Notice2024-28186
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
December 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 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 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 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 89 Issue 231 (Monday, December 2, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 231 (Monday, December 2, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 95209-95210]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-28186]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[OMB 3060-0999; FR ID 264781]
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 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 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 January 31,
2025. 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:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d484869594b2b7b7fab3bba2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="53030112133530307d343c25">[email protected]</span></a> and to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a4e7c5d0ccdd8af3cdc8c8cdc5c9d7e4c2c7c78ac3cbd2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a2e1c3d6cadb8cf5cbcececbc3cfd1e2c4c1c18cc5cdd4">[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 No.: 3060-0999.
Title: Hearing Loss Compatible Wireless Handsets Section 20.19 and
Hearing Aid Compatibility Act.
Form Numbers: FCC Form 655 and FCC Form 855.
Type of Review: Revision to the currently approved collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
Number of Respondents: 934 respondents; 934 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 13.92 hours per response (average).
Frequency of Response: On occasion and annual reporting
requirements, recordkeeping requirements, and third-party disclosure
requirements.
Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47
U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 157, 160, 201, 202, 214, 301, 303, 308, 309(j), 310
and 610 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
Total Annual Burden: 12,998 hours.
Total Annual Cost: No cost.
Needs and Uses: The Commission is requesting that the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) approve a revision to the Commission's
currently approved information collection for OMB Control No. 3060-
0999. This information collection relates to the Commission's Hearing
Loss Compatible Wireless Handsets rules at section 20.19 of the
Commission's rules. This revision is necessary to implement the final
rules that the Commission adopted on October 17, 2024, in a Report and
Order, WT Docket No. 23-388, FCC 24-112, that the Commission released
on October 18, 2024. This Report and Order revised the heading of
section 20.19 of the Commission's rules from ``Hearing aid-compatible
mobile handsets'' to ``Hearing loss compatible wireless handsets.'' In
addition, the revisions that the Commission adopted to section
20.19(b)(3)(iii), (f), (h), and (i)(4)-(5) constitute new or modified
information collections subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), Public Law 104-13. These rules will become effective following
OMB's completion of its review of these revised rules. Once OMB
completes its review of these revisions, the Commission will publish a
document in the Federal
[[Page 95210]]
Register announcing the effective date of section 20.19(b)(3)(iii),
(f), (h), and (i)(4)-(5).
The final rules that the Commission adopted require all wireless
handset models to be hearing aid compatible. These revised rules ensure
that consumers with hearing loss will have equal access to the same
handset models as consumers without hearing loss. In order to ensure
compliance with this 100% hearing aid compatiblity requirement, the
Commission adopted revised labeling, website posting, and certification
requirements along with removing outdated and unnecessary information
collection requriements. The removal of these outdated information
collection requirments significantly reduces regulatory burden and cost
for handset manufacturers and service providers.
The revised hearing aid compatiblility rules include a requirement
that a cetain number of handset models that handset manufacturers and
service providers offer for sale or use in the United States meet
Bluetooth coupling requirements. This Bluetooth coupling requirement
will benefit consumers by ensuring more universal connectivity between
handset models and hearing aids, including over-the-counter hearing
aids, and reduces the issue of certain handset models only being able
to pair with certain hearing aids. In order to ensure compliance with
this new Bluetooth coupling requirement, the Commisison adopted a
requirement that handset manufacturers submit a sworn declaration
attesting to the handset model's complaince with these new Bluetooth
coupling requirements. This certification requirement is contained in
section 20.19(b)(3)(iii) and requires handset manufacturers to provide:
(1) the specific Bluetooth coupling standard included in each handset
model; (2) that the relevant handset model has been tested to ensure
compliance with the designated Bluetooth coupling standard; and (3)
after the transition to a non-proprietary Bluetooth requirement, that
the included Bluetooth coupling technology is consistent with the
Bluetooth functionality requirements. The Commission adopted this
attestation requirement based on the recommendation of handset
manufacturers who stated that adopting an attestation requirement is
consistent with the Commission's equipment certification process.
In the Report and Order, the Commission revised its external
printed package labeling requirements for handset models as well as
requirements related to what information must be included within a
handset model's packaging either in the form of a printed insert or a
printed handset manual. The Commission is requiring that a handset
model's external printed package label indicate whether the handset
model includes Bluetooth coupling capabilities or telecoil coupling
capabilites or both, and in the case of Bluetooth coupling which
Bluetooth technology the handset model incorporates. The Commission is
also requiring handset manufacturers and service providers to include
information on the hearing aid compatiblity settings of handset models
and how consumers can turn these settings on and off. As part of these
revisions, the Commission eliminated outdated labeling requirements
which were no longer necessary and that might cause consumer confusion
if retained. By eliminating these outdated requirements, the Commission
reduced regulatory burden and cost to handset manufacturers and service
providers. The revised labeling requirements are in section 20.19(f)(1)
and (2) of the Commission's rules and these revised requirements ensure
that consumers have the informition that they need to make informed
handset model purchasing decisions.
In addition to these revised labeling rules, the Commission
determined to allow handset manufacturers and service providers to use
digital labeling technology as an alternative to including a printed
insert or printed handset manual in a handset model's packaging.
Handset manufacturers and service providers choosing this option must
maintain publicly accessible websites where consumers can find the
required hearing aid compatiblity information, and they must provide
consumers with a Quick-Respone (QR) code and the related website adress
where the required hearing aid compatibility information can be found.
The Commission decided to allow the use of digital labeling technology
at the request of handset manufacturers and service providers who
argued that the use of digital labeling would reduce regulatory burden
and cost for them. The use of digital labeling will also ensure that
consumers have access to the most up-to-date handset model information.
The Commission's new digital labeling rules are at section 20.19(f)(3)
of the Commission's rules.
Along these same lines, the Commission revised its website posting
requirements that apply to handset manufacturers and service providers
who maintain publicly accessible websites. These companies must
indicate on their publicly accessible websites which handset models
that they offer for sale or use in the United States meet telecoil
certificaton requirements and which meet Bluetooth coupling
requirements. In addition, these companies must list a handset model's
conversational gain if the handset model was certified as hearing aid-
compatible using a standard that includes volume control requirements.
The Commission also adopted point-of-contact requirements that require
handset manufacturers and service providers to list contact information
that consumers can use to ask knowledgable company employees
compatiblity questions that they might have concerning the handset
models that these companies offer for sale or use in the United States.
Part of these revisions also included eliminating out-of-date website
posting and record retention requirements that no longer served a
usefull purpose. The elimination of these outdated information
collection requirements reduce regulatory burden and cost for handset
manufacturers and service providers. The revised website posting
requirements are at section 20.19(h) of the Commission's rules.
Finally, the Commission revised its annual certification
requirements for handset manufacturers and service providers. After the
100% hearing aid compatibility transition period ends for handset
manufacturers, these companies will no longer file FCC Form 655.
Instead, handset manufacturers will start filing FCC Form 855 and
service providers will continue to file this form. FCC Form 855 is a
streamlined certification form that does not require the detail handset
model information that FCC Form 655 collects. This change will
significantly reduce regulatory burden and cost for handset
manufacturers. In addition, the Commission is updating FCC Form 855 to
ensure it collects only relevent information consistent with the
Commission's 100% hearing aid compatibility requirement. These updates
include removing outdated questions and streamlining the information
that the form collects. The revised annual certification requirements
are at section 20.19 (i)(4) and (5) of the Commission's rules.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-28186 Filed 11-29-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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