[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 140 (Friday, July 22, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43849-43850]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-15637]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-1222; FR ID 96879]


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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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 August 22, 
2022.

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: 3060-1222.
    Title: Inmate Calling Services (ICS) Provider Annual Reporting, 
Certification, Consumer Disclosure, and Waiver Request Requirements.
    Form Number(s): FCC Form 2301(a) and FCC Form 2301(b).

[[Page 43850]]

    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 20 respondents; 23 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 5 hours-120 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Annual reporting and certification 
requirements, third party disclosure and waiver request requirements.
    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(b), 218, 220, 225, 255, 276, 403, and 617 of 
the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i)-(j), 
201(b), 218, 220, 225, 255, 276, 403 and 617.
    Total Annual Burden: 3,740 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Protective Order in the 
Commission's inmate calling services (ICS) proceeding, WC Docket 12-
375, 28 FCC Rcd 16954 (WCB 2013), provides confidential treatment for 
the proprietary information submitted by (ICS providers in response to 
the Commission's directives. The Commission will treat as presumptively 
confidential any particular information identified as confidential by 
the provider in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act and 
Commission rules. Each confidential document should be stamped and 
submitted to the Secretary's Office with an accompanying cover letter, 
as specified by the Protective Order.
    Needs and Uses: Section 201 of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended (Act), 47 U.S.C 201, requires that ICS providers' interstate 
and international rates and practices be just and reasonable. Section 
276 of the Act, 47 U.S.C. 276, requires that payphone service providers 
(including ICS providers), be fairly compensated for completed calls.
    In 2015, the Commission released the Second Report and Order and 
Third Notice of Further Proposed Rulemaking, WC Docket No. 12-375, 30 
FCC Rcd 12763, (2015 ICS Order), in which the Commission required that 
ICS providers file Annual Reports providing data and other information 
on their ICS operations, as well as Annual Certifications that reported 
data are complete and accurate and comply with the Commission's ICS 
rules. Pursuant to the authority delegated it by the Commission in the 
2015 ICS Order, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) created a 
standardized reporting template (FCC Form No. 2301(a)) and a related 
certification of accuracy (FCC Form No. 2301(b)), as well as 
instructions to guide providers through the reporting process. The 
instructions explain the reporting and certification requirements and 
reduce the burden of the data collection. (ICS Annual Reporting Form 
(2017-2019I, https://www.fcc.gov/general/ics-data-collections; ICS 
Annual Reporting Certification Form, https://www.fcc.gov/general/ics-data-collections).
    In 2021, the Commission released the Third Report and Order, Order 
on Reconsideration, and Fifth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 
(2021 ICS Order), WC Docket No. 12-375, 36 FCC Rcd (2021), in which the 
Commission continued its reform of the ICS marketplace. The Commission 
revised its rules by adopting, among other things, lower interim rate 
caps for interstate calls, new interim rate caps for international 
calls, and a new rate cap structure that requires ICS providers to 
differentiate between legally mandated and contractually required site 
commissions.
    The 2021 rules necessitated further changes to the instructions and 
annual reporting and certification templates in order to simplify 
compliance with a reduce the burden of this data collection. On 
December 15, 2021, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) issued a 
Public Notice, WC 12-375, DA 21-1583 (WCB Dec. 15, 2021), seeking 
comment on its proposed revisions to the instructions and template for 
the Annual Reports and Certifications submitted by ICS providers. After 
considering the comments and replies submitted in response to the 
Public Notice, the Bureau released an Order on June 24, 2022 revising 
the instructions, reporting template, and certification form for the 
annual reports submitted by ICS providers. The reporting template 
consists of a Word document (Word template) and Excel spreadsheets 
(Excel template). See Annual Reports Adoption Order (DA 22-676, WC 
Docket No. 12-375 (WCB June 24, 2022), available at https://www.fcc.gov/document/wcb-announces-ics-annual-reporting-and-certification-revisions. The Order largely adopted the proposals 
contained in the Public Notice, with certain minor refinements and 
reevaluations responsive to comments and replies filed in response to 
the Public Notice.
    Under the Bureau's Order, ICS providers must continue to submit all 
reports using the electronic template provided by the Commission, and 
to provide the data in a machine-readable, manipulatable format. The 
reporting requirements cover the general categories proposed in the 
Public Notice. These categories include the submission of information 
on facilities served; interstate, intrastate, and international ICS 
rates; ancillary service charges; site commissions; and disability 
access, among other matters. The Bureau adopted reporting requirements 
for interstate, international, and intrastate ICS rates as proposed, 
with minor revisions. Further, the Bureau adopted the reporting 
requirements for ancillary service charges assessed by ICS providers as 
proposed, with certain revisions. In addition, the Bureau adopted the 
reporting requirements as proposed concerning site commissions, with 
minor revisions. The Bureau also revised the instructions and reporting 
template to match these revisions, and to more precisely target the 
information to be reported in connection with providers' disability 
access services. The revised Word and Excel templates (collectively, 
FCC Form 2301(a)) and certification form (FCC Form 2301(b)) will be 
submitted for approval by the Office of Management and Budget.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-15637 Filed 7-21-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P