[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 50 (Thursday, March 14, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9339-9340]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04726]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0804, OMB 3060-1096]


Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal 
Communications Commission

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, 
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the 
Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the 
general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to 
comment on the following information collections. Comments are 
requested concerning: Whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the 
Commission, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; 
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; and ways to further reduce the 
information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer 
than 25 employees.
    The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for 
failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA 
that does not display a valid OMB control number.

DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before May 13, 
2019. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find 
it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, 
you should advise the contact listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicole Ongele, FCC, via email 
[email protected] and to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the 
information collection, contact Nicole Ongele, (202) 418-2991.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0804.
    Title: Universal Service--Rural Health Care Program.
    Form Numbers: FCC Forms 460, 461, 462, 463, 465, 466, and 467.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal Government; and State, Local, or Tribal 
Governments.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 20,314 respondents; 117,042 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.1-40 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion and one-time annual reporting 
requirements, and recordkeeping requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in 
sections 1, 4(i), 4(j), 201-205, 214, 254, and 403 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151-154, 201-205, 
218-220, 254, 303(r), 403 and 405.
    Total Annual Burden: 275,090 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No Cost.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No Impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission is not 
requesting that the respondents submit confidential information to the 
Commission. Respondents may, however, request confidential treatment 
for information they believe to be confidential under 47 CFR 0.459 of 
the Commission's rules. We note that the universal service 
administrator must preserve the confidentiality of all data obtained 
from respondents and contributors to the universal service support 
program mechanism; must not use the data except for purposes of 
administering the universal service support program; and must not 
disclose data in company-specific form unless directed to do so by the 
Commission.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission seeks Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) approval of a revision (change in reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements) to this information collection. This 
collection is utilized for the rural health care support mechanism (RHC 
Program) of the Commission's universal service fund (USF). Section 
254(h)(A)(1) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (1996 Act), 47 
U.S.C. 254(h)(A)(1), mandates that telecommunications carriers provide 
telecommunications services for health care purposes to eligible rural 
public or non-profit health care providers at rates that are 
``reasonably comparable'' to rates in urban areas. In addition, section 
254(h)(2)(A) of the 1996 Act, 47 U.S.C. 254(h)(2)(A), directs the 
Commission to establish competitively neutral rules to enhance, to the 
extent technically feasible and economically reasonable, access to 
``advanced telecommunications and information services'' for public and 
non-profit health care providers.
    Based on this legislative mandate, the Commission established the 
two components of the RHC Program--the Telecommunications (Telecom) 
Program and the Healthcare Connect Fund Program. Additionally, in 2006, 
the Commission established the Pilot Program which provided funding for 
a limited time (through funding year 2012). At the time of the 
Commission's last revision of this information collection, while no new 
funding was available under Pilot Program, some projects were still 
spending funds previously committed as part of the Pilot Program. Since 
that time, all invoicing under the Pilot Program has been completed and 
there are no remaining funds to be disbursed under the Pilot Program. 
This revised collection is therefore necessary to eliminate the 
requirements associated with this program. Additionally, this 
collection of information is necessary so that the Commission and the 
Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), the administrator of 
the USF program, will have sufficient information to determine if 
entities are eligible for funding pursuant to the RHC Program, to 
determine if entities are complying with the Commission's rules, and to 
prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.
    This information is also necessary in order to allow the Commission 
to evaluate the extent to which the RHC Program is meeting the 
statutory objectives specified in section 254(h) of the 1996 Act, and 
the Commission's performance goals for the Healthcare Connect Fund 
Program. Accordingly, this information collection is being revised to: 
(1) Eliminate the requirements for the Pilot Program and (2) extend the 
existing information

[[Page 9340]]

collection requirements for the Healthcare Connect Fund and Telecom 
Programs.
    This submission is organized by program indicating which 
information collection requirements are being eliminated or extended 
for each RHC program. The Healthcare Connect Fund includes FCC Forms 
460, 461, 462, and 463, and the Telecom Program includes FCC Forms 465, 
466, 467.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-1096.
    Title: Prepaid Calling Card Service Provider Certification, WC 
Docket No. 05-68.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 121 respondents; 1,452 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 2.5 hours-20 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Quarterly reporting requirement, third party 
disclosure requirement and recordkeeping requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Mandatory. Statutory authority for this 
information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 154(i), 201, 
202 and 254 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 12,100 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission does not 
anticipate providing confidentiality of the information submitted by 
prepaid calling card providers. Particularly, the prepaid calling card 
providers must send reports to their transport providers. Additionally, 
the quarterly certifications sent to the Commission will be made public 
through the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) 
process. These certifications will be filed in the Commission's docket 
associated with this proceeding. If the respondents submit information 
they believe to be confidential, they may request confidential 
treatment of such information under 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's 
rules.
    Needs and Uses: Prepaid calling card service providers must report 
quarterly the percentage of interstate, intrastate and international 
access charges to carriers from which they purchase transport services. 
Prepaid calling card providers must also file certifications with the 
Commission quarterly that include the above information and a statement 
that they are contributing to the federal Universal Service Fund based 
on all interstate and international revenue, except for revenue from 
the sale of prepaid calling cards by, to, or pursuant to contract with 
the Department of Defense (DoD) or a DoD entity.

Federal Communications Commission.
Katura Jackson,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-04726 Filed 3-13-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P