[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 100 (Wednesday, May 25, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30110-30111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-10232]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Public Information Collections Approved by Office of Management 
and Budget

May 17, 2005.
SUMMARY: 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, Pub. L. 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: Paul J. Laurenzano, Federal 
Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554, 
(202) 418-1359 or via the Internet at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control No.: 3060-0819.
    OMB Approval date: 05/12/2005.
    Expiration Date: 05/31/2008.
    Title: Lifeline Assistance (Lifeline) Connection Assistance (Link-
Up) Reporting Worksheet and Instructions (47 CFR 54.400-54.417).
    Form No.: FCC-497.

DATES: Effective 05/12/2005 for sections 54.405(c), 54.405(d), 
54.409(d), 54.409(d)(3), 54.410, 54.416, 54.417 which contain 
information collection requirements that required approval by the 
Office of Management and Budget. The other rules in section 54.400-
54.417 went into effect July 22, 2004 as noted in the Federal Register 
notice announcing the adoption of the final rule (69 FR 34590).
    Estimated Annual Burden: 1,318,055 responses; 101,493 total annual 
burden hours; approximately 0.08 hours average per respondent.
    Needs and Uses: In the Report and Order and Further Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 04-87), the Commission modified rules to 
improve the effectiveness of the low-income support mechanism. Among 
other steps taken, the Order requires collection of certain information 
to certify and subsequently verify that beneficiaries of low-income 
support are qualified to receive the support. Specifically, the 
Commission requires the Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC), in 
states governed by federal default rules, to retain records of the 
ETC's self-certification and certifications made by the subscriber, 
including the subscriber's self-certification that the purported income 
represents the total household income and the subscriber's

[[Page 30111]]

self-certification as to the number of persons in the household. Note: 
Pursuant to OMB guidance, we emphasize that while carriers are allowed 
to ask for information to verify eligibility, they are not allowed to 
keep records of the actual information contained in the documents that 
are presented to them. Rather, carriers may only keep a record that the 
appropriate documentation was presented and reviewed at the point of 
eligibility determination. In those states that operate their own 
Lifeline/Link-Up program, states must devise a procedure to ensure 
eligibility criteria are met and those ETCs must be able to document 
that they are complying with state regulations and recordkeeping 
requirements. This information collection is necessary to protect 
against fraud and abuse in the provision of services supported by the 
universal service mechanism.
    In addition, the Commission plans to issue a voluntary survey to 
gather data and information from states regarding the administration of 
Lifeline/Link-Up programs upon OMB approval. This information 
collection is necessary to enable the Commission to make more informed 
decisions in any future Lifeline/Link-Up orders.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 05-10232 Filed 5-24-05; 8:45 am]
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