[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 27 (Tuesday, February 10, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6757-6758]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-3350]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Public Information Collection Requirements Submitted to Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for Review

February 4, 1998.
    The Federal Communications Commission has submitted the following 
information collection requirements to OMB for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. Section 3507. 
Persons wishing to comment on the information collections should 
contact Timothy Fain, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10236, 
NEOB, Washington, D.C. 20503, (202) 395-3561. For further information, 
contact Judy Boley, Federal Communications Commission, (202) 418-0214.

    Please note: The Commission has requested emergency review of 
the following collections by February 9, 1998 under the provisions 
of 5 CFR Section 1320.13.

    Title: Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, CC Docket 
No. 96-45 (47 CFR 36.611-36.612 and 47 CFR Part 54).
    Form No.: N/A.
    OMB Control No.: 3060-0774.
    Action: Revised collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; individuals or 
households, state.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 5,565,451 respondents; .32 hours per 
response (avg.); 1,801,570 hours total annual burden for all 
collections. See estimates provided below for burden for requirements 
for which approval is sought.
    Needs and Uses: On December 30, 1997, the Commission released the 
Fourth Order on Reconsideration in Federal-Joint Board on Universal 
Service, CC Docket 96-45, Access Charge Reform, Price Cap Performance 
Review for Local Exchange Carriers, Transport Rate Structure and 
Pricing, End User Common Line Charge, CC Docket Nos. 96-262, 94-1, 91-
213, 95-72 (Order). Following publication of the Commission's May 8th 
Report and Order on Universal Service, the Commission received 
significant comment from the public regarding universal service in the 
form of petitions for reconsideration, oppositions to those petitions, 
and comments on those petitions. In the Order, the Commission responded 
to various issues raised in the petitions for reconsideration and/or 
clarification of the Commission's May 8th Report and Order on Universal 
Service. Several of the rules adopted in the Order reduce existing 
reporting requirements or impose new reporting requirements.
    a. 47 C.F.R. Sec. 54.201(a)(2)--Submission of eligibility criteria. 
Pursuant to section 214(e), a carrier must be designated an eligible 
telecommunications carrier by a state commission before receiving 
universal service support in accordance with section 254. A state 
commission that is unable to designate as an eligible 
telecommunications carrier, by January 1, 1998, a carrier that sought 
such designation before January 1, 1998, may, once it has designated 
such carrier, file with the Commission a petition for waiver of 
paragraph (a)(1) of this section requesting that the carrier receive 
universal service support retroactive to January 1, 1998. The state 
commission must demonstrate in its petition that exceptional 
circumstances prevented it from designating such carrier as an eligible 
telecommunications carrier by January 1, 1998. (No. of respondents: 
100; avg. hours per response: 4 hours; total annual burden: 400 hours).
    b. Demonstration of Reasonable Steps. Carriers also are encouraged 
to file with the Commission information demonstrating that they took 
reasonable steps to be designated as eligible telecommunications 
carriers by January 1, 1998. (No. of respondents: 50; avg.

[[Page 6758]]

hours per response: 1 hour; total annual burden: 50 hours).
    c. 47 C.F.R. Sec. 54.519--State telecommunications networks. State 
telecommunications networks that secure discounts on eligible services 
on behalf of eligible schools and libraries must maintain records 
listing eligible schools and libraries, showing the basis on which 
eligibility determinations were made, and demonstrating the discount 
amount to which each eligible school and library is entitled. The state 
networks must direct the eligible schools and libraries to pay the 
discounted price for services and must comply with the competitive bid 
requirements established in 47 CFR Sec. 54.504. (No. of respondents: 
50; avg. hours per response: 4 hours; total annual burden: 200 hours).
    d. Streamlined application process for schools and libraries and 
for rural health care providers. An eligible school or library will not 
be required to undergo the competitive bid process outlined in 47 CFR 
Sec. 54.504(a) for a minor modification to a universal service contract 
as defined in 47 CFR Sec. 54.500(h). An eligible school or library 
making a minor modification to a contract must submit an FCC Form 471 
indicating the value of the proposed contract modification. An eligible 
school or library will not be required to undergo the competitive bid 
process outlined in 47 CFR Sec. 54.504(a) if the eligible entity elects 
to order services from a master contract negotiated by a third party as 
defined in 47 CFR Sec. 54.500(g). An eligible rural health care 
provider shall not be required to undergo the competitive bid process 
outlined in Sec. 54.603 for a minor modification to a universal service 
contract. Such health care provider, however, shall be required to file 
an FCC Form 466 indicating the value of the proposed contract 
modification. An eligible rural health care provider shall not be 
required to undergo the competitive bid process outlined in 47 CFR 
Sec. 54.603 if the eligible entity elects to order services from a 
master contract negotiated by a third party. (See Order, Section J, 
pps. 130-136). (No. of respondents: 16,000; avg. hours per response: 1 
hour; total annual burden: 16,000 hours).
    e. 47 CFR Sec. 54.604--Existing contracts. Rural health care 
providers bound by existing contracts for services shall not be 
required to comply with the competitive bid process outlined in 47 CFR 
Sec. 54.603. (This rule reduces the total annual burden of Section 
54.603(b)(1) by 1,000 burden hours).
    f. Obligation to notify underlying carrier. Systems integrators 
that derive de minimis amounts of revenue from the resale of 
telecommunications and small entities that qualify for the de minimis 
exemption are not required to contribute to universal service. They 
must, however, notify their underlying cariers that they constitute end 
users for universal service purposes. (No. of respondents: 1700; avg. 
hours per response: 1 hour; total annual burden: 1,700 hours).
    All the requirements contained herein are necessary to implement 
the congressional mandate for universal service. These reporting 
requirements are necessary to calculate the contribution amount owed by 
each telecommunications carrier or to verify that particular carriers 
and other respondents are eligible to receive universal service 
support. The recordkeeping requirements should not be burdensome since 
most businesses ordinarily retain these types of documents.
    Title: Changes to the Board of Directors of the National Exchange 
Carrier Association and the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal 
Service, CC Docket Nos. 97-21 and 96-45.
    Form No.: FCC Form 457.
    OMB Control No.: 3060-0785.
    Action: Revised collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 4,000 respondents; 13.9 hours per response 
(avg.); 55,650 hours total annual burden all requirements.
    Needs and Uses: On December 30, 1997, the Commission released the 
Fourth Order on Reconsideration in Federal-Joint Board on Universal 
Service, CC Docket 96-45, Access Charge Reform, Price Cap Performance 
Review for Local Exchange Carriers, Transport Rate Structure and 
Pricing, End User Common Line Charge, CC Docket Nos. 96-262, 94-1, 91-
213, 95-72 (Order). Following publication of the Commission's May 8th 
Report and Order on Universal Service, the Commission received 
significant comment from the public regarding universal service in the 
form of petitions for reconsideration, oppositions to those petitions, 
and comments on those petitions. In the Order, the Commission responded 
to various issues raised in the petitions for reconsideration and/or 
clarification of the Commission's May 8th Report and Order on Universal 
Service. The Commission reconsidered certain aspects of the Universal 
Service Order and exempted additional entities from universal service 
contribution and reporting requirements. Broadcasters and schools, 
colleges, universities, rural health care providers, and systems 
integrators that derive de minimis amounts of revenue from the resale 
of telecommunications will not be required to contribute to universal 
service. See 47 CFR Section 54.703. Entities whose annual contribution 
would be less than $10,000 will not be required to contribute to 
universal service or comply with universal service reporting 
requirements. See 47 CFR Section 54.705.
    The foregoing estimates include the time for reviewing 
instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and 
maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the burden 
estimates or any other aspect of the collection of information 
including suggestions for reducing the burden to the Federal 
Communications Commission, Performance Evaluation and Records 
Management, Paperwork Reduction Project, Washington, D.C. 20554.

Federal Communications Commission.
Magalie Roman Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-3350 Filed 2-9-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P