Notice2023-17008
Information Collection 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
August 9, 2023
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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 152 (Wednesday, August 9, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 152 (Wednesday, August 9, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53891-53893]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-17008]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[OMB 3060-1089; FR ID 160423]
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.
DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before October
10, 2023. 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 contact listed below as soon as possible.
ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Cathy Williams, FCC, via email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d080829190b6b3b3feb7bfa6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4d1d1f0c0d2b2e2e632a223b">[email protected]</span></a> and to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5112302539287f06383d3d38303c22113732327f363e27"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c98aa8bda1b0e79ea0a5a5a0a8a4ba89afaaaae7aea6bf">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the
information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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.
OMB Control No.: 3060-1089.
Title: Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Service Program;
Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for
Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities, CG Docket Nos. 10-51
& 03-123.
Form No.: N/A.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; Individuals or
households; Not-for-profit institutions; State, Local or Tribal
Government.
Number of Respondents and Responses: 187,019 respondents; 1,836,456
responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 0.05 hours (3 minutes) to 300 hours.
Frequency of Response: Annual, monthly, on occasion, on-going, one-
time, and quarterly reporting requirements; Recordkeeping requirement;
and Third-Party Disclosure requirements.
Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The
statutory authority for the collection is contained in section 225 of
the Communications Act, 47 U.S.C. 225. The law was enacted on July 26,
1990, as Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA),
Public Law 101-336, 104 Stat. 327, 366-69, and amended by the Twenty-
First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010,
Public Law 111-260, 103(a), 124 Stat. 2751, 2755 (2010) (CVAA); Public
Law 111-265 (technical amendments to CVAA).
Total Annual Burden: 320,484 hours.
Annual Cost Burden: $280,200.
Needs and Uses: The telecommunications relay service (TRS) program
enables access to the nation's telephone network by persons with
hearing and speech disabilities. In 1991, as required by the Americans
with Disabilities Act and codified at 47 U.S.C. 225, the Commission
adopted rules governing the telecommunications relay services (TRS)
program and procedures for each state TRS program to apply for initial
Commission certification and renewal of Commission certification of
each state program. Telecommunications Services for Individuals with
Hearing and Speech Disabilities, and the Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1990, Report and Order and Request for Comments, document FCC
91-213, published at 56 FR 36729, August 1, 1991 (1991 TRS
Implementation Order).
Between 2008 and 2011, to integrate internet-based TRS into the
North American Numbering plan and facilitate interoperability,
universal calling, and 911 emergency services, the Commission adopted
rules in three separate orders related to the telephone numbering
system and enhanced 911 (E911) services for users of two forms of
internet-based TRS: Video Relay Service (VRS) and internet Protocol
Relay service (IP Relay). See document FCC 08-151, Report and Order and
Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, published at 73 FR 41286, July
18, 2008 (First Numbering Order); document FCC 08-275, Second Report
and Order and Order on Reconsideration, published at 73 FR 79683,
December 30, 2008 (Second Numbering Order); and document FCC 11-123,
Report and Order, published at 76 FR 59551, September 27, 2011
(internet-based TRS Toll Free Order).
The rules adopted in these three orders have information collection
[[Page 53892]]
requirements that include requiring VRS and IP Relay providers to:
register each user who selects the provider as his or her default
provider, including obtaining a self-certification from each user;
verify the accuracy of each user's registration information; provision
and maintain their registered users' routing information to the TRS
Numbering Directory; place their users' Registered Location and certain
callback information in Automatic Location Information (ALI) databases
across the country and provide a means for their users to update their
Registered Locations; include advisories on their websites and in any
promotional materials addressing numbering and E911 services for VRS or
IP Relay; verify in the TRS Numbering Directory whether each dial-
around user is registered with another provider; and if they provide
equipment to a consumer, make available to other VRS providers enough
information about that equipment to enable another VRS provider
selected as the consumer's default provider to perform all of the
functions of a default provider.
On July 28, 2011, the Commission released Structure and Practices
of the Video Relay Service Program, document FCC 11-118, published at
76 FR 47469, August 5, 2011, and at 76 FR 47476, August 5, 2011 (VRS
Certification Order), adopting final and interim rules--designed to
help prevent waste, fraud, and abuse, and ensure quality service, in
the provision of internet-based forms of TRS. On October 17, 2011, the
Commission released Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Service
Program, Memorandum Opinion and Order, Order, and Further Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking, document FCC 11-155, published at 76 FR 67070,
October 31, 2011 (VRS Certification Reconsideration Order), modifying
two aspects of information collection requirements contained in the VRS
Certification Order.
On June 10, 2013, the Commission made permanent the interim rules
adopted in the VRS Certification Order. Structure and Practices of the
Video Relay Service Program; Telecommunications Relay Services and
Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech
Disabilities, Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking, document FCC 13-82, published at 78 FR 40582, July 5, 2013
(2013 VRS Reform Order).
The VRS Certification Order as modified by the VRS Certification
Reconsideration Order and, as applicable, made permanent by the 2013
VRS Reform Order, amended the Commission's process for certifying
internet-based TRS providers as eligible for payment from the
Interstate TRS Fund (Fund) for their provision of internet-based TRS to
ensure that internet-based TRS providers receiving certification are
qualified to provide internet-based TRS in compliance with the
Commission's rules and to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse through
improved oversight of such providers. They contain information
collection requirements including: submission of detailed information
in an application for certification that shows the applicant's ability
to comply with the Commission's rules; submission of annual reports
that include updates to the provider's information on file with the
Commission or a certification that there are no changes to the
information; requirements for a senior executive of an applicant for
internet-based TRS certification or an internet-based TRS provider,
when submitting an annual compliance report, to certify under penalty
of perjury to its accuracy and completeness; requirements for VRS
providers to obtain prior authorization from the Commission for planned
interruptions of service, to report to the Commission unforeseen
interruptions of service, and to provide notification of temporary
service outages, including updates, to consumers on their websites; and
requirements for internet-based TRS providers that will no longer be
providing service to give their customers at least 30-days notice.
In the 2013 VRS Reform Order, the Commission adopted further
measures to improve the structure, efficiency, and quality of the VRS
program, reducing the noted inefficiencies in the program, as well as
reducing the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse, and ensuring that the
program makes full use of advances in commercially-available
technology. The Commission required reporting of unauthorized and
unnecessary us of VRS; established a central TRS user registration
database (TRS-URD) for VRS, which incorporates a centralized
eligibility verification requirement to ensure accurate registration
and verification of users, as well as per-call validation, to achieve
more effective prevention of waste, fraud, and abuse; established
procedures to prevent unauthorized changes of a user's default TRS
provider; and established procedures to protect TRS users' customer
proprietary network information (CPNI) from disclosure.
On March 23, 2017, the Commission released Structure and Practices
of the Video Relay Services Program et al., FCC 17-26, published at 82
FR 17754, April 13, 2017, (2017 VRS Improvements Order), which among
other things, allows VRS providers to assign TRS Numbering Directory
10-digit telephone numbers to hearing individuals for the limited
purpose of making point-to-pint video calls, and gives VRS providers
the option to participate in an at-home call handling pilot program,
subject to certain limitations, as well as recordkeeping and reporting
requirements.
On May 15, 2019, the Commission released Structure and Practices of
the Video Relay Service Program; Telecommunications Relay Services and
Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech
Disabilities, FCC 19-39, published at 84 FR 26364, June 6, 2019 (2019
VRS Program Management Order). The Commission further improved the
structure, efficiency, and quality of the VRS program, reduced the risk
of waste, fraud, and abuse, and ensured that the program makes full use
of advances in commercially-available technology. These improvements
include information collection requirements, including: the
establishment of procedures to register enterprise and public
videophones to the TRS-URD; and permitting Qualified Direct Video
Calling (DVC) Entities to access the TRS Numbering Directory and
establishing an application procedure to authorize such access,
including rules governing DVC entities and entry of information in the
TRS Numbering Directory and the TRS-URD.
On August 2, 2019, the Commission released Implementing Kari's Law
and Section 506 of RAY BAUM's Act; Inquiry Concerning 911 Access,
Routing, and Location in Enterprise Communications Systems; Amending
the Definition of Interconnected VoIP Service in Section 9.3 of the
Commission's Rules, FCC 19-76, published at 84 FR 66716, December 5,
2019 (MLTS 911 and Dispatchable Location Order). The Commission amended
its rules to ensure that the dispatchable location is conveyed to a
Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) with a 911 call, regardless of the
technological platform used. Based on the directive in section 506 of
RAY BAUM'S Act, the Commission adopted dispatchable location
requirements that in effect modified the existing information
collection requirements applicable to VRS, IP Relay and covered
internet Protocol captioned telephone service (IP CTS) by improving the
options for providing accurate location information to PSAPs as part of
911 calls.
Fixed internet-based TRS devices must provide automated
dispatchable
[[Page 53893]]
location. For non-fixed devices, when dispatchable location is not
technically feasible, internet-based TRS providers may fall back to
Registered Location or provide alternative location information. As a
last resort, internet-based providers may route calls to Emergency
Relay Calling Centers after making a good faith effort to obtain
location data from all available alternative location sources.
Dispatchable location means a location delivered to the PSAP with a 911
call that consists of the validated street address of the calling
party, plus additional information such as suite, apartment or similar
information necessary to adequately identify the location of the
calling party. Automated dispatchable location means automatic
generation of dispatchable location. Alternative location information
is location information (which may be coordinate-based) sufficient to
identify the caller's civic address and approximate in-building
location, including floor level, in large buildings.
On January 31, 2020, the Commission released Structure and
Practices of the Video Relay Service Program; Telecommunications Relay
Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and
Speech Disabilities, FCC 20-7, 85 FR 27309, May 8, 2020 (VRS At-Home
Call Handling Order). The Commission amended its rules to convert the
VRS at-home call handling pilot program into a permanent one, thereby
allowing CAs to work from home. To ensure user privacy and call
confidentiality and to help prevent waste, fraud, and abuse, the
modified information collections include requirements for VRS providers
to apply for certification to allow their communications assistants to
handle calls while working at home; monitoring and oversight
requirements; and reporting requirements.
On June 30, 2022, the Commission released 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 Captioned Telephone Service, FCC
22-51, published at 87 FR 57645, September 21, 2022 (Registration Grace
Period Order). To offer more efficient service to VRS and IP CTS users
without risk of waste, fraud, and abuse to the TRS Fund, the Commission
amended its rules to allow VRS and IP CTS providers to provide
compensable service to a new user for up to two weeks after submitting
the user's information to the TRS URD if the user's identity is
verified within that period.
On September 30, 2022, the Commission released Rates for Interstate
Inmate Calling Services, FCC 22-76, published at 87 FR 75496, December
9, 2022 (Accessible Carceral Communications Order). To improve access
to communications services for incarcerated people with communications
disabilities, the Commission adopted modifications to the user
registration and verification requirements for use of internet-based
TRS in correctional facilities.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-17008 Filed 8-8-23; 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.