[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 179 (Tuesday, September 15, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57213-57214]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20102]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0859; FRS 17060]


Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal 
Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority

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 (PRA) of 1995, the 
Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the 
general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to 
comment on the following information collection. 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

[[Page 57214]]

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 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 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before November 
16, 2020. 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 at (202) 418-2991.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0859.
    Title: Suggested Guidelines for Petitions for Ruling Under Section 
253 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Form Number: Not Applicable.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities and State, 
Local, or Tribal Governments.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 24 respondents; 24 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 63-125 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Voluntary. Statutory authority for this 
information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 253 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 1,698 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No Cost.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission is not 
requesting that respondents submit confidential information. Any 
respondent that submits information to the Commission that they believe 
is confidential may request confidential treatment of such information 
under 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's rules.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this expiring 
information collection to the OMB after this 60-day comment period in 
order to obtain the full three-year clearance from them. The Commission 
is requesting an extension (with no change in the reporting 
requirement). There is no reduction in the estimated number of 
respondents/responses and the annual burden hours. Although very few 
petitions for preemption under section 253 have been filed in the past 
few years, there is reason to believe that the current estimate is more 
likely to reflect future developments than a reduction in the number of 
estimated filings. The Commission published a Public Notice in November 
1998 which established suggested guidelines for the filing of petitions 
for preemption pursuant to section 253 of the Communications Act of 
1934, as amended, as well as suggested guidelines for the filing of 
comments opposing such requests for preemption. The Commission will use 
this information to resolve petitions for preemption of state or local 
statutes, regulations, or other state or local legal requirements that 
are alleged to prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting any entity 
from providing a telecommunications service. Section 253 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, which was added by the 
Telecommunications Act of 1996, requires the Commission, with certain 
important exceptions, to preempt (to the extent necessary) the 
enforcement of any state or local statute or regulation, or other state 
or local legal requirement that prohibits or has the effect of 
prohibiting any entity from providing any interstate or intrastate 
telecommunications service. The Commission's consideration of 
preemption under section 253 typically begins with the filing of a 
petition by an aggrieved party. The Commission typically places such 
petitions on public notice and requests comment by interested parties. 
The Commission's decision is based on the public record, generally 
composed of the petition and comments. The Commission has considered a 
number of preemption items since the passage of the Telecommunications 
Act of 1996, and believes it is in the public interest to inform the 
public of the information necessary for full consideration of the 
issues likely to be involved in section 253 preemption proceedings. In 
order to render a timely and informed decision, the Commission expects 
petitioners and commenters to provide it with relevant information 
sufficient to describe the legal regime involved in the controversy and 
to provide the factual information necessary for a decision.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-20102 Filed 9-14-20; 8:45 am]
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