Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission

AGENCY:

Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

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.

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 PRA comments should be submitted on or before May 13, 2019. 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 PRA@fcc.gov and to Nicole.ongele@fcc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information about the information collection, contact Nicole Ongele, (202) 418-2991.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 3060-0804.

Title: Universal Service—Rural Health Care Program.

Form Numbers: FCC Forms 460, 461, 462, 463, 465, 466, and 467.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit institutions; Federal Government; and State, Local, or Tribal Governments.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 20,314 respondents; 117,042 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 0.1-40 hours.

Frequency of Response: On occasion and one-time annual reporting requirements, and recordkeeping requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. Statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in sections 1, 4(i), 4(j), 201-205, 214, 254, and 403 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151-154, 201-205, 218-220, 254, 303(r), 403 and 405.

Total Annual Burden: 275,090 hours.

Total Annual Cost: No Cost.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No Impact(s).

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission is not requesting that the respondents submit confidential information to the Commission. Respondents may, however, request confidential treatment for information they believe to be confidential under 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's rules. We note that the universal service administrator must preserve the confidentiality of all data obtained from respondents and contributors to the universal service support program mechanism; must not use the data except for purposes of administering the universal service support program; and must not disclose data in company-specific form unless directed to do so by the Commission.

Needs and Uses: The Commission seeks Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of a revision (change in reporting and recordkeeping requirements) to this information collection. This collection is utilized for the rural health care support mechanism (RHC Program) of the Commission's universal service fund (USF). Section 254(h)(A)(1) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (1996 Act), 47 U.S.C. 254(h)(A)(1), mandates that telecommunications carriers provide telecommunications services for health care purposes to eligible rural public or non-profit health care providers at rates that are “reasonably comparable” to rates in urban areas. In addition, section 254(h)(2)(A) of the 1996 Act, 47 U.S.C. 254(h)(2)(A), directs the Commission to establish competitively neutral rules to enhance, to the extent technically feasible and economically reasonable, access to “advanced telecommunications and information services” for public and non-profit health care providers.

Based on this legislative mandate, the Commission established the two components of the RHC Program—the Telecommunications (Telecom) Program and the Healthcare Connect Fund Program. Additionally, in 2006, the Commission established the Pilot Program which provided funding for a limited time (through funding year 2012). At the time of the Commission's last revision of this information collection, while no new funding was available under Pilot Program, some projects were still spending funds previously committed as part of the Pilot Program. Since that time, all invoicing under the Pilot Program has been completed and there are no remaining funds to be disbursed under the Pilot Program. This revised collection is therefore necessary to eliminate the requirements associated with this program. Additionally, this collection of information is necessary so that the Commission and the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), the administrator of the USF program, will have sufficient information to determine if entities are eligible for funding pursuant to the RHC Program, to determine if entities are complying with the Commission's rules, and to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.

This information is also necessary in order to allow the Commission to evaluate the extent to which the RHC Program is meeting the statutory objectives specified in section 254(h) of the 1996 Act, and the Commission's performance goals for the Healthcare Connect Fund Program. Accordingly, this information collection is being revised to: (1) Eliminate the requirements for the Pilot Program and (2) extend the existing information collection requirements for the Healthcare Connect Fund and Telecom Programs.

This submission is organized by program indicating which information collection requirements are being eliminated or extended for each RHC program. The Healthcare Connect Fund includes FCC Forms 460, 461, 462, and 463, and the Telecom Program includes FCC Forms 465, 466, 467.

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.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission does not anticipate providing confidentiality of the information submitted by prepaid calling card providers. Particularly, the prepaid calling card providers must send reports to their transport providers. Additionally, the quarterly certifications sent to the Commission will be made public through the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) process. These certifications will be filed in the Commission's docket associated with this proceeding. If the respondents submit information they believe to be confidential, they may request confidential treatment of such information under 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's rules.

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.