Notice2025-05548
Information Collections 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
April 1, 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. 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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 61 (Tuesday, April 1, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 61 (Tuesday, April 1, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14370-14372]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-05548]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[OMB 3060-1096, OMB 3060-1222; FR ID 286900]
Information Collections 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
[[Page 14371]]
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.
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.
DATES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be submitted on or before May 1, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. 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 Nicole Ongele, FCC,
via email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d787859697b1b4b4f9b0b8a1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="49191b08092f2a2a672e263f">[email protected]</span></a> and to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fab4939995969fd4b5949d9f969fba9c9999d49d958c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f0be99939f9c95debf9e97959c95b0969393de979f86">[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 Nicole Ongele at (202) 418-2991.
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: 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 Number: 3060-1096.
Title: Prepaid Calling Card Service Provider Certification, WC
Docket No. 05-68.
Form Number: N/A.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
Number of Respondents and Responses: 121 respondents; 1,452
responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 2.5 hours-20 hours.
Frequency of Response: Quarterly reporting requirement, third party
disclosure requirement and recordkeeping requirement.
Obligation to Respond: Mandatory. Statutory authority for this
information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 154(i), 201,
202 and 254 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
Total Annual Burden: 12,100 hours.
Total Annual Cost: No cost.
Needs and Uses: Prepaid calling card service providers must report
quarterly the percentage of interstate, intrastate and international
access charges to carriers from which they purchase transport services.
Prepaid calling card providers must also file certifications with the
Commission quarterly that include the above information and a statement
that they are contributing to the federal Universal Service Fund based
on all interstate and international revenue, except for revenue from
the sale of prepaid calling cards by, to, or pursuant to contract with
the Department of Defense (DoD) or a DoD entity.
OMB Control Number: 3060-1222.
Title: Incarcerated People's Communications Services (IPCS)
Provider Annual Reporting, Certification, and Other Requirements, WC
Docket Nos. 23-62, 12-375.
Form Number(s): FCC Form 2301(a) and FCC Form 2301(b).
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved information
collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents and Responses: 35 respondents; 47 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 5-200 hours.
Frequency of Response: Annual reporting and certification reporting
requirements, third party disclosure requirements, and on-occasion
reporting requirements.
Obligation to Respond: Mandatory. Statutory authority for this
collection of information is contained in sections 1, 2, 4(i)-(j),
5(c), 201(b), 218, 220, 225, 255, 276, 403, and 716 of the
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 154(i)-(j),
155(c), 201(b), 218, 220, 225, 255, 276, 403, and 617, and the Martha
Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2022, Public Law
117-338, 136 Stat. 6156.
Total Annual Burden: 15,175 hours.
Total Annual Cost: No cost.
Needs and Uses: This notice addresses the paperwork burdens
associated with several sets of new and revised rules that the
Commission adopted to implement the Martha Wright-Reed Just and
Reasonable Communications Act of 2022 (Martha Wright-Reed Act or Act),
which expands the Commission's statutory authority over communications
between incarcerated people and the non-incarcerated to include ``any
audio or video communications service used by inmates . . . regardless
of technology used.'' The new Act also amends section 2(b) of the
Communications Act of 1934, as amended (Communications Act), to make
clear that the Commission's authority extends to intrastate as well as
interstate and international communications services used by
incarcerated people.
The Act directs the Commission to ``promulgate any regulations
necessary to implement'' it, including the mandate that the Commission
establish a ``compensation plan'' ensuring that all rates and charges
for IPCS ``are just and reasonable,'' not earlier than 18 months and
not later than 24 months after the Act's January 5, 2023 enactment
date. Pursuant to that directive, on July 22,
[[Page 14372]]
2024, the Commission released the 2024 IPCS Order, FCC 24-75, 89 FR
77244 (Sept. 20, 2024), which fundamentally reforms the regulation of
IPCS in all correctional facilities, regardless of the technology used
to deliver these services, and significantly lowers the IPCS rates that
incarcerated people and their loved ones will pay.
The 2024 IPCS Order comprehensively reforms the regulation of the
IPCS industry to implement the Martha Wright-Reed Act, addressing six
major rulemaking areas that implicate the PRA. This submission seeks
OMB review of five of these areas: disability access (new paperwork
requirements), alternate pricing plans (new paperwork requirements),
inactive accounts (new paperwork requirements), consumer disclosure
(revised paperwork requirements), and waiver requests (revised
paperwork requirements). These revisions include the addition of new
rules addressing disability access, alternate pricing plans, and
inactive accounts; and changes to the rules addressing consumer
disclosure, annual reporting and certification rules, waiver reporting,
rate cap, site commission, and ancillary service charges. Separately,
we are seeking comment on paperwork burdens arising from the sixth
area--revisions to the annual reporting and certification rules.
New Rules Requiring OMB Review
47 CFR 64.6040(f) (Accessible formats)--requiring among other
information collection requirements, that the information and
documentation IPCS providers furnish to current or potential consumers
of IPCS is accessible;
47 CFR 64.6130(d) through (f) and (h) through (k) (Protection of
consumer funds in inactive accounts)--requiring, among other
information requirements, that providers follow certain specified
procedures when an IPCS account is deemed inactive, including
contacting account holders when an incarcerated person is released or
transferred; and
47 CFR 64.6140(c) and (d), (e)(2) through (4), and (f)(2) and (4)
(Alternate Pricing Plans)--requiring, among other information
collection requirements, that providers choosing to offer alternate
pricing plans comply with the rules generally applicable to all IPCS,
in addition to specific consumer protection and disclosure rules.
Revised Requirements for Which the Commission Is Seeking OMB Review
47 CFR 64.6110(a) and (c) through (g) (Consumer Disclosure of
Incarcerated People's Communications Services Rates)--requiring, among
other information collection requirements, that providers post on their
public websites clear, accurate, and conspicuous information about
their IPCS offerings, including information on rates, charges, and
associated practices; and
47 CFR 64.6120 (Waiver process)--requiring, among other information
collection requirements, that providers follow certain procedures when
filing waiver requests, including a showing that the request will not
result in unjust and unreasonable IPCS rates and charges.
Previously-Approved Information Collection Requirements
47 CFR 64.6040(c) (Communications Access for Incarcerated People
with Communications Disabilities)--requiring, among other information
collection requirements, that providers, as part of their obligation to
provide access to Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), notify the
TRS provider(s) when an incarcerated person who has individually
registered to use Video Relay Service (VRS), internet Protocol Relay
Service (IP Relay), or internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service
(IP CTS) is released from incarceration or transferred to another
correctional facility.
47 CFR 64.6060 (Annual Reporting and Certification Requirements)--
requiring IPCS providers, among other information collection
requirements, to file certain pricing and related data and information
annually to promote transparency and heighten IPCS providers'
accountability. In 2015, the Commission released the Second Report and
Order and Third Notice of Further Proposed Rulemaking, WC Docket No.
12-375, 30 FCC Rcd 12763, 80 FR 79135 (Dec. 18, 2015) (2015 ICS Order),
in which it required that inmate calling services (ICS) providers file
Annual Reports providing data and other information on their ICS
operations, as well as Annual Certifications that the reported
information is complete and accurate and complies with the Commission's
ICS rules. Pursuant to the authority delegated them by the Commission,
WCB and the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (collectively, the
Bureaus) released an Order on January 8, 2025, WC Docket Nos. 23-62,
12-375, DA 25-23 (rel. Jan. 8, 2025) (2025 Annual Reports Order),
<a href="https://www.fcc.gov/document/2025-ipcs-annual-reports-order">https://www.fcc.gov/document/2025-ipcs-annual-reports-order</a>, revising
the instructions and reporting templates for the Annual Reports, as
well as the associated certification form. The revisions reflect
previous proposals by the Bureaus, including those regarding access to
IPCS and TRS by persons with communication disabilities, as well as
refinements and modifications made in response to comments in support
of more streamlined, and therefore less burdensome, overall reporting
obligations. The revisions also reflect the Commission's expanded
authority under the Martha Wright-Reed Act, including authority over
video IPCS and video-only IPCS providers.
In this submission, we are seeking OMB review of the paperwork
burdens arising from the new rules addressing disability access,
alternate pricing plans and inactive accounts and from the revisions to
the consumer disclosure rules and waiver reporting requirements. We are
also seeking renewal of the previously-approved paperwork requirements
for communications access for incarcerated people with communication
disabilities in section 64.6040(c) of the Commission's rules, as well
as renewal of the previously approved paperwork requirements for the
annual reporting and certification rule.
We will continue to address the paperwork burdens associated with
the revisions to the annual reporting and certification rules
separately.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-05548 Filed 3-31-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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