[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 69 (Thursday, April 10, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 17566-17567]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-9159]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Parts 0 and 97

[WT Docket No. 95-57; FCC 97-99]


Amateur Service Rules

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This action amends the amateur service rules to improve 
eligibility standards for a club station license, recognizes the role 
of volunteer examiner (VE) teams and session managers, establishes a 
special event call sign system, and authorizes a self-assigned 
indicator in the station identification announcement. The Commission 
declined to allow examination credit for licenses formerly held. The 
amendments are necessary in order to serve the amateur service 
licensees more effectively. The effect of this action is to improve 
license processing, increase operational flexibility, and minimize 
regulation.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 12, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maurice J. DePont, Federal 
Communications Commission, Washington, D.C. 20554, (202) 418-0690.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Report 
and Order adopted March 20, 1997, and released April 1, 1997. The 
complete text of this Commission action, including the amended rules, 
is available for inspection and copying during normal business hours in 
the FCC Reference Center (Room 230), 1919 M Street, N.W., Washington, 
D.C. The complete text of this Report and Order may also be ordered 
from the Commission's copy contractor, International Transcription 
Services, Inc., 2100 M Street, N.W., Suite 140, Washington, D.C. 20037, 
telephone (202) 857-3800.

Summary of Report and Order

    1. The amended rules respond to petitions filed by the American 
Radio Relay League, Inc., and the National Conference of Volunteer-
Examiner Coordinators. The amended rules also reflect action on 
proposals made by the Commission on its own motion.
    2. The amended rules increase the eligibility requirement for an 
amateur service club station license to four persons in order to 
improve the effectiveness of the amateur service licensing process.
    3. The amended rules permit a VE team to select a VE session 
manager to organize activities at an examination session and to conduct 
liaison functions with the coordinating VEC.
    4. In order to provide greater operational flexibility for amateur 
radio operators, the amended rules allow the station identification to 
include a self-assigned indicator before, after, or both before and 
after, the assigned call sign.
    5. Finally, the amended rules authorize the licensee of an amateur 
station operating in conjunction with a self-determined special event 
to substitute for its assigned call sign a self-selected call sign from 
the block of one-by-one call signs.
    6. In view of the opposition expressed in the comments, the 
Commission declined to give examination credit for licenses formerly 
held.
    7. The amended rules are set forth below.
    8. Pursuant to Section 605(b) of the Regulatory Flexibility Act 
(RFA) the Commission certifies that the amended rules will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities 
because the amateur stations that are the subject of this proceeding 
are not authorized to transmit communications for a pecuniary interest.
    9. Authority for this action is contained in Sections 4(i) and 
303(r) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i) 
and 303(r).
    10. A copy of the RFA certification will be provided to the Chief 
Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration.

List of Subjects

47 CFR Part 0

    Organization and functions (Government agencies).

[[Page 17567]]

47 CFR Part 97

    Radio, Volunteers.

Federal Communications Commission
William F. Caton,
Acting Secretary.

Rule Changes

    Parts 0 and 97 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations are 
amended as follows:

PART 0--COMMISSION ORGANIZATION

    1. The authority citation for Part 0 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: Sec. 5, 48 Stat. 1068, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 155, 
225, unless otherwise noted.

    2. Section 0.131 is amended by adding new paragraph (p) to read as 
follows:


Sec. 0.131  Functions of the Bureau.

* * * * *
    (p) Certifies, in the name of the Commission, volunteer entities to 
coordinate, maintain and disseminate a common data base of amateur 
station special event call signs, and issues Public Notices detailing 
the procedures of amateur service call sign systems.

PART 97--AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE

    1. The authority citation for Part 97 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 48 Stat. 1066, 1082, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 154, 303. 
Interpret or apply 48 Stat. 1064-1068, 1081-1105, as amended; 47 
U.S.C. 151-155, 301-609, unless otherwise noted.

    2. Section 97.3(a)(11)(iii) is added to read as follows:


Sec. 97.3  Definitions.

    (a) * * *
    (11) * * *
    (iii) Special event call sign system. The call sign is selected by 
the station licensee from a list of call signs shown on a common data 
base coordinated, maintained and disseminated by the amateur station 
special event call sign data base coordinators. The call sign must have 
the single letter prefix K, N or W, followed by a single numeral 0 
through 9, followed by a single letter A through W or Y or Z (for 
example K1A). The special event call sign is substituted for the call 
sign shown on the station license grant while the station is 
transmitting. The FCC will issue public announcements detailing the 
procedures of the special event call sign system.
* * * * *
    3. Section 97.5(b)(2) is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 97.5  Station license required.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (2) A club station license. A club station license is granted only 
to the person who is the license trustee designated by an officer of 
the club. The trustee must be a person who has been granted an Amateur 
Extra, Advanced, General, Technician Plus, or Technician operator 
license. The club must be composed of at least four persons and must 
have a name, a document of organization, management, and a primary 
purpose devoted to amateur service activities consistent with this 
part. The club station license document is printed on FCC Form 660.
* * * * *
    4. Section 97.119 is amended by revising paragraph (c), 
redesignating paragraphs (d) through (f) as paragraphs (e) through (g), 
and adding new paragraph (d) to read as follows:


Sec. 97.119  Station identification.

* * * * *
    (c) One or more indicators may be included with the call sign. Each 
indicator must be separated from the call sign by the slant mark (/) or 
by any suitable word that denotes the slant mark. If an indicator is 
self-assigned, it must be included before, after, or both before and 
after, the call sign. No self-assigned indicator may conflict with any 
other indicator specified by the FCC Rules or with any prefix assigned 
to another country.
    (d) When transmitting in conjunction with an event of special 
significance, a station may substitute for its assigned call sign a 
special event call sign as shown for that station for that period of 
time on the common data base coordinated, maintained and disseminated 
by the special event call sign data base coordinators. Additionally, 
the station must transmit its assigned call sign at least once per hour 
during such transmissions.
* * * * *
    5. Section 97.509 (a) and (i) are revised to read as follows:


Sec. 97.509  Administering VE requirements.

    (a) Each examination element for an amateur operator license must 
be administered by a team of at least 3 VEs at an examination session 
coordinated by a VEC. Before the session, the administering VEs or the 
VE session manager must ensure that public announcement is made stating 
the location and time of the session. The number of examinees at the 
session may be limited.
* * * * *
    (i) When the examinee is credited for all examination elements 
required for the operator license sought, 3 VEs must certify on the 
examinee's application document that the applicant is qualified for the 
license and that they have complied with these administering VE 
requirements. The certifying VEs are jointly and individually 
accountable for the proper administration of each examination element 
reported on the examinee's application FCC Form 610. The certifying VEs 
may delegate to other qualified VEs their authority, but not their 
accountability, to administer individual elements of an examination.
* * * * *
    6. New Section 97.513 is added to read as follows:


Sec. 97.513  VE session manager requirements.

    (a) A VE session manager may be selected by the VE team for each 
examination session. The VE session manager must be accredited as a VE 
by the same VEC that coordinates the examination session. The VE 
session manager may serve concurrently as an administering VE.
    (b) The VE session manager may carry on liaison between the VE team 
and the coordinating VEC.
    (c) The VE session manager may organize activities at an 
examination session.
    7. Section 97.519(b) is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 97.519  Coordinating examination sessions.

* * * * *
    (b) At the completion of each examination session, the coordinating 
VEC must collect the FCC Form 610 documents and test results from the 
administering VEs. Within 10 days of collecting the FCC Form 610 
documents, the coordinating VEC must:
    (1) Screen each FCC Form 610 document; (2) Resolve all 
discrepancies appearing on the FCC Form 610 documents and verify that 
the VEs' certifications are properly completed; and
    (3) For qualified examinees, forward electronically the data 
contained on the FCC Form 610 documents, or forward the FCC Form 610 
documents to: FCC, 1270 Fairfield Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325-7245. When 
the data is forwarded electronically, the coordinating VEC must retain 
the FCC Form 610 documents for at least 15 months and make them 
available to the FCC upon request.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 97-9159 Filed 4-9-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P