[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 63 (Monday, April 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17551-17554]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-8040]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Public Information Collections Approved by Office of Management 
and Budget

March 23, 2001.
    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has received Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the following public 
information collections pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, Public Law 104-13. An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a 
person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless 
it displays a currently valid control number. For further information 
contact Shoko B. Hair, Federal Communications Commission, (202) 418-
1379.

Federal Communications Commission

    OMB Control No.: 3060-0787.
    Expiration Date: 09/30/2001.
    Title: Implementation of the Subscriber Carrier Selection Changes 
Provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996; Policies and Rules 
Concerning Unauthorized Changes of Consumers Long Distance.
    Form No.: FCC Form 478.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 28,676 respondents; 4.71 hours per 
response (avg.).; 135,126 total annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion; Semi-annually; Third Party 
Disclosure; Recordkeeping.
    Description: Section 258 of the Communications Act of 1934 (Act), 
as amended by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, makes it unlawful for 
any telecommunications carrier to ``submit or execute a change in a 
subscriber's selection of a provider of telecommunications exchange 
service or telephone toll service except in accordance with such 
verification procedures as the Commission shall prescribe.'' The 
Section further provides that any telecommunications carrier that 
violates such verification procedures and that collects charges for 
telephone exchange service or telephone toll service from a subscriber, 
shall be liable to the carrier previously selected by the

[[Page 17552]]

subscriber in an amount equal to all charges paid by the subscriber 
after such violation. In the Second Report and Order and Further Notice 
of Proposed Rulemaking (section 258 Order) issued in CC Docket No. 94-
129, the Commission adopted rules to implement section 258 of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (Act), as amended by the Telecommunications 
Act of 1996 (1996 Act). The goal of section 258 is to eliminate the 
practice of ``slamming,'' which is the unauthorized change of a 
subscriber's preferred carrier. In the Section 258 Order, the 
Commission adopted various rules addressing verification of preferred 
carrier changes and preferred carrier freezes. The Commission also 
adopted liability rules designed to take the profit out of slamming. In 
the First Order on Reconsideration (Order), released May 3, 2000, the 
Commission amended certain of its liability rules by requiring slamming 
disputes between consumers and carriers to be brought before 
appropriate state commissions, or this Commission in cases where the 
state has not opted to administer our rules, rather than to authorized 
carriers. The Order also modified the liability rules that apply when a 
consumer has paid charges to a slamming carrier. The Order set forth 
certain notification requirements to facilitate carriers' compliance 
with the liability rules. The Commission issued a Third Report and 
Order and Second Order on
Reconsideration in CC Docket No. 94-129, released August 15, 2000 and 
an Order released February 22, 2001. The modifications and additions 
adopted these Orders will improve the carrier change process for 
consumers and carriers, while making it more difficult for unscrupulous 
carriers to perpetrate slams. Following is a synopsis of the 
requirements approved by OMB. See above-mentioned Orders and 47 CFR 
Parts 1 and 64 for complete details. a. Section 64.1110, State 
Notification of Election to Administer FCC Rules. Pursuant to section 
64.1110(a), state notification of an intention to administer the 
Federal
Communication Commission's unauthorized carrier change rules and 
remedies shall be filed with the Commission Secretary in CC Docket No. 
94-129 with a copy of such notification provided to the Consumer 
Information Bureau Chief. Such notification shall contain, at a 
minimum, information on where consumers should file complaints, the 
type of documentation, if any, that must accompany a complaint, and the 
procedures the state will use to adjudicate complaints. Pursuant to 
section 64.1110(b), state notification of an intention to discontinue 
administering the Federal Communication Commission's unauthorized 
carrier change rules and remedies shall be filed with the Commission 
Secretary in CC Docket No. 94-129 with a copy of such amended 
notification provided to the Consumer Information Bureau Chief. Such 
discontinuance shall become effective 60 days after the Commission's 
receipt of the state's letter. (No. of respondents: 51; hours per 
response: 2 hours; total annual burden: 102 hours). b. Section 64.1120, 
Verification of Orders for Telecommunications Carriers. A carrier must 
retain verification records for two years after their creation. 
Pursuant to section 64.1120 no telecommunications carrier shall submit 
a preferred carrier charge order unless and until the order has first 
been confirmed. Telecommunications carriers may obtain the subscriber's 
written authorization as required by section 64.1130 or an electronic 
authorization, or an oral authorization through a qualified independent 
third party. (Number of respondents: 1800; hours per response: 1.5 
hours; total annual burden: 2700 hours). c. Section 64.1130, Letter of 
Agency Form and Content. Pursuant to section 64.1130, a 
telecommunications carrier may use a written or electronically signed 
letter of agency to obtain authorization and/or verification of a 
subscriber's request to change his or her preferred carrier selection. 
A letter of agency that does not conform to this section is invalid for 
purposes of this part. The letter of agency shall be a separate 
document (or easily separable document) or located on a separate screen 
or webpage containing only the authorizing language described in 
64.1130(e) having the sole purpose of authorizing a telecommunications 
carrier to initiate a preferred carrier change. The letter of agency 
must be signed and dated by the subscriber to the telephone lines 
requesting the preferred carrier change. The letter of agency shall not 
be combined on the same document, screen, or webpage with inducements 
of any kind. The letter of agency must contain language that confirms 
that the subscriber may consult with the carrier as to whether a fee 
will apply to the change in the subscriber's preferred carrier. A 
letter of agency submitted with an electronically signed authorization 
must include the consumer disclosures required by section 101(c) of 
Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act. A carrier 
shall submit a preferred carrier change order on behalf of a subscriber 
within no more than 60 days of obtaining a written or electronically 
signed letter of agency. (No. of respondents; 1800; hours per response: 
3 hours; total annual burden: 5500 hours). d. Section 64.1140, Carrier 
Liability for Slamming. Pursuant to
Section 64.1140(a), any submitting telecommunications carrier that 
fails to comply with the procedures prescribed in this part shall be 
liable to the subscriber's properly authorized carrier in an amount 
equal to 150% of all charges paid to the submitting telecommunications 
carrier by such subscriber after such violation, as well as for 
additional amounts as prescribed in Sec. 64.1170 of Part 64. Pursuant 
to section 64.1140(b), any subscriber whose selection of 
telecommunications service provider is changed without authorization or 
verification in accordance with the procedures set for 47 CFR 64.1140 
will be liable for charges. (No. of respondents 1910; hours per 
response: 2 hours; total annual burden: 3820 hours). e. Section 
64.1150, Procedures For Resolution of Unauthorized Changes in Preferred 
Carrier--Pursuant to section 64.1150(a), executing carriers who are 
informed of an unauthorized carrier change by a subscriber must 
immediately notify both the authorized and allegedly unauthorized 
carrier of the incident. This notification must include the identity of 
both carriers. Pursuant to Section 64.1150(b), any carrier, executing, 
authorized, or allegedly unauthorized, that is informed by a subscriber 
or an executing carrier of an unauthorized carrier change shall direct 
that subscriber either to the state commission or, where the state 
commission has not opted to administer these rules, to the Federal
Communications Commission's Consumer Information Bureau, for resolution 
of the complaint. Pursuant to section 64.1150(c), upon receipt of an 
unauthorized carrier change complaint, the relevant governmental agency 
will notify the allegedly unauthorized carrier of the complaint and 
order that the carrier removes all unpaid charges from the subscriber's 
bill pending a determination of whether an unauthorized change, as 
defined by Sec. 64.1100(e), has occurred, if it has not already done 
so. Pursuant to section 64.1150(d), not more than 30 days after 
notification of the complaint, or such lesser time as is required by 
the state commission if a matter is brought before a state commission, 
the alleged unauthorized carrier shall provide to the relevant 
government agency a copy of any valid proof of verification of the 
carrier change. Failure by the carrier to

[[Page 17553]]

respond or provide proof of verification will be presumed to be clear 
and convincing evidence of a violation. Pursuant to section 64.1150(e), 
the Federal Communications Commission will not adjudicate a complaint 
filed pursuant to Sec. 1.719 or Secs. 1.720-736, involving an alleged 
unauthorized change, as defined by Sec. 64.1100(e) of this part, while 
a complaint based on the same set of facts is pending with a state 
commission. (No. of respondents: 1960; hours per response: 8 hours; 
total annual hours: 9800 hours).
f. Section 64.1160, Absolution Procedures Where the Subscriber Has Not 
Paid--Pursuant to section 64.1160(a), this section shall only apply 
after a subscriber has determined that an unauthorized change, as 
defined by Sec. 64.1100(e) of this part, has occurred and the 
subscriber has not paid charges to the allegedly unauthorized carrier 
for service provided for 30 days, or a portion thereof, after the 
unauthorized change occurred. Pursuant to section 64.1160(b), an 
allegedly unauthorized carrier shall remove all charges incurred for 
service provided during the first 30 days after the alleged 
unauthorized change occurred, as defined by Sec. 64.1100(e) of this 
part, from a subscriber's bill upon notification that such unauthorized 
change is alleged to have occurred. Pursuant to Section 64.1160(c), an 
allegedly unauthorized carrier may challenge a subscriber's allegation 
that an unauthorized change, as defined by Sec. 64.1100(e) of this 
part, occurred. An allegedly unauthorized carrier choosing to challenge 
such allegation shall immediately notify the complaining subscriber 
that: (1) The complaining subscriber must file a complaint with a state 
commission that has opted to administer the FCC's rules, pursuant to 
Sec. 64.1110 of this part, or the FCC within 30 days of either (i) the 
date of removal of charges from the complaining subscriber's bill in 
accordance with paragraph (b) of this section or (ii) the date the 
allegedly unauthorized carrier notifies the complaining subscriber of 
the requirements of this paragraph, whichever is later; and (2) a 
failure to file such a complaint within this 30-day time period will 
result in the charges removed being reinstated on the subscriber's bill 
and, consequently, the complaining subscribers will only be entitled to 
remedies for the alleged unauthorized change other than those provided 
for in Sec. 64.1140(b)(1) of this part. No allegedly unauthorized 
carrier shall reinstate charges to a subscriber's bill pursuant to the 
provisions of this paragraph without first providing such
subscriber with a reasonable opportunity to demonstrate that the 
requisite complaint was timely filed within the 30-day period described 
in this paragraph. Pursuant to section 64.1160(d), if the relevant 
governmental agency determines after reasonable investigation that an 
unauthorized change, as defined by Sec. 64.1100(e) of this part, has 
occurred, an order shall be issued providing that the subscriber is 
entitled to absolution from the charges incurred during the first 30 
days after the unauthorized carrier change occurred, and neither the 
authorized or unauthorized carrier may pursue any collection against 
the subscriber for those charges. Pursuant to section 64.1160(e), if 
the subscriber has incurred charges for more than 30 days after the 
unauthorized carrier change, the unauthorized carrier must forward the 
billing information for such services to the authorized carrier. 
Pursuant to section 64.1160(f), if the unauthorized carrier received 
payment from the subscriber for services provided after the first 30 
days after the unauthorized change occurred, the obligations for 
payments and refunds provided for in Sec. 64.1160 of this part shall 
apply to those payments. Pursuant to section 64.1160(g), if the 
relevant governmental agency determines after reasonable investigation 
that the carrier change was authorized, the carrier may re-bill the 
subscriber for charges incurred. (No. of respondents: 1960; hours per 
response: 8 hours; total annual burden: 15,680). g. Section 64.1170, 
Reimbursement Procedures Where the Subscriber Has Paid. Pursuant to 
section 64.1170(a), the procedures set forth in section 64.1170 shall 
apply only after a subscriber has determined that an unauthorized 
change, as defined by section 64.1100(e) of our rules, has occurred and 
the subscriber has paid charges to an allegedly unauthorized carrier. 
Pursuant to section 64.1170(b), if the relevant governmental agency 
determines after reasonable investigation that an unauthorized change, 
as defined by Sec. 64.1100(e) of this part, has occurred, it shall 
issue an order directing the unauthorized carrier to forward to the 
authorized carrier the following, in addition to any appropriate state 
remedies, an amount equal to 150% of all charges paid by the subscriber 
to the unauthorized carrier; and copies of any telephone bills issued 
from the unauthorized carrier to the subscriber. Pursuant to section 
64.1170(c), within ten days of receipt of the amount provided for in 
paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the authorized carrier shall provide 
a refund or credit to the
subscriber in the amount of 50% of all charges paid by the subscriber 
to the unauthorized carrier. The subscriber has the option of asking 
the authorized carrier to re-rate the unauthorized carrier's charges 
based on the rates of the authorized carrier and, on behalf of the 
subscriber, seek an additional refund from the unauthorized carrier, to 
the extent that the re-rated amount exceeds the 50% of all charges paid 
by the subscriber to the unauthorized carrier. The authorized carrier 
shall also send notice to the relevant governmental agency that it has 
given a refund or credit to the subscriber. Pursuant to section 
64.1170(d), if an authorized carrier incurs billing and collection 
expenses in collecting charges from the unauthorized carrier, the 
unauthorized carrier shall reimburse the authorized carrier for 
reasonable expenses. Pursuant to section 64.1170(e), if the authorized 
carrier has not received payment from the unauthorized carrier as 
required by paragraph (c) of this section, the authorized carrier is 
not required to provide any refund or credit to the subscriber. The 
authorized carrier must, within 45 days of receiving an order as 
described in paragraph (b) of this section, inform the subscriber and 
the relevant governmental agency that issued the order if the 
unauthorized carrier has failed to forward to it the appropriate 
charges, and also inform the subscriber of his or her right to pursue a 
claim against the unauthorized carrier for a refund of all charges paid 
to the unauthorized carrier. Pursuant to section 64.1170(f), where 
possible, the properly authorized carrier must reinstate the subscriber 
in any premium program in which that subscriber was enrolled prior to 
the unauthorized change, if the subscriber's participation in that 
program was terminated because of the unauthorized change. If the 
subscriber has paid charges to the unauthorized carrier, the properly 
authorized carrier shall also provide or restore to the subscriber any 
premiums to which the subscriber would have been entitled had the 
unauthorized change not occurred. The authorized carrier must comply 
with the requirements of this section regardless of whether it is able 
to recover from the unauthorized carrier any charges that were paid by 
the subscriber. (No. of respondents: 1960; hours per response: 7 hours; 
total annual burden: 13,720 hours).
h. Section 64.1180, Reporting Requirement. Pursuant to section 64.1180, 
each provider of telephone exchange and/or telephone toll service shall 
submit to the Commission via

[[Page 17554]]

e-mail (slamming [email protected]), U.S. Mail, or facsimile a slamming 
complaint report form identifying the number of slamming complaints 
received during the reporting period and other information as specified 
in 64.1180(b). Reporting shall commence August 15, 2001. Carriers are 
required to complete and file a copy of the FCC Form 478. Copies of the 
form may be downloaded from the Commission's forms webpage 
(www.fcc.gov/formpage.html). Carriers are encouraged to maintain all 
records regarding slamming complaints for at least 24 months from the 
date on which they receive written, electronic, or oral contact by a 
consumer alleging that an unauthorized change in his/her preferred 
carrier was made by the carrier or by another carrier. (No. of 
respondents: 1850; hours per response: 7 hours per submission; 14 
hours; total annual burden: 25,900 hours).
i. Section 64.1190, Preferred Carrier Freezes. Section 64.1190 requires 
that all local exchange carriers that impose preferred carrier freezes 
on their subscribers' accounts must verify such freezes, as well as 
accept subscriber requests to lift such freezes in writing or by three-
way calls. (No. of respondents: 1800; hours per response: 2 hours; 
total annual burden: 3600 hours).
j. Section 1.719, Informal Complaints Filed Pursuant to Section 258--
Section 1.719 applies to complaints alleging that a carrier has 
violated section 258 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended by 
the Telecommunications Act of 1996, by making an unauthorized change of 
a subscriber's preferred carrier, as defined by Sec. 64.1100(e). 
Pursuant to section 1.719(b), the complaint shall be in writing, and 
should contain: (1) The complainant's name, address, telephone number 
and e-mail address (if the complainant has one); (2) the name of both 
the allegedly unauthorized carrier, as defined by Sec. 64.1100(d), and 
authorized carrier, as defined by Sec. 64.1100(c); (3) a complete 
statement of the facts (including any documentation) tending to show 
that such carrier engaged in an unauthorized change of the subscriber's 
preferred carrier; (4) a statement of whether the complainant has paid 
any disputed charges to the allegedly unauthorized carrier; and (5) the 
specific relief sought. If the complainant is unsatisfied with the 
resolution of a complaint under this section, the complainant may file 
a formal complaint with the Commission in the form specified in 
Sec. 1.721 of this part. (No. of respondents: 13,200; hours per 
response: 4 hours; total annual burden: 52,800 hours).
k. Voluntary Reporting Requirement. States that choose to administer 
the Commission's slamming rules must regularly file
information with the Commission that details slamming activity in their 
regions. Such filings should identify the number of slamming complaints 
handled, including data on the number of valid complaints per carrier; 
the identity of top slamming carriers; slamming trends; and other 
relevant information. See paragraph 34 of the Order. (Number of 
respondents: 51; hours per response: 10 hours; total annual burden: 510 
hours). The information from these collections will be used to 
implement section 258 of the Act. The information will strengthen the 
ability of our rules to deter slamming, while addressing concerns 
raised with respect to our previous administrative procedures. The 
information will also enable us to give victims of slamming adequate 
redress and ensure that carriers that slam do not profit from their 
fraud. The information will help to protect consumers from carriers who 
may attempt to take advantage of consumer confusion over different 
types of telecommunications services. The information gathered in 
response to the reporting requirement will enable the Commission to 
identify, as soon as possible, the carriers that repeatedly initiate 
unauthorized changes. Obligation to respond: Required to obtain or 
retain benefits.
    Public reporting burden for the collection of information is as 
noted above. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other 
aspect of the collections of information, including suggestions for 
reducing the burden to Performance Evaluation and Records Management, 
Washington, DC 20554.

Federal Communications Commission.
Magalie Roman Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-8040 Filed 3-30-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P