[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 19, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 9392-9393]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-02145]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 64

[CG Docket Nos. 13-24 and 03-123; FCC 18-79 and FCC 19-11; FRS 16443]


IP CTS Modernization and Reform; IP CTS Improvements and Program 
Management

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; announcement of effective and compliance dates.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, 
the information collection associated with rules adopted in the 
Commission's documents Misuse of Internet Protocol (IP) Captioned 
Telephone Service et. al, Report and Order and Declaratory Ruling, FCC 
18-79 and Report and Order, FCC 19-11, (Orders) and that the compliance 
with the modified rules associated in FCC 19-11 is now required. This 
document is consistent with the Orders, which stated that the 
Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing 
the effective and compliance dates of those rules.

DATES: 
    Effective date: The amendments to Sec.  64.604(c)(11)(v) and 
(c)(13)(iii) and (iv), published at 83 FR 30082, June 27, 2018, are 
effective February 19, 2020.
    Compliance date: Compliance with Sec. Sec.  64.611(j)(2), 
64.615(a)(3) and (a)(5), published at 84 FR 8457, March 8, 2019, is 
required as of February 19, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Scott, Disability Rights 
Office, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, at (202) 418-1264, or 
email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document announces that, on December 
26, 2019, OMB approved, for a period of three years, the information 
collection requirements contained in the Commission's Orders, FCC 18-
79, published at 83 FR 30082, June 27, 2018 and FCC 19-11, published at 
84 FR 8457, March 8, 2019. The OMB Control Number is 3060-1053. The 
Commission publishes this notice as an announcement of the effective 
and compliance dates of the rules. If you have any comments on the 
burden estimates listed below, or how the Commission can improve the 
collections and reduce any burdens caused thereby, please contact Cathy 
Williams, Federal Communications Commission, Room 1-C823, 445 12th 
Street SW, Washington, DC 20554. Please include the OMB Control Number, 
3060-1053, in your correspondence. The Commission will also accept your 
comments via the internet if you send them to [email protected].
    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 and Governmental 
Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice) or (202) 418-0432 (TTY).
    This document also removes Sec. Sec.  64.611(k) and 64.615(c) of 
the Commission's rules, which advised that compliance with Sec. Sec.  
64.611(j)(2) and 64.615(a)(3) and (a)(5), respectively, was not 
required until OMB approval was obtained.

Synopsis

    As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3507), the FCC is notifying the public that it

[[Page 9393]]

received OMB approval on December 26, 2019, for the information 
collection requirements contained in the Commission's rules at 
Sec. Sec.  64.604(c)(11)(v), 64.604(c)(13)(iii)-(iv), 64.611(j)(2), 
64.615(a)(3) and (a)(5).
    Under 5 CFR 1320, an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection 
of information unless it displays a current, valid OMB 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 
that does not display a current, valid OMB Control Number. The OMB 
Control Number is 3060-1053.
    The foregoing notice is required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, Public Law 104-13, October 1, 1995, and 44 U.S.C. 3507.
    The total annual reporting burdens and costs for the respondents 
are as follows:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-1053.
    OMB Approval Date: December 26, 2019.
    OMB Expiration Date: December 31, 2022.
    Title: Misuse of Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP 
CTS); Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services 
for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities, CG Docket Nos. 
13-24 and 03-123.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 372,010 respondents; 1,218,242 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.1 hours (6 minutes) to 40 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Annual, every five years, monthly, and 
ongoing reporting requirements; Recordkeeping requirements; Third party 
disclosure requirements.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority for the information collection requirements is 
found at Sec. 225 [47 U.S.C. 225] Telecommunications Services for 
Hearing-Impaired Individuals; The Americans with Disabilities Act of 
1990, (ADA), Public Law 101-336, 104 Stat. 327, 366-69, enacted on July 
26, 1990.
    Total Annual Burden: 653,820 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $56,000.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Confidentiality is an issue 
to the extent that individuals and households provide personally 
identifiable information, which is covered under the FCC's updated 
system of records notice (SORN), FCC/CGB-4, ``Internet-based 
Telecommunications Relay Service-User Registration Database (ITRS-
URD).'' As required by the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a, the Commission 
also published a SORN, FCC/CGB-4 ``Internet-based Telecommunications 
Relay Service-User Registration Database (ITRS-URD),'' in the Federal 
Register on February 9, 2015 (80 FR 6963) which became effective on 
March 23, 2015.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: The FCC completed a Privacy Impact 
Assessment (PIA) on June 28, 2007. It may be reviewed at https://www.fcc.gov/general/privacy-act-information#pia. The Commission is in 
the process of updating the PIA to incorporate various revisions to it 
as a result of revisions to the SORN.
    Needs and Uses: On August 1, 2003, the Commission released 
Telecommunication Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for 
Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities, CC Docket No. 98-67, 
Declaratory Ruling, 68 FR 55898, September 28, 2003, clarifying that 
one-line captioned telephone voice carry over (VCO) service is a type 
of telecommunications relay service (TRS) and that eligible providers 
of such services are eligible to recover their costs from the 
Interstate TRS Fund (Fund) in accordance with section 225 of the 
Communications Act.
    On July 19, 2005, the Commission released Telecommunication Relay 
Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and 
Speech Disabilities, CC Docket No. 98-67 and CG Docket No. 03-123, 
Order, 70 FR 54294, September 14, 2005, clarifying that two-line 
captioned telephone VCO service, like one-line captioned telephone VCO 
service, is a type of TRS eligible for compensation from the Fund.
    On January 11, 2007, the Commission released Telecommunications 
Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with 
Hearing and Speech Disabilities, CG Docket No. 03-123, Declaratory 
Ruling, 72 FR 6960, February 14, 2007, granting a request for 
clarification that Internet Protocol (IP) captioned telephone relay 
service (IP CTS) is a type of TRS eligible for compensation from the 
Fund.
    On August 26, 2013, the Commission issued Misuse of Internet 
Protocol Captioned Telephone Service; Telecommunications Relay Services 
and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech 
Disabilities, CG Docket Nos. 13-24 and 03-123, Report and Order, 78 FR 
53684, August 30, 2013, to regulate practices relating to the marketing 
of IP CTS, impose certain requirements for the provision of this 
service, and mandate registration and certification of IP CTS users.
    On June 8, 2018, the Commission issued Misuse of internet Protocol 
Captioned Telephone Service; Telecommunications Relay Services and 
Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech 
Disabilities, CG Docket Nos. 13-24 and 03-123, Report and Order and 
Declaratory Ruling, 83 FR 30082, June 27, 2018 (2018 IP CTS 
Modernization Order), to facilitate the Commission's efforts to reduce 
waste, fraud, and abuse and improve its ability to efficiently manage 
the IP CTS program through regulating practices related to the 
marketing of IP CTS, generally prohibiting the provision of IP CTS to 
consumers who do not genuinely need the service, permitting the 
provision of IP CTS in emergency shelters, and approving the use of 
automatic speech recognition to generate captions without the 
assistance of a communications assistant.
    On February 15, 2019, the Commission issued Misuse of Internet 
Protocol Captioned Telephone Service; Telecommunications Relay Services 
and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech 
Disabilities, CG Docket Nos. 13-24 and 03-123, Report and Order, and 
Order, 84 FR 8457, March 8, 2019 (2019 IP CTS Program Management 
Order), requiring the submission of IP CTS user registration 
information to the telecommunications relay service (TRS) User 
Registration Database (Database) so that the Database administrator can 
verify IP CTS users to reduce the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse in 
the IP CTS program.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-02145 Filed 2-18-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P