[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 188 (Monday, September 28, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60781-60783]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-21315]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-1247; FRS 17101]


Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to 
Office of Management and Budget

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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[[Page 60782]]

SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, 
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. Pursuant to the Small Business 
Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, the FCC seeks specific comment on how it 
might ``further reduce the information collection burden for small 
business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.'' The Commission 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 comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be submitted on or before October 28, 
2020.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting 
``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using 
the search function. Your comment must be submitted into 
www.reginfo.gov per the above instructions for it to be considered. In 
addition to submitting in www.reginfo.gov also send a copy of your 
comment on the proposed information collection to Nicole Ongele, FCC, 
via email to [email protected] and to [email protected]. Include in the 
comments the OMB control number as shown in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies 
of the information collection, contact Nicole Ongele at (202) 418-2991. 
To view a copy of this information collection request (ICR) submitted 
to OMB: (1) Go to the web page http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, (2) look for the section of the web page called ``Currently 
Under Review,'' (3) click on the downward-pointing arrow in the 
``Select Agency'' box below the ``Currently Under Review'' heading, (4) 
select ``Federal Communications Commission'' from the list of agencies 
presented in the ``Select Agency'' box, (5) click the ``Submit'' button 
to the right of the ``Select Agency'' box, (6) when the list of FCC 
ICRs currently under review appears, look for the Title of this ICR and 
then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC submission to 
OMB will be displayed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of its continuing effort to reduce 
paperwork burdens, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the FCC invited the general public and 
other Federal Agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the 
following information collection. Comments are requested concerning: 
(a) 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; (b) the accuracy 
of the Commission's burden estimates; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) 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. Pursuant to the Small Business 
Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, Public Law 107-198, see 44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(4), the FCC seeks specific comment on how it might ``further 
reduce the information collection burden for small business concerns 
with fewer than 25 employees.''
    OMB Control Number: 3060-1247.
    Title: Part 32 Uniform System of Accounts.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 949 respondents; 1,944 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 20-40 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion, and annual reporting 
requirements; recordkeeping requirements.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. 10, 201, 219-220, 224, 254(k), 272(e)(3), and 403 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 160, 201, 219-220, 
224, 254(k), 272(e)(3), and 403.
    Total Annual Burden: 69,820 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Respondents are not being 
asked to submit confidential information to the Commission. If the 
Commission requests respondents to submit information which respondents 
believe is confidential, respondents may request confidential treatment 
of such information under 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's rules.
    Needs and Uses: On February 24, 2017, the Commission released the 
Part 32 Order, WC Docket No. 14-130, CC Docket No. 80-286, FCC 17-15, 
which minimized the compliance burdens imposed by the Uniform System of 
Accounts (USOA) on price cap and rate-of-return telephone companies, 
while ensuring that the Commission retains access to the information it 
needs to fulfill its regulatory duties. The Commission consolidated 
Class A and Class B accounts by eliminating the current classification 
of carriers, which divides incumbent LECS into two classes for 
accounting purposes based on annual revenues. Carriers subject to Part 
32's USOA are now only required to keep Class B accounts.
    Pursuant to the Part 32 Order, price cap carriers may elect to use 
generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for all regulatory 
accounting purposes if they: (1) Establish an ``Implementation Rate 
Difference'' (IRD) which is the difference between pole attachment 
rates calculated under Part 32 and under GAAP as of the last full year 
preceding the carrier's initial opting out of Part 32 accounting 
requirements; and (2) adjust their annually-computed GAAP-based pole 
attachment rates by the IRD for a period of 12 years after the 
election. Alternatively, price cap carriers may elect to use GAAP 
accounting for all purposes other than those associated with pole 
attachment rates and continue to use the Part 32 accounts and 
procedures applicable to pole attachment rates for up to 12 years. A 
price cap carrier may be required to submit pole attachment accounting 
data to the Commission for three years following the effective date of 
the rule permitting a price cap carrier to elect GAAP accounting. If a 
pole attacher informs the Commission of a suspected problem with pole 
attachment rates, the Commission will require the price cap carrier to 
file its pole attachment data for the state in question. This 
requirement may be extended for an additional three years, if 
necessary.
    The Commission reduced the accounting requirements for telephone 
companies with a continuing obligation to comply with Part 32 in a 
number of areas. Telephone companies may: (1) Carry an asset at its 
purchase price when it was acquired, even if its value has increased or 
declined when it goes into regulated service; (2) reprice an asset at 
market value after a merger or acquisition consistent with GAAP; (3) 
use GAAP principles to determine

[[Page 60783]]

Allowance-for-Funds-Used-During Construction; and (4) employ the GAAP 
standard of materiality. Rate-of-return carriers receiving cost-based 
support must determine materiality consistent with the general 
materiality guidelines promulgated by the Auditing Standards Board. 
Price cap carriers with a continuing Part 32 accounting obligation must 
maintain continuing property records necessary to track substantial 
assets and investments in an accurate, auditable manner. The carriers 
must make such property information available to the Commission upon 
request. Carriers subject to Part 32 must continue to comply with the 
USOA's depreciation procedures and its rules for cost of removal-and-
salvage accounting.
    Pursuant to the October 24, 2018 Rate-of-Return Business Data 
Services Report and Order, WC Docket No. 17-144, FCC 18-146, rate-of-
return carriers currently receiving model-based or other fixed high-
cost support may voluntarily elect to transition their business 
services offerings from rate-of-return to incentive regulation. Thus, 
electing carriers that choose to use GAAP instead of the Uniform System 
of Accounts are relieved of virtually all of the filing and 
recordkeeping requirements of the Uniform System of Accounts, with the 
sole exception of the same data provisioning requirements for the 
calculation of pole attachment rates as price cap carriers.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-21315 Filed 9-25-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P