[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 178 (Friday, September 15, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43337-43338]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-19679]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Information 
Collection; Comment Request; State and Local Implementation Grant 
Program 2.0 Reporting Requirements

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the 
proposed information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before November 14, 
2017.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, (202) 482-0336, 
Department of Commerce, Room 6612, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20230 (or via email at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instruments and instructions 
should be sent to Michael Dame, Program Director, State and Local 
Implementation Grant Program, National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 
Constitution Avenue NW., Room 4078, Washington, DC 20230 (or via email 
at [email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    In February 2012, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act 
of 2012 (Act) was enacted.\1\ The Act meets a long-standing national 
priority and infrastructure need to create a single, interoperable, 
nationwide public safety broadband network (NPSBN) that allows law 
enforcement officers, fire fighters, emergency medical service 
professionals, and other public safety officials to effectively 
communicate with each other across agencies and jurisdictions. Public 
safety responders have long been hindered in their ability to respond 
in a crisis situation because of incompatible communications networks 
and often outdated communications equipment. Therefore, the design and 
deployment of this NPSBN established by the Act is critical to provide 
emergency responders the ability to communicate on a secure, reliable, 
and dedicated interoperable network during emergencies and to use 
technology to improve response time, keep communities safe, and save 
lives.
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    \1\ Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, Public 
Law 112-96, 126 Stat. 156 (2012) (Act) (codified at 47 U.S.C. 1401 
et seq.).
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    The Act established the First Responder Network Authority 
(FirstNet) as an independent authority within the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and authorized 
it to take all actions necessary to ensure the design, construction, 
and operation of a nationwide NPSBN, based on a single, national 
network architecture.\2\ FirstNet's responsibilities are, at a minimum, 
to ensure nationwide standards for the use of and access to the 
network; issue open, transparent, and competitive requests for 
proposals (RFPs) to build, operate, and maintain the network; encourage 
these RFPs to leverage, to the maximum extent economically desirable, 
existing commercial wireless infrastructure to speed deployment of the 
network; and oversee contracts with non-federal entities to build, 
operate, and maintain the network.\3\
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    \2\ 47 U.S.C. 1424, 1426(b)(1).
    \3\ 47 U.S.C. 1426(b)(1)(A)-(D).
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    The Act also charged NTIA with establishing a grant program, the 
State and Local Implementation Grant Program (SLIGP), to assist state, 
regional, tribal, and local jurisdictions with identifying, planning, 
and implementing the most efficient and effective means to use and 
integrate the infrastructure, equipment, and other architecture 
associated with the NPSBN to satisfy the wireless broadband and data 
services needs of their jurisdictions.\4\ NTIA awarded an initial 
$116.5 million in grant funds to 54 state and territorial recipients 
between July 2013 and June 2014.
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    \4\ 47 U.S.C. 1442(a).
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    The Act's framework contemplates that FirstNet closely coordinates 
its activities with state, regional, tribal, and local governments and 
imposed a statutory requirement that FirstNet consult with these 
entities as it takes all actions necessary to build, deploy, and 
operate the NPSBN.\5\ Specifically, the Act requires FirstNet to 
consult with state, regional, tribal, and local governments about the 
distribution and expenditure of any amounts required to carry out its 
responsibilities to plan,

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build, operate, and maintain the NPSBN.
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    \5\ 47 U.S.C. 1422(b)(2)(B).
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    Additionally, the Act specifies that these required consultations 
occur between FirstNet and the single point of contact (SPOC) that the 
state designated in its original SLIGP grant application.\6\ The 
original SLIGP award provided recipients needed funding to support 
their engagement in consultations as required of FirstNet under the 
Act.
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    \6\ 47 U.S.C. 1426(c)(2)(B); 47 U.S.C. 1442(d).
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SLIGP 2.0

    With an available balance of up to $43.4 million from the original 
SLIGP fund of $116.5 million, NTIA will continue to provide funding 
through SLIGP 2.0 grants to assist State, regional, tribal, and local 
jurisdictions to engage effectively with FirstNet and provide it with 
information needed to continue with planning the NPSBN and the 
deployment of the Radio Access Network (RAN) in an effective and timely 
manner, as required by the Act.
    To ensure effective grant oversight and management, SLIGP developed 
a quarterly performance progress report (PPR) form for recipients to 
complete as part of post-award monitoring throughout the period of 
performance of the SLIGP 2.0 grant. The PPRs are critical to the 
success of the program and provide key insights into how grant funds 
are being used. Recipients are asked to report on progress toward 
program priority areas, which include, individuals sent to broadband 
conferences, staff hired, contracts executed, governance meetings held, 
and stakeholder events convened, as well as financial expenditures by 
cost category. NTIA seeks Office of Management Budget (OMB) approval of 
this form. NTIA will use the collection of information to ensure that 
SLIGP 2.0 grant recipients are effectively monitored and evaluated 
against the core purposes of the program established by the Act.

II. Method of Collection

    Paper format.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: None.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: State, regional, local and tribal government 
organizations.
    Frequency: Quarterly.
    Number of Respondents: 56.
    Average Time per Response: 12.5 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,800.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $121,212.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they will also become a matter of public record.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Lead, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-19679 Filed 9-14-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-60-P