Notice2025-04645
Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to Office of Management and Budget
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
March 19, 2025
Issuing agencies
Federal Communications Commission
Abstract
As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, 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. Pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, the FCC seeks specific comment on how it might "further reduce the information collection burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees."
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 52 (Wednesday, March 19, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 52 (Wednesday, March 19, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12731-12733]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-04645]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[OMB 3060-0999; FR ID 285459]
Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to
Office of Management and Budget
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,
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. Pursuant to the Small Business
Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, the FCC seeks specific comment on how it
might ``further reduce the information collection burden for small
business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.''
DATES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be submitted on or before April 18, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
[[Page 12732]]
Find this particular information collection by selecting ``Currently
under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search
function. Your comment must be submitted into <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov">www.reginfo.gov</a> per the
above instructions for it to be considered. In addition to submitting
in <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov">www.reginfo.gov</a> also send a copy of your comment on the proposed
information collection to Cathy Williams, FCC, via email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#43131102032520206d242c35"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3b6b697a7b5d5858155c544d">[email protected]</span></a>
and to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b9fad8cdd1c097eed0d5d5d0d8d4caf9dfdada97ded6cf"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="175476637f6e39407e7b7b7e767a645771747439707861">[email protected]</span></a>. Include in the comments the OMB control
number as shown in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies
of the information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-
2918. To view a copy of this information collection request (ICR)
submitted to OMB: (1) go to the web page <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>, (2) look for the section of the web page called ``Currently
Under Review,'' (3) click on the downward-pointing arrow in the
``Select Agency'' box below the ``Currently Under Review'' heading, (4)
select ``Federal Communications Commission'' from the list of agencies
presented in the ``Select Agency'' box, (5) click the ``Submit'' button
to the right of the ``Select Agency'' box, (6) when the list of FCC
ICRs currently under review appears, look for the Title of this ICR and
then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC submission to
OMB will be displayed.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission 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.
As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, as
required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-
3520), the FCC invited the general public and other Federal Agencies to
take this opportunity to comment on the following information
collection. Comments are requested concerning: (a) 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; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's
burden estimates; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the information collected; and (d) 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. Pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of
2002, Public Law 107-198, see 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4), the FCC seeks
specific comment on how it might ``further reduce the information
collection burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25
employees.''
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 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 compatibility requirement, the
Commission adopted revised labeling, website posting, and certification
requirements along with removing outdated and unnecessary information
collection requirements. The removal of these outdated information
collection requirements significantly reduces regulatory burden and
cost for handset manufacturers and service providers.
The revised hearing aid compatibility rules include a requirement
that a certain 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 Commission adopted a
requirement that handset manufacturers submit a sworn declaration
attesting to the handset model's compliance 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
[[Page 12733]]
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 capabilities 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 compatibility 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 information 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 compatibility information, and they must provide
consumers with a Quick-Response (QR) code and the related website
address 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
certification 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 knowledgeable company employees
compatibility 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
useful 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 relevant 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. 2025-04645 Filed 3-18-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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