed by WTB. The rule also directs filers that do not utilize the
Commission's on-line filing and fee payment systems to send manual
filings and/or payments to the Commission at P.O. Box 979097 at U.S.
Bank in St. Louis, Missouri. In recent years, there have been a
decreasing number of lockbox payments, and, although paper filings are
contemplated by the rule, WTB now requires electronic filing of all
wireless radio service applications and pleadings. As a result,
transition to all electronic payments is consistent with Commission-
wide efforts to digitize our systems and create efficient and more
accessible interactions with the agency.
6. The Commission has reduced its reliance on P.O. Boxes for the
collection of fees, instead encouraging the use of electronic payment
systems for all application and regulatory fees and closing certain
lockboxes. We find that electronic payment of fees for the services
processed by WTB reduces the agency's expenditures (including
eliminating the annual fee for the bank's services) and the cost of
manually processing each transaction, with little or no inconvenience
to the Commission's regulatees, applicants, and the public. As part of
this effort, we are now closing P.O. Box 979097 and modifying the
relevant rule provisions that permit manual filings and require payment
of fees via the closed P.O. Box. Specifically, Sec. Sec. 0.482,
1.1102, and 1.2107 are being modified to eliminate references to the
lockbox at U.S. Bank. In addition, Sec. 1.907 is being modified to
eliminate references to applications submitted on paper, and the
caption to Sec. 1.913 is being adjusted to eliminate a reference to
manual filing. In addition, we make minor modifications to our
[[Page 44736]]
rules to reflect the replacement of the Commission's prior payment
interface, Fee Filer, with a module contained within the Commission's
Registration System (CORES). These rule changes are contained in the
Appendix of the Order and the Final Rules of this document. We make
these changes without notice and comment because they are rules of
agency organization, procedure, or practice exempt from the general
notice-and-comment requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act,
see 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A).
7. Implementation of Lockbox Closure. As a temporary transition
measure, for 90 days after publication of this order in the Federal
Register, U.S. Bank will continue to process payments to P.O. Box
979097. After that date, payments for these WTB services must be made
in accordance with the procedures set forth on the Commission's
website, <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/wireless-fees">https://www.fcc.gov/wireless-fees</a>. For now, such payments will
be made upon log-in at <a href="https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do">https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do</a>. Users
will then access the link Manage Existing FRNs, and subsequently FRN
Financials. Batch filers will use ULS Pay fees to make electronic
payments. In the event an applicant is unable to make an electronic
payment, the Commission's existing waiver standard in 47 CFR
1.925(b)(3) remains the appropriate vehicle to seek relief from the
electronic payment requirement. As we assess and implement U.S.
Treasury initiatives toward an all-electronic payment system, we may
transition to other secure payment systems with appropriate public
notice and guidance.
III. Ordering Clauses
9. Accordingly, it is ordered, that pursuant to sections 4(i),
4(j), 158, 208, and 224 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended,
47 U.S.C. 154(i), 154(j), 158, 208, and 224, the Order is hereby
adopted and the rules set forth in the Appendix of the Order are hereby
amended effective August 14, 2023.
List of Subjects
47 CFR Part 0
Organization and functions (Government agencies).
47 CFR Part 1
Administrative practice and procedure.
47 CFR Part 80
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary.
Final Rules
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal
Communications Commission amends 47 CFR parts 0, 1, and 80 as follows:
PART 0--COMMISSION ORGANIZATION
0
1. The authority citation for part 0 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 154(j), 155, 225, and 409,
unless otherwise noted.
0
2. Amend Sec. 0.482 by revising the first sentence to read as follows:
Sec. 0.482 Application for waiver of wireless radio service rules.
All requests for waiver of the rules (see Sec. 1.925 of this
chapter) governing the Wireless Radio Services (see Sec. 1.907 of this
chapter) that require a fee (see Sec. 1.1102 of this chapter) shall be
submitted via the Universal Licensing System. * * *
PART 1--PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE
0
3. The authority citation for part 1 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 47 U.S.C. chs. 2, 5, 9, 13; 28 U.S.C. 2461 note,
unless otherwise noted.
0
4. Amend Sec. 1.907 by revising the definition of ``Receipt date'' to
read as follows:
Sec. 1.907 Definitions.
* * * * *
Receipt date. The date an electronic application is received at the
appropriate location at the Commission.
* * * * *
0
5. Amend Sec. 1.913 by revising the section heading to read as
follows:
Sec. 1.913 Application and notification forms; electronic filing.
* * * * *
0
6. Amend Sec. 1.1102 by revising the last sentence of paragraph (a) to
read as follows:
Sec. 1.1102 Schedule of charges for applications and other filings in
the wireless telecommunications services.
* * * * *
(a) * * * Manual filings and/or payments for these services are no
longer accepted.
* * * * *
0
7. Amend Sec. 1.1109 by revising the introductory text to read as
follows:
Sec. 1.1109 Schedule of charges for applications and other filings
for the Homeland services.
Payments should be made electronically using the Commission's
electronic filing and payment system in accordance with the procedures
set forth on the Commission's website, <a href="http://www.fcc.gov/licensing-databases/fees">www.fcc.gov/licensing-databases/fees</a>. Manual filings and/or payments for these services are no longer
accepted.
* * * * *
0
8. Amend Sec. 1.1111 by revising paragraph (b) to read as follows:
Sec. 1.1111 Payment of charges.
* * * * *
(b) Applicants may access the Commission's on-line filing systems
at <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/licensing-databases/online-filing">https://www.fcc.gov/licensing-databases/online-filing</a>, and the
Commission's fee payment module through the FRN access page of the
Commission's Registration System at <a href="https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/paymentFrnLogin.do">https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/paymentFrnLogin.do</a>. Applicants who use the on-line processes will be
directed to the appropriate electronic application and payment forms
for completion and submission of the required application(s) and
payment information.
* * * * *
0
9. Amend Sec. 1.2107 by revising the first sentence of paragraph (b)
to read as follows:
Sec. 1.2107 Submission of down payment and filing of long-form
applications.
* * * * *
(b) Unless otherwise specified by public notice, within ten (10)
business days after being notified that it is a high bidder on a
particular license(s), a high bidder must electronically submit to the
Commission such additional funds (the ``down payment'') as are
necessary to bring its total deposits (not including upfront payments
applied to satisfy bid withdrawal or default payments) up to twenty
(20) percent of its high bid(s). * * *
* * * * *
PART 80--STATIONS IN THE MARITIME SERVICES
0
10. The authority citation for part 80 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151-155, 301-609; 3 U.S.T. 3450, 3 U.S.T.
4726, 12 U.S.T. 2377.
0
11. Amend Sec. 80.59 by revising the first sentence in paragraph
(c)(2) to read as follows:
Sec. 80.59 Compulsory ship inspections.
* * * * *
(c) * * *
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(2) Feeable applications for exemption must be filed electronically
using the Commission's Universal Licensing System. * * *
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2023-14498 Filed 7-12-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on July 13, 2023.
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