[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 51 (Thursday, March 14, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 10522-10526]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-6199]



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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
47 CFR Parts 43, 63, 64, and 65

[CC Docket No. 96-23, FCC 96-64]


Revision of Filing Requirements

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: In this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the Commission proposes 
to eliminate thirteen reporting requirements and to reduce the 
frequency of six other reporting requirements. These reporting 
requirements are variously applicable to interexchange carriers, Bell 
Operating Companies, other local telephone companies, and record 
carriers. These proposed actions will improve the quality of 
information available to the Commission, while at the same time 
reducing the reporting burdens imposed on carriers.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 8, 1996. Reply 
Comments must be filed on or before April 23, 1996. Written comments by 
the public on the proposed and/or modified information collections are 
due on or before April 8, 1996. Written comments must be submitted by 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on the proposed and/or 
modified information collections on or before May 13, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments and reply comments should be sent to Office of the 
Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M Street, N.W., Room 
222, Washington, D.C. 20554, with a copy to Nasir Khilji of the Common 
Carrier Bureau, 2033 M Street, N.W., Room 500F, Washington, D.C. 20554. 
Parties should also file one copy of any documents filed in this docket 
with the Commission's copy contractor, International Transcription 
Services, Inc., 2100 M Street, N.W., Suite 140, Washington, D.C. 20037. 
In addition to filing comments with the Secretary, a copy of any 
comments on the information collections contained herein should be 
submitted to Dorothy Conway, Federal Communications Commission, Room 
234, 1919 M Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20554, or via the Internet to 
[email protected], and to Timothy Fain, OMB Desk Officer, 10236 NEOB, 
725-17th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20503 or via the Internet to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nasir Khilji (202) 418-0958, Common 
Carrier Bureau, Industry Analysis Division. For additional information 
concerning the information collections contained in this NPRM contact 
Dorothy Conway at 202-418-0217, or via the Internet at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Synopsis of Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

    This is a synopsis of the Commission's Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking in CC Docket No. 96-23, adopted February 20, 1996, and 
released February 27, 1996. The full text of this Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking is available for inspection and copying during normal 
business hours in the FCC Dockets Branch, Room 230, 1919 M Street, 
N.W., Washington, D.C. The complete text may be purchased from the 
Commission's copy contractor, International Transcription Service, 
Inc., 2100 M Street, N.W., Suite 1400, Washington, D.C. 20037 
(telephone (202) 857-3800).
    Paperwork Reduction Act: This NPRM contains either a proposed or 
modified information collection. The Commission, as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, invites the general 
public and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to comment on the 
information collections contained in this NPRM, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. No. 104-13. Public and agency 
comments are due at the same time as other comments on this NPRM; OMB 
comments are due 60 days from date of publication of this NPRM in the 
Federal Register. Comments should address: (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.
    OMB Approval Number: None.
    Title: Revision of Filing requirements.
    Form No.: FCC Report 43.05, FCC 492.
    Type of Review: New Collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit.

[[Page 10523]]


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                         Estimated      Total   
                                  Title                                       No. of      time per      annual  
                                                                           respondents    response      burden  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Circuit Report........................................................            0            0            0
2. Record Carrier Letter.................................................            0            0            0
3. Report on Inside Wiring Services......................................            0            0            0
4. ARMIS Service Quality Report, FCC Report 43-05........................           27          833       44,982
5. FCC 492, Rate of Return Report........................................           35            8          280
6. New Service Tracking Report...........................................           16           20          104
7. Report of Unsecured Credit to Political Candidates....................           13            8          104
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Total Annual Burden: 45,686.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission proposes to eliminate thirteen 
reporting requirements and to reduce the frequency of six reporting 
requirements variously applicable to Regional Bell Operating Companies, 
other local telephone companies, record carriers, AT&T, and Sprint. The 
requirements identified above are subject to the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995. The information received will be used to assist the 
Federal Communications Commission in performing its public oversight 
duties.

I. Summary and Background

    1. As part of the President's Regulatory Reform Initiative, each 
federal agency was asked to lessen the regulatory burden on the public 
by reducing the amount of information the public must provide each 
agency.
    2. The Commission conducted a review of all reports filed with the 
Common Carrier Bureau, including reports not subject to the Paperwork 
Reduction Act. As a result of that review, the Commission identified 
reporting requirements that can be eliminated or be reduced in 
frequency. The Commission proposed to eliminate or reduce in frequency 
the following reports:

II. Elimination of Reports

    3. Divestiture Reports: On June 14, 1995, the Bureau issued a 
Public Notice (``Common Carrier Bureau Solicits Comments on Elimination 
of Divestiture Reports,'' Public Notice CC 95-34, June 14, 1995) 
soliciting comments on the need to continue several reports established 
at the time of the AT&T divestiture [96 FCC 2d 18 (1983), modified, 98 
FCC 2d 141 (1984)], that the Bureau determined no longer met the 
intended monitoring requirements. As a result of the Bureau's review of 
regulations and reporting requirements and the favorable comments filed 
pursuant to the Public Notice, the Commission proposed to eliminate the 
following reports:
    A. Equal Access Progress Report: This report is submitted semi-
annually by AT&T and Regional Holding Companies under Condition 3, AT&T 
Divestiture Order.
    B. Construction Budget Summary: Condition 10 of the AT&T 
Divestiture Order required AT&T and Regional Holding Companies to 
submit an annual financial summary of telecommunications facility 
construction activity.
    C. National Security and Emergency Preparedness Effectiveness: This 
report is submitted annually by AT&T and Bellcore under Condition 12, 
AT&T Divestiture Order. It lists activities by the carriers to support 
national security.
    4. AT&T Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) Installation and 
Maintenance Report: This report is submitted quarterly by AT&T pursuant 
to Furnishing of Customer Premises Equipment and Enhanced Services by 
American Telephone and Telegraph Co. [102 FCC 2d 655, (1985), also 104 
FCC 2d 739, (1986)]. The report contains the percentage of lines/
circuits not installed by the relevant due date for telephone company 
reasons, as well as the percentage of lines/circuits ordered by 
unaffiliated vendors. The original purpose of the report was to protect 
competitors by monitoring AT&T's installation and maintenance of lines/
circuits to ensure that it is not discriminating against unaffiliated 
CPE vendors. In 1991, the Commission eliminated nondiscrimination 
reporting for those AT&T network services subject to maximum 
streamlined regulation. In 1993, the Commission added AT&T's 800 
services to the list of services subject to streamlined treatment. 
Since December 1993, AT&T has only provided installation and 
maintenance nondiscrimination reports regarding CPE and enhanced 
services for analog private line services. Because customer use of such 
services has diminished with the increasing introduction of digital 
applications, there has been very little reporting activity since 1993. 
Therefore, the Commission proposed to eliminate nondiscrimination 
reporting requirements regarding both CPE and enhanced services with 
respect to the few AT&T services still subject to them.
    5. AT&T Service Quality: Equipment Blockage and Failure Report: 
This semi-annual report is submitted by AT&T pursuant to Policies and 
Rules Regarding Rates for Dominant Carriers [6 FCC Rcd. 2974, (1991)]. 
The report's objective was to provide the Commission the means to 
monitor and ensure that service quality at equal access exchanges is 
comparable to service quality at non-equal access exchanges. Because at 
the end of 1994, approximately 98% of the nation's lines had been 
converted to equal access (in contrast to 86% in 1989), this report is 
no longer relevant for the purposes originally intended. Therefore the 
Commission proposed to eliminate it.
    6. AT&T Nondiscrimination Report for Enhanced Services Providers: 
AT&T submits this report on a quarterly basis pursuant to Amendment of 
Section 64.702 of the Commission's Rules and Regulations, (``Third 
Computer Inquiry'') [52 FR 20714, June 3, 1987]. In these reports, AT&T 
must compare the level of service provided to enhanced service 
affiliates with that provided to enhanced service competitors. As 
discussed above, following the Commission's orders streamlining the 
regulation of AT&T's services, very few AT&T services remain subject to 
enhanced services nondiscrimination reporting, and those few are so 
rarely used that this reporting requirement was proposed to be 
eliminated.
    7. BOC Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) Installation and 
Maintenance Report; BOC Customer Premises Equipment Affidavits for Non-
Discriminatory Provision of Network Maintenance: The BOC CPE 
installation and maintenance report is a quarterly report required by 
Furnishing of Customer Premises Equipment by the Bell Operating 
Telephone Companies and the Independent Telephone Companies [52 FR 
2226, January 21, 1987]. The Report compares the number and/or 
percentage of lines/circuits not installed by the BOC by the requested 
date for affiliated and unaffiliated CPE vendors, so that the FCC may 
monitor whether the BOCs are discriminating

[[Page 10524]]
against unaffiliated CPE vendors with respect to installation and 
maintenance. As an alternative to submitting a quarterly CPE 
maintenance report described above, a BOC may instead submit an annual 
affidavit certifying that it has not discriminated in the provision of 
network installation and maintenance. The Commission originally adopted 
this alternative maintenance certification scheme in the belief that it 
was unlikely that BOCs could or would discriminate based on the 
identity of the CPE vendor in providing network maintenance services.
    8. In the eight years since the Commission established the 
foregoing nondiscrimination reporting and alternative affidavit 
requirements, the Commission received no formal complaints from any 
party alleging unlawful discrimination by a BOC in the provision of 
installation and maintenance services. The Commission proposed the 
elimination of these requirements in light of regulatory alternatives 
and burdens imposed on carriers and solicited comment on the costs and 
benefits of eliminating the foregoing requirements.
    9. BOC Sales Agency Program and Vendor Support Program Report: This 
report is submitted annually by each BOC pursuant to the BOC CPE Relief 
Order [2 FCC Rcd 156]. The report contains information on the Bell 
Operating Companies' sales agency programs and vendor sales activity. 
The original purpose of the report was to ensure that the BOCs provide 
independent CPE vendors with meaningful opportunities to market their 
CPE jointly with BOC network services. At the present time, these sales 
agency reports are not generally used by independent CPE vendors, and 
that, therefore, they may not as a practical matter serve the purposes 
for which they were intended. Accordingly, the Commission proposed to 
eliminate the requirement to file these reports.
    10. Billing and Collection Contracts: This report is submitted by 
local exchange carriers (LECs) on an as-needed basis pursuant to the 
Common Carrier Bureau's Public Notice released in CC Docket No. 85-88 
[2 FCC Rcd 809 (Com. Car. Bur. 1987)]. Each LEC provides a list of all 
billing and collection contracts under which it provides such services. 
From time to time as necessary, the LEC updates the list on file with 
the Commission. As LECs previously enjoyed a virtual monopoly on 
certain information necessary for the billing and collection of end-
users, this service was in the past subject to tariff. However, as non-
LECs gained access to such information and the service became more 
competitive, the Commission relaxed the tariff requirement and simply 
required these LECs to file lists of those contracts. Because such 
lists are seldom used by the staff or the public the Commission 
proposed to eliminate this reporting requirement entirely.
    11. Circuit Report: Section 63.07(b) of the rules requires non-
dominant carriers that construct or acquire initial or additional 
circuits to file a report concerning these circuits semi-annually on 
February 1 and August 1 of each year. These reports provide information 
on interstate communications facilities constructed and operated by 
nondominant carriers. This information permits the Commission to 
perform a public interest assessment of the facilities investments of 
these carriers, as envisioned in its Competitive Carrier Proceeding [45 
FR 76148, November 18, 1980]. As a practical matter, it is no longer 
necessary to require these reports on a routine basis from all 
nondominant carriers. Instead, the Commission can obtain this 
information in individual instances when a direct regulatory need for 
it arises. Accordingly, the Commission proposed the elimination of the 
present requirement that nondominant carriers file semi-annual circuit 
reports.
    12. Record Carrier Letter: Each record carrier with operating 
revenues over $75 million for a calendar year is required, under 
Section 43.21(d) of the Commission's Rules, to file a letter showing 
selected balance sheet and income items for that year with the Common 
Carrier Bureau Chief. The financial statement summary provides an 
indication of record carrier business. In the 1950s, 80 percent of 
international traffic was handled by record carriers. In 1994 this 
report was filed by two carriers representing 2 percent of the market. 
For 1995 it is anticipated that only one carrier will file. The 
Commission tentatively concluded that this report was no longer needed 
and proposed to eliminate it.
    13. Report on Inside Wiring Services: This report is submitted by 
each local exchange carrier with annual operating revenues of $100 
million or more under Section 43.41 of the Commission's Rules. This 
rule applies only to the local exchange carrier serving the greatest 
number of access lines within the portions of the state that are, or 
would be, subject to the state regulation.
    14. The report contains copies of any state or local statute, 
order, rule, law or other documents that regulate or propose to 
regulate local exchange carrier prices for inside wiring services. This 
reporting requirement was established to gain information about 
regulations at the state level and their potential impact on federal 
wiring policy. The Commission sought comment on eliminating this 
report.

III. Reduction of Reporting Frequency

    15. Armis Service Quality Report 43-05: These reports are submitted 
quarterly by every local exchange carrier for which price cap 
regulation is mandatory and for every local exchange carrier that 
elects to be covered by the price cap rules. This report was 
established to enable the Commission to observe the success of 
incentive regulation and to become aware of any reduction of service 
quality or infrastructure investment. The states have been increasingly 
active in monitoring the quality of service. The Commission concluded 
that there was no need to require this report on a quarterly basis and 
proposed requiring the report to be submitted semi-annually.
    16. Form 492: Rate of Return Report: This report is submitted 
quarterly by non price cap companies (Non Price Cap LECS) and NECA. The 
report is one page in length and contains total revenues, total 
expenses and taxes, operating income and the rate base for each 
company. While the Commission felt that the data was still needed to 
ensure that non price cap companies do not exceed the authorized rate 
of return, it determined that this purpose could also be accomplished 
by reducing the report's frequency. The Commission proposed requiring 
this report annually.
    17. Joint Board Monitoring Program--Pooling: This report is 
submitted by NECA on a monthly (summary of pool results), and an annual 
(long term support) basis under Sections 69.605 and 69.612 of the 
Commission's Rules. The report contains NECA pooling data and long-term 
support data. It was established to keep track of subsidy flows and 
administrative costs of administering the subsidies. These purposes can 
still be accomplished by quarterly submissions. The Commission 
therefore proposed to reduce the frequency of this report to a 
quarterly submission.
    18. New Service Tracking Report: This report is submitted quarterly 
by LECs subject to price cap regulation, under requirements imposed by 
the Commission. These reports are employed to conduct studies to 
determine reliability of price cap carrier new service projections. The 
Commission determined that while the data was still needed, this 
purpose could be accomplished by reducing the

[[Page 10525]]
reporting frequency. Therefore, it proposed reducing the frequency of 
this submission to an annual report.
    19. Payphone Compensation: This report is required to be submitted 
quarterly by AT&T and Sprint under a waiver granted in connection with 
CC Docket No. 91-35 [CC Docket No. 91-35, 10 FCC Rcd 1590 (1994); 10 
FCC Rcd 5490 (1995)]. The report consists of a brief paragraph 
delineating the names and amounts of compensation paid to private 
payphone operators for interstate traffic that originated from those 
payphones. This requirement was established to monitor pay-phone 
compensation paid on a different basis than that provided for in the 
Docket. This report will only be needed until the conclusion of the 
payphone compensation rulemaking within the next two years and the 
burden is minimal. The Commission determined that the frequency of this 
report could be reduced and proposed a semi-annual submission.
    20. Report of Unsecured Credit to Political Candidates: This report 
is submitted semi-annually by all carriers having operating revenues in 
excess of $1 million for the preceeding year. It shows, by account, any 
amount due and unpaid as of the end of the month prior to the reporting 
date for interstate and for communications services rendered by or on 
behalf of candidates for Federal office, when such amount results from 
the extension of unsecured credit. The reporting requirement was 
established pursuant to Section 401 of the Federal Election Campaign 
Act of 1971. This report serves as a check on the implied contributions 
by carriers to candidates for Federal office. The Commission solicited 
comment on whether a reduced frequency could accomplish the same 
objective. It proposed to reduce the frequency of this report and 
instead require that it be submitted annually if there was a reasonable 
basis in the record for concluding that this would sufficiently meet 
the purposes of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.

IV. Procedural Rules

    21. The Commission believed that it would facilitate resolution of 
the issues raised in this proceeding to provide that the Chief, Common 
Carrier Bureau, acting pursuant to delegated authority, would determine 
whether to adopt the proposals set forth in this Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking. It delegated to the Chief of the Common Carrier Bureau the 
authority to issue any necessary reports or orders arising from this 
rulemaking proceeding. Therefore, in that regard, it waived, for this 
proceeding only, Section 0.291(h) of the Commission's Rules, 47 CFR 
0.291(h), which prohibits the Chief of the Common Carrier Bureau from 
issuing reports or orders arising from a proposed rulemaking.
    22. Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis. This was not required 
as there were no small entities affected by the proposals described in 
this document.
    23. Ex Parte Rules Non-Restricted Proceeding. This is a non-
restricted notice and comment rulemaking. See 47 CFR 1.399 et seq. Ex 
Parte presentations are permitted, except during the Sunshine Agenda 
period, provided they are disclosed as provided in Commission rules. 
See generally 47 CFR 1.1202, 1.1203, and 1.1206(a).
    24. Comment Filing Dates. Pursuant to applicable procedures set 
forth in Sections 1.399 and 1.411 et seq. of the Commission's rules, 47 
CFR 1.399 and 1.411 et seq., interested parties may file comments with 
the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, Washington, D.C. 
20554 on or before April 8, 1996, and reply comments on or before April 
23, 1996. To file formally in this proceeding, participants must file 
an original and four copies of all comments, reply comments, and 
supporting comments. If participants want each Commissioner to receive 
a personal copy of their comments, an original plus nine copies must be 
filed. Parties should also file one copy of any documents filed in this 
docket with the Commission's copy contractor, International 
Transcription Services, Room 140, 2100 M Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 
20037. Parties should also submit one copy of any documents filed in 
this docket with Nasir Khilji, Industry Analysis Division, Common 
Carrier Bureau, Room 500F, 2033 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20554. 
Comments and reply comments will be available for public inspection 
during regular business hours in the FCC Reference Center (Room 239) of 
the Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M Street, N.W., Washington, 
D.C. 20554.

V. Ordering Clauses

    25. Accordingly, it is ordered, pursuant to Sections 1, 4(i), 4(j), 
201-205, 218, 226, and 303(r) of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 154(j), 201-205, 218, 226, 303(r), that 
a Notice of Proposed Rule Making is issued, proposing the amendment of 
various Commission's rules as set forth below.
    26. It is further ordered, that the Chief of the Common Carrier 
Bureau is delegated authority to issue any necessary reports or orders 
arising from this rulemaking proceeding. It is further ordered, that 
for this proceeding and for the purposes described above, Section 
0.291(h) of the Commission's Rules, 47 CFR 0.291(h), waived.
    27. It is further ordered, That the Secretary shall mail a copy of 
this Notice of Proposed Rule Making to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy 
of the Small Business Administration, in accordance with section 603(a) 
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 603(a). The Secretary shall 
also cause a summary of this Notice to appear in the Federal Register.

List of Subjects

47 CFR Part 43

    Communications common carriers, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Telegraph, Telephone.

47 CFR Part 63

    Communications common carriers, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Telephone.

47 CFR Part 64

    Communications common carriers, Reporting and recordkeping 
requirements, Telephone, Credit, Political candidate.

47 CFR Part 65

    Communications common carriers, Reporting and record-keeping 
requirements, Telephone.

Federal Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Acting Secretary.

Rule Changes

    Parts 43, 63, 64, and 65 of title 47 of the code of federal 
regulations are proposed to be amended as follows:

PART 43--REPORTS OF COMMUNICATION COMMON CARRIERS AND CERTAIN 
AFFILIATES

    1. The authority citation for Part 43 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: Sections 4(i), 4(j), 201-205, 303(r) and 403 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 154(j), 201-205, 
303(r), 403, unless otherwise noted.

    2. Paragraph (d) of Sec. 43.21 is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 43.21  Annual reports of carriers and certain affiliates.

* * * * *
    (d) Each miscellaneous common carrier (as defined by Sec. 21.1 of 
this chapter) with operating revenues over $100 million for a calender 
year shall file with the Common Carrier Bureau Chief a letter showing 
its operating revenues for that year and the value of

[[Page 10526]]
its total communications plant at the end of that year. This letter 
must be filed by March 31 of the following year.
* * * * *
    3. Section 43.41 is removed and reserved.

PART 63--EXTENSION OF LINES AND DISCONTINUANCE, REDUCTION, OUTAGE 
AND IMPAIRMENT OF SERVICE BY COMMON CARRIER; AND GRANTS OF 
RECOGNIZED PRIVATE OPERATING AGENCY STATUS

    4.The authority citation for Part 63 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: Sections 4(i), 4(j), 201-205, 303(r) and 403 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 154(j), 201-205, 
303(r), 403, unless otherwise noted.

    5. Section 63.07 is amended by removing paragraph (b) and 
redesignating paragraph (c) as paragraph (b).

PART 64--MISCELLANEOUS RULES RELATING TO COMMON CARRIERS

    6. The authority citation for Part 64 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: Sections 4(i), 4(j), 201-205, 303(r) and 403 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 154(j), 201-205, 
303(r), 403, unless otherwise noted.

    7. Section 64.804 is amended by revising the first sentence of 
introductory paragraph (g) to read as follows:


Sec. 64.804  Rules governing the extension of unsecured credit to 
candidates or persons on behalf of such candidates for Federal office 
for interstate and foreign common carrier communication services.

* * * * *
    (g) On or before January 31, 1997, and the corresponding date of 
each year thereafter, each carrier which had operating revenues in the 
preceeding year in excess of $1 million shall file with the Commission 
a report by account of any amount due and unpaid, as of the end of the 
month prior to the reporting date, for interstate and foreign 
communication services rendered to a candidate or person on behalf of 
such candidate when such amount results from the extension of unsecured 
credit.* * *
* * * * *

PART 65--INTERSTATE RATE OF RETURN PRESCRIPTION PROCEDURES AND 
METHODOLOGIES

    8. The authority citation for Part 65 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: Sections 4(i), 4(j), 201-205, 303(r) and 403 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 154(j), 201-205, 
303(r), 403, unless otherwise noted.

    9. Section 65.600 is amended by revising paragraph (b) to read as 
follows:


Sec. 65.600  Rate of return reports.

* * * * *
    (b) Each local exchange carrier or group of affiliated carriers 
which is not subject to Secs. 61.41 through 61.49 of this chapter and 
which has filed individual access tariffs during the preceding 
enforcement period shall file with the Commission within three (3) 
months after the end of each calender year, an annual rate of return 
monitoring report. Each report shall contain two parts. The first part 
shall contain rate of return information on a cumulative basis from the 
start of the enforcement period through the end of the year being 
reported. The second part shall contain similar information for the 
most recent year. The final annual monitoring report for the entire 
enforcement period shall be considered the enforcement period report. 
Reports shall be filed on the appropriate report form prescribed by the 
Commission (see Sec. 1.795 of this chapter) and shall provide full and 
specific answers to all questions propounded and information requested 
in the currently effective report form. The number of copies to be 
filed shall be specified in the applicable report form. At least one 
copy of the report shall be signed on the signature page by the 
responsible officer. A copy of each report shall be retained in the 
principal office of the respondent and shall be filed in such manner as 
to be readily available for reference and inspection. Final adjustments 
to the enforcement period report shall be made within fifteen (15) 
months following the enforcement period to ensure that any refunds can 
be properly reflected in an annual access filing.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 96-6199 Filed 3-13-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P