[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 15 (Monday, January 25, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 4005-4007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-01316]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 20

[WT Docket No. 15-285; DA 16-26]


 Fourteen-Day Extension of Time To File Comments and Reply 
Comments

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal Communications Commission

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(Commission) finds that a limited extension in this proceeding would be 
beneficial to the development of a complete record on the issues, and 
it grants a fourteen-day extension of time for comments filed in 
response to the Commission's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in, 
regarding Hearing Aid Compatibility Benchmarks.

DATES: Interested parties may file comments on the NPRM on or before 
January 28, 2016, and reply comments on or before February 12, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by WT Docket No. 15-285; 
FCC 15-155, by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Federal Communications Commission's Web site: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, 
by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. 
Postal Service mail (although the Commission continues to experience 
delays in receiving U.S. Postal Service mail). All filings must be 
addressed to the Commission's Secretary, Office of the Secretary, 
Federal Communications Commission.
     People with Disabilities: Contact the Commission to 
request reasonable accommodations (accessible format documents, sign 
language interpreters, CART, etc.) by email: [email protected] or phone: 
202-418-0530 or TTY: 202-418-0432.
    For detailed instructions for submitting comments and additional 
information on the rulemaking process, see the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section of this document.
    In addition to filing comments with the Secretary, a copy of any 
comments on the Paperwork Reduction Act information collection 
modifications proposed in the NPRM should be submitted to the 
Commission via email to [email protected] and to Nicholas A. Fraser, Office 
of Management and Budget, via email to [email protected] 
or via fax at 202-395-5167.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, contact 
Michael Rowan, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, (202) 418-1883, 
email [email protected], or Eli Johnson, Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau (202) 418-1395, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's 
document in WT Docket No. 15-285, DA 16-26, released on January 11, 
2016. The full text of the document is available for public inspection 
and copying during business hours in the FCC Reference Information 
Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street SW., Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 
20554. It also may be purchased from the Commission's duplicating 
contractor at Portals II, 445 12th Street SW., Room CY-B402, 
Washington, DC 20554. Additionally, the complete item is available on 
the Commission's Web site at http://www.fcc.gov.

Synopsis

    1. On November 20, 2015, the Commission released the NPRM in WT 
Docket No. 15-285, FCC 15-155, regarding Hearing Aid Compatibility 
Benchmarks. The NPRM provided that comments are due on January 14, 
2016, and that reply comments are due on January 29, 2016. On January 
8, 2016, the Law Firm of Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens, Duffy & 
Prendergast, LLP and the Rural Wireless Association, Inc. filed a Joint 
Request for Extension of Time to File Comments seeking to extend the 
comment deadline based on the proximity of the January 15, 2016 
deadline for submitting annual hearing aid compatibility reports for 
the 2015 reporting period.
    2. The Commissions notes that extensions of time are not routinely 
granted, and states that such extensions may be warranted when, among 
other things, the additional time will serve the public interest. The 
Commission finds that providing a limited extension in this proceeding 
would be beneficial to the development of a complete record on the 
issues and that an extension of time therefore serves the public 
interest. The Commission extends the deadline for filing comments to 
January 28, 2016 and the deadline for filing reply comments to February 
12, 2016.
    3. The Commission takes this action pursuant to authority found in 
section 4(i) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 
154(i), and sections 0.131, 0.331, and 1.46 of the Commission's rules, 
47 CFR 0.131, 0.331, and 1.46.

Procedural Matters

Ex Parte Rules--Permit-But-Disclose

    4. The proceeding that the NPRM in WT Docket No. 15-285, FCC 15-
155, initiates shall be treated as a ``permit-but-disclose'' proceeding 
in accordance with the Commission's ex parte rules. Persons making ex 
parte presentations must file a copy of any written presentation or a 
memorandum summarizing any oral presentation within two business days 
after the presentation (unless a different deadline applicable to the 
Sunshine period applies). Persons making oral ex parte presentations 
are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentation must (1) list 
all persons attending or otherwise participating in the meeting at 
which the ex parte presentation was made, and (2) summarize all data 
presented and arguments made during the presentation. If the 
presentation consisted in whole or in part of the presentation of data 
or arguments already reflected in the presenter's written comments, 
memoranda or other filings in the proceeding, the presenter may provide 
citations to such data or arguments in his or her prior comments, 
memoranda, or other filings (specifying the relevant page and/or 
paragraph numbers where such data or arguments can be found) in lieu of 
summarizing them in the memorandum. Documents shown or given to 
Commission staff during ex parte meetings are deemed to be written ex 
parte presentations and must be filed consistent with rule 1.1206(b). 
In proceedings governed by rule 1.49(f) or for which the Commission has 
made available a method of electronic filing, written ex parte 
presentations and memoranda summarizing oral ex parte presentations, 
and all attachments thereto, must be filed through the electronic 
comment filing system available for that proceeding, and must be filed 
in their native format (e.g., .doc, .xml, .ppt, searchable .pdf). 
Participants in this proceeding should familiarize themselves with the 
Commission's ex parte rules.

Comment Filing Procedures

    5. Pursuant to sections 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission's rules, 
47 CFR 1.415, 1.419, interested parties may file comments and reply 
comments on the NPRM on or before the dates indicated on the first page 
of this document. All filings related to the NPRM should refer to WT 
Docket No. 15-285. Comments may be filed using: (1) The Commission's 
Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), (2) the Federal Government's 
eRulemaking Portal, or (3) by filing paper copies. See Electronic 
Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (May 1, 
1998).
     Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically 
using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/.
     Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must 
file an original and one copy of each filing. If more than one docket 
or rulemaking number appears in

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the caption of this proceeding, filers must submit two additional 
copies for each additional docket or rulemaking number.
    6. Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial 
overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service 
mail. All filings must be addressed to the Commission's Secretary, 
Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.
     All hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings 
for the Commission's Secretary must be delivered to FCC Headquarters at 
445 12th St. SW., Room TW-A325, Washington, DC 20554. The filing hours 
are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together 
with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be 
disposed of before entering the building.
     Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service 
Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton 
Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743.
     U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority 
mail must be addressed to 445 12th Street SW., Washington DC 20554.
    7. People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible 
formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic 
files, audio format), send an email to [email protected] or call the 
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-
418-0432 (tty).

Federal Communications Commission.
Peter Trachtenberg,
Deputy Chief, Competition and Infrastructure Policy Division, Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2016-01316 Filed 1-22-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P