[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 110 (Wednesday, June 10, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27543-27544]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-13645]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Being Submitted for 
Review to the Office of Management and Budget, Comments Requested

June 4, 2009.

SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the 
following information collection(s), as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520. An agency may not 
conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid control number. No person shall be subject to any 
penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject 
to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does not display a valid 
control number. Comments are requested concerning (a) whether the 
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the

[[Page 27544]]

information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 
Commission's burden estimate; (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.

DATES: Written Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) comments should be 
submitted on or before July 10, 2009. If you anticipate that you will 
be submitting PRA comments but find it difficult to do so within the 
period of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the FCC 
contact listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, Office of 
Management and Budget, via fax at 202-395-5167 or via Internet at 
[email protected] and to [email protected], 
Federal Communications Commission, or an e-mail to [email protected]. To view 
a copy of this information collection request (ICR) submitted to OMB: 
(1) Go to the Web page http://reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, (2) look 
for the section of the Web page called ``Currently Under Review,'' (3) 
click on the downward-pointing arrow in the ``Select Agency'' box below 
the ``Currently Under Review'' heading, (4) select ``Federal 
Communications Commission'' from the list of agencies presented in the 
``Select Agency'' box, (5) click the ``Submit'' button to the right of 
the ``Select Agency'' box, and (6) when the list of FCC ICRs currently 
under review appears, look for the title of this ICR (or its OMB 
Control Number, if there is one) and then click on the ICR Reference 
Number to view detailed information about this ICR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies 
of the information collection(s), contact Judith B. Herman at 202-418-
0214 or via the Internet at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0931.
    Title: Sections 0.131 and 80.103, Digital Selective Calling (DSC) 
Operating Procedures--Maritime Mobile Identity (MMSI).
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of an existing collection.
    Respondents: Individuals or households, businesses or other for-
profit and Federal Government.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 40,000 respondents; 40,000 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: .25 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement and third 
party disclosure requirement.
    Obligation To Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. There 
is no statutory authority for this information collection. The 
reporting requirement is in international agreements and ITU-R M.541-9.
    Total Annual Burden: 10,000 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: None.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: Yes.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is a need for 
confidentiality with respect to all owners of Marine VHF radios with 
Digital Selective Calling (DSC) capability in this information 
collection. Pursuant to section 208(b) of the E-Government Act of 2002, 
44 U.S.C. 3501, in conformance with the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 
552(a), the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau instructs licensees to 
use the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS), Antenna Structure 
Registration (ASR), Commission Registration System (CORES) and related 
systems and subsystems to submit information. CORES is used to receive 
an FCC Registration Number (FRN) and password, after which one must 
register all current call signs and ASR numbers associated with a FRN 
within the bureau's system of records (ULS database). Although ULS 
stores all information pertaining to the individual license via the 
FRN, confidential information is accessible only by persons or entities 
that hold the password for each account, and the bureau's Licensing 
Division staff. Upon the request of FRN, the individual licensee is 
consenting to make publicly available, via the ULS database, all 
information that is not confidential in nature.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this information 
collection to the OMB for review and approval in order to obtain the 
full three-year clearance from them. The Commission is requesting 
approval of an extension (no change in the reporting and/or third party 
disclosure requirements). There is a significant increase in the 
estimated burden hours, which is due to an adjusted increase in the 
number of respondents/responses, which was 2,000 in 2006 and 40,000 at 
this time of submission to the OMB. Therefore, the hourly burden has 
increased from 1,000 hours in 2006 to 10,000 hours at this time.
    This information collection is necessary to require owners of 
marine VHF radios with Digital Selective Calling (DSC) capability to 
register information such as name, address, and type of vessel, with a 
private entity issuing marine mobile service identities (MMSI). The 
Commission collects this information and assigns MMSIs through the ship 
station licensing process; however, those ship stations operating 
domestically are not required to obtain an individual license and are 
licensed by rule. The Commission developed procedures to privatize the 
issuance of MMSIs by providing blocks of MMSI numbers to qualified 
entities for distribution to ship vessel operators that are not 
required by law to carry a radio and do not make international voyages 
or communications.
    The Commission has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the 
U.S. Coast Guard and the private entities to collect the data that is 
on Attachment A. The information would be used by search and rescue 
personnel to identify vessels in distress and to select the proper 
rescue units and search methods. The requirement to collect this 
information is not contained in a formal FCC order, but in the 
agreements the FCC executes with private sector entities that issue 
MMSIs and 47 CFR 80.103, which requires ship owners using VHF radios 
with DSC to have an MMSI.
    The information is used by private entities to maintain a database 
used to provide information about the vessel owner in distress using 
marine VHF radios with DSC capability. If the collection were not 
conducted, the U.S. Coast Guard would not have access to this 
information, which would increase the time needed to complete a search 
and rescue operation.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-13645 Filed 6-9-09; 8:45 am]
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