[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 13 (Thursday, January 20, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3633-3634]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1170]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[DA 11-50]


Consumer Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This document announces the rechartering of the Consumer 
Advisory Committee (hereinafter ``the Committee''), whose purpose is to 
make recommendations to the Federal Communications Commission (``FCC'' 
or ``Commission'') regarding consumer issues within the jurisdiction of 
the Commission and to facilitate the participation of consumers 
(including people with disabilities and underserved populations, such 
as American Indians and persons living in rural areas) in proceedings 
before the Commission. The Commission also requests applications for 
membership on the Committee.

DATES: Applications should be received no later than 11:59 p.m. EST, 
February 7, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, Consumer and Governmental 
Affairs Bureau, 445 12th Street, SW., Room 3-A633, Washington, DC 
20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Marshall, Consumer and 
Governmental Affairs Bureau, 202-418-2809 (voice), 202-418-0179 (TTY), 
or e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The rechartering of the Committee was 
announced by Public Notice dated and released January xx, 2011. On 
November 17, 2010, the Charter of the Committee terminated. The Charter 
was renewed for another two (2) year term. This renewal is necessary 
and is in the public interest. The Committee is organized under, and 
will operate in accordance with, the provisions of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2 (1988).
    The mission of the Committee is to make recommendations to the 
Commission regarding consumer issues within the jurisdiction of the 
Commission and to facilitate the participation of consumers (including 
people with disabilities and underserved populations, such as American 
Indians and persons living in rural areas) in proceedings before the 
Commission.
    Each meeting of the full Committee will be open to the public. A 
notice of each meeting will be published in the Federal Register at 
least fifteen (15) days in advance of the meeting. Records will be 
maintained of each meeting and made available for public inspection.
    The topics to be addressed by the Committee will include, but are 
not limited to, the following areas:
    Consumer protection and education (e.g., cramming, slamming, 
consumer friendly billing, detariffing, bundling of services, Lifeline/
Linkup programs, customer service, privacy, telemarketing abuses, and 
outreach to underserved populations such as Native Americans and 
persons living in rural areas).
    Access by people with disabilities (e.g., telecommunications relay 
services, hearing aid compatibility, video description, closed 
captioning, accessible billing and access to telecommunications 
products and services) to the extent that these issues are not within 
the jurisdiction of the Emergency Access Advisory Committee and the 
Video Programming and Emergency Access Advisory Committee created by 
the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 
2010.
    Impact upon consumers of new and emerging technologies (e.g., 
availability of broadband, digital television, cable, satellite, low 
power FM, and the convergence of these and emerging technologies).
    Implementation of Commission rules and consumer participation in 
the FCC rulemaking process.

[[Page 3634]]

Who May Apply for Membership and Obligations of Members

    The Commission seeks applications from interested organizations, 
institutions, or other entities from both the public and private 
sectors, that wish to be considered for membership on the Committee. 
Selections will be made on the basis of factors such as expertise and 
diversity of viewpoints that are necessary to address effectively the 
questions before the Committee.
    Applicants should be recognized authorities in their fields, 
including, but not limited to, organizations focusing upon consumer 
advocacy, disabilities, underserved populations (e.g., persons living 
in rural areas and tribal communities), telecommunications infra-
structure and equipment, telecommunications services (including 
wireless), and broadcast/cable services. Individuals who do not 
represent an organization, institution, or entity, but who possess 
expertise valuable to the Committee's work, are also welcome to apply. 
Such applicants should be aware, however, that government ethics rules 
may require financial and other disclosures.
    In addition, all applicants are advised that the Commission has 
elected to adhere to the President's policy, as announced in his 
memorandum of June 18, 2010, ``Lobbyists on Agency Boards and 
Commissions,'' which aspires to keep Federal agencies' advisory boards 
and committees free of federally registered lobbyists. For this reason, 
the Commission will not consider registered lobbyists as members or 
representatives of members of the Committee.
    The number of Committee members will be established to effectively 
accomplish the Committee's work. During calendar year 2011, it is 
anticipated that the Committee will meet in Washington, DC for three 
(3) one-day meetings. In addition, as needed, working groups or 
subcommittees will be established to facilitate the Committee's work 
between meetings of the full Committee. Meetings will be fully 
accessible to individuals with disabilities.
    Members must be willing to commit to a two-year term of service, 
should be willing and able to attend three (3) one-day meetings per 
year in Washington, DC, and are also expected to participate in 
deliberations of at least one working group or subcommittee. The time 
commitment to each working group or subcommittee may be substantial. 
Working group deliberations are conducted primarily through e-mail and 
teleconferences.

Application Procedure, Deadline and Member Appointments

    Applications should be submitted in accordance with the procedures 
outlined below, which include an optional online application form.
    Applications should be received by the Commission no later than 
11:59 p.m.. EST, February 7, 2011. Applications should be addressed to 
the Federal Communications Commission, Consumer & Governmental Affairs 
Bureau, Attn.: Scott Marshall, and may be sent via e-mail to 
[email protected] or via an online application form on the web at 
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/cac/2011app, or via U.S. mail to 445 12th 
Street, SW., Room 3a633, Washington, DC 20554. Due to the extensive 
security screening of incoming mail since September 11, 2001, delivery 
of mail sent to the FCC may be delayed. Therefore, we urge you to 
submit applications via e-mail or online. Applications will be 
acknowledged shortly after receipt via e-mail or U.S. mail.

Applications for Organizations Should Include the Following Information

    (1) The name of the organization, institution, or entity applying 
for Committee membership (hereinafter the ``applicant'');
    (2) The name of the applicant's primary representative including 
title, postal mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone number, 
including a statement that the representative of the applicant is not a 
registered lobbyist;
    (3) The name of the applicant's alternate representative including 
title, postal mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone number, 
including a statement that the alternate representative is not a 
registered lobbyist;
    (4) A statement of the interests represented by the organization, 
institution, or entity (e.g., consumer advocate, disability advocate, 
government regulator, tribal government, industry, trade association 
etc.) and a narrative statement detailing the applicant's previous 
involvement concerning issues relevant to the Committee's work and the 
applicant's ability and willingness to contribute substantively to the 
Committee's deliberations.
    In the case of an individual applicant the application should 
include the following:
    (1) The applicant's specific knowledge or expertise which is 
relevant to issues to be addressed by the committee, including a 
statement that the individual applicant is not a registered lobbyist. 
As noted above, financial and other additional disclosures may also 
apply to individual applicants, and;
    (2) A statement by the applicant indicating a willingness to serve 
on the Committee for a two year period of time; a commitment to attend 
three (3) plenary one-day meetings per year in Washington, DC; and a 
commitment to work on at least one working group or subcommittee. 
Members will have an initial and continuing obligation to disclose any 
interests in, or connections to, persons or entities that are, or will 
be, regulated by or have interests before the Commission.
    Please note this document is not intended to be the exclusive 
method by which the Commission will solicit nominations and expressions 
of interest to identify qualified candidates. However, all candidates 
for membership on the Committee will be subject to the same evaluation 
criteria.
    After the applications have been reviewed, the Commission will 
publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing the appointment of 
the Committee members and the first meeting date of the Committee. All 
applicants will be notified via U.S. Postal mail concerning the 
disposition of their applications. It is anticipated that appointments 
to the Committee will be made in late February or March of 2011 with 
the first meeting of the Committee to occur in March or April of 2011.

Federal Communications Commission.
Joel Gurin,
Chief, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau
[FR Doc. 2011-1170 Filed 1-19-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P