Notice2024-22716
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
October 2, 2024
Issuing agencies
Federal Communications Commission
Abstract
As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection. 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 89 Issue 191 (Wednesday, October 2, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 191 (Wednesday, October 2, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80237-80238]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-22716]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[OMB 3060-0819; FR ID 248471]
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 (PRA) of 1995, the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the
general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to
comment on the following information collection. 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 December
2, 2024. 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 Nicole Ongele, FCC, via email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8cdcdecdcceaefefa2ebe3fa"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b5e5e7f4f5d3d6d69bd2dac3">[email protected]</span></a> and to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#117f78727e7d743f7e7f76747d74517772723f767e67"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7a14131915161f5415141d1f161f3a1c1919541d150c">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the
information collection, contact Nicole Ongele, (202) 418-2991.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid 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 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.
OMB Control Number: 3060-0819.
Title: Bridging the Digital Divide for Low-Income Consumers,
Lifeline and Link Up Reform and Modernization, Telecommunications
Carriers Eligible for Universal Service Support.
Form No.: FCC Forms 481, 497, 555, 5629, 5630, and 5631.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents: Individuals or households, businesses or other for-
profit institutions, and not-for-profit institutions.
Number of Respondents and Responses: 25,111,368 respondents;
26,878,712 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 0.0167-125 hours.
Frequency of Response: Annual, biennial, monthly, daily and on
occasion reporting requirements, recordkeeping requirement and third-
party disclosure requirement.
Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits and
Voluntary. Statutory authority is contained in Sections 1, 4(i), 5,
201, 205, 214, 219, 220, 254, 303(r), and 403 of the Communications Act
of 1934, as amended, and section 706 of the Communications Act of 1996,
as amended; 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 155, 201, 205, 214, 219, 220, 254,
303(r), 403, and 1302.
Total Annual Burden: 6,534,599 hours.
Total Annual Cost: $937,500.
Needs and Uses: On November 15, 2023, the Commission adopted the
Supporting Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence et al., WC Docket
Nos. 22-238, 11-42, 21-450, Report and Order, FCC 23-96 (2023) (Safe
Connections Act Order). The Safe Connections Act Order, among other
things, adopted rules to address the emergency communications portions
of the Safe Connections Act. The Order also required that surveys be
developed and sent to stakeholder groups working directly with
survivors in order to conduct a program evaluation, including examining
the impact and effectiveness of the support offered to survivors. The
Commission is requesting the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
approval for this revised information collection to implement the new
requirements captured in the Safe Connections Act Survey in the Safe
Connections Act Order, FCC 23-96. The revision requires that surveys be
developed and sent to stakeholder groups working directly with
survivors in order to conduct a program evaluation, including examining
the impact and effectiveness of the support offered to survivors.
The Commission first adopted rules for the Lifeline program in
1997. On May 8, 1997, the Commission adopted rules establishing, among
other things, that eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) offering
Lifeline and Link Up to qualifying low-income customers would receive
reimbursement from the federal Universal Service Fund (USF or Fund) for
low-income support.
On April 2, 2004, in its Report and Order and Further Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking (Lifeline Order), the Commission directed ETCs to
certify their Lifeline/Link Up subscribers' eligibility for the program
and to verify a portion of their subscribers' eligibility on an annual
basis. States that operated their own Lifeline/Link Up programs were
allowed to develop their own certification procedures (referred to as
non-federal default states). The Lifeline Order also required ETCs to
submit to the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC or
Administrator) proof that they certified that their Lifeline
subscribers are eligible for Lifeline, and proof that they verified a
portion of their subscribers' continued eligibility for Lifeline.
On September 23, 2011, the Commission issued an Inquiry into
Disbursement Process for the Universal Service Fund Low Income Program
seeking comment on a proposal for disbursing USF low-income support to
ETCs based upon claims for reimbursement of actual support payments
made, instead of projected claims for support. On February 6, 2012, the
Commission issued its Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (2012 Lifeline Order). In the 2012 Lifeline Order, the
Commission adopted the proposal to file the FCC Form 497 monthly and
changed the low-income disbursement process from payments based on
projected subscriber counts to payments based on actual subscriber
counts. After the 2012 Lifeline Order, ETCs were required to recertify
the eligibility of their entire subscriber base annually. Starting in
2013, ETCs could elect to have USAC conduct the annual recertification
process on their behalf.
On June 22, 2015, the Commission released a Second Further Notice
of Proposed Rulemaking, Order on Reconsideration, Second Report and
Order, and Memorandum Opinion and Order (2015 Lifeline Order). The
Commission adopted several rules in the 2015 Lifeline Order to:
strengthen the document retention requirements;
[[Page 80238]]
ensure that only ETCs directly serving low-income customers receive
reimbursement under the Lifeline program; and require ETCs to use a
uniform snapshot date to request reimbursement from USAC for the
provision of Lifeline support.
On April 27, 2016, the Commission adopted the Lifeline and Link Up
Reform and Modernization et al., WC Docket Nos. 11-42, 09-197, 10-90,
Third Report and Order, Further Report and Order, and Order on
Reconsideration, FCC 16-38 (2016) (2016 Lifeline Order) The 2016
Lifeline Order changes included requiring ETCs to certify compliance
with the new minimum service requirements, moving to rolling annual
subscriber recertification, streamlining the first-year ETC audit
requirements, and eliminating the temporary address requirements.
The Commission's decision to transition to a centralized National
Verifier was outlined in detail in the 2016 Lifeline Order. The
National Verifier was established to make eligibility determinations
and perform a variety of other functions necessary to enroll
subscribers into the Lifeline program. The National Verifier verifies
Lifeline subscriber eligibility, checks for duplicate Lifeline
subscribers, conducts recertification of subscribers, and calculates
support payments to ETCs. ETCs maintain ultimate responsibility for the
accuracy of information submitted to the National Verifier and
complying with the Lifeline program's rules. The National Verifier was
launched over a period of several years from late 2017 through December
2020, serving all states, territories, and the District of Columbia.
On October 30, 2019, the Commission adopted the Bridging the
Digital Divide for Low-Income Consumers, WC Docket Nos. 17-287, 11-42,
09-197, Fifth Report and Order, Memorandum Opinion and Order and Order
on Reconsideration, and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 19-
111 (2019) (2019 Lifeline Order). The 2019 Lifeline Order restored the
states' lawful role in designating eligible telecommunications carriers
and eliminated the Lifeline Broadband Provider designation category and
its associated designation procedures. The Order also implemented a
number of administrative changes to improve the integrity of the
Lifeline eligibility verification, enrollment, and recertification
processes.
On October 20, 2023, the Commission adopted the Connect America
Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al. WT Docket No. 10-208, Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking and Report and Order, FCC 23-87 (Oct. 20, 2023)
(Administrative Order). In the Administrative Order, the Commission
modified, in relevant part, section 205 of the Commission's rules, to
require an ETC that intends to relinquish its ETC designation to
provide: (1) advance notice to the state commission and to the
Commission of such intention to relinquish, and (2) notice to the
Commission of the state authority's decision to permit or deny such
relinquishment, within 10 days of its decision. These filings must be
submitted regardless of whether the ETC is currently receiving federal
support.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-22716 Filed 10-1-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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