[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 73 (Monday, April 17, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23421-23422]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08046]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-1270; FR ID 136147]


Information Collection 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 (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 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 June 16, 
2023. 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: 3060-1270.
    Title: Protecting National Security Through FCC Programs.
    Form Number: FCC Form 5640.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently-approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit entities.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 3,500 respondents; 6,584 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.5-12 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Annual, semiannual, and recordkeeping 
requirements.
    Obligation to Respond: Mandatory and required to obtain or retain 
benefits. Statutory authority for this information collection is 
contained in 47 U.S.C. 1603-1604.
    Total Annual Burden: 20,236 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $472,500.
    Needs and Uses: The Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 
requires the ``preservation and advancement of universal service.'' 47 
U.S.C. 254(b). The information collection requirements reported under 
this collection are the result of the Commission's actions to promote 
the Act's universal service goals.
    On November 22, 2019, the Commission adopted the Protecting Against 
National Security Threats to the Communications Supply Chain Through 
FCC Programs, WC Docket No. 18-89, Report and Order, Order, and Further 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 34 FCC Rcd 11423 (2019) (Report and 
Order). The Report and Order prohibits future use of Universal Service 
Fund (USF) monies to purchase, maintain, improve, modify, obtain, or 
otherwise support any equipment or services produced or provided by a 
company that poses a national security threat to the integrity of 
communications networks or the communications supply chain.
    On March 12, 2020, the President signed into law the Secure and 
Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 (Secure Networks Act), 
Public Law 116-124, 133 Stat. 158 (2020) (codified as amended at 47 
U.S.C. 1601-1609), which, among other measures, directs the FCC to 
establish the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement 
Program (Reimbursement Program). This

[[Page 23422]]

program is intended to provide funding to providers of advanced 
communications service for the removal, replacement and disposal of 
certain communications equipment and services that poses an 
unacceptable national security risk (i.e., covered equipment and 
services) from their networks. The Commission has designated two 
entities--Huawei Technologies Company (Huawei) and ZTE Corporation 
(ZTE), along with their affiliates, subsidiaries, and parents--as 
covered companies posing such a national security threat. See 
Protecting Against National Security Threats to the Communications 
Supply Chain Through FCC Programs--Huawei Designation, PS Docket No. 
19-351, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 35 FCC Rcd 14435 (2020); 
Protecting Against National Security Threats to the Communications 
Supply Chain Through FCC Programs--ZTE Designation, PS Docket No. 19-
352, Memorandum Opinion and Order, DA 20-1399 (PSHSB rel. Nov. 24, 
2020).
    On December 10, 2020, the Commission adopted the Second Report and 
Order implementing the Secure Networks Act, which contained new 
information collection requirements. See Protecting Against National 
Security Threats to the Communications Supply Chain Through FCC 
Programs, WC Docket No. 18-89, Second Report and Order, 35 FCC Rcd 
14284 (2020) (Second Report and Order). These requirements allow the 
Commission to receive, review and make eligibility determinations and 
funding decisions on applications to participate in the Reimbursement 
Program that are filed by certain providers of advanced communications 
service. These information collection requirements also assist the 
Commission in processing funding disbursement requests and in 
monitoring and furthering compliance with applicable program 
requirements to protect against waste, fraud, and abuse. Participation 
in the Reimbursement Program is voluntary, but compliance with the 
information collection requirements is required to obtain Reimbursement 
Program support.
    On August 3, 2021, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) 
released a Public Notice adopting procedures for filing and processing 
applications submitted for the Reimbursement Program. These procedures 
largely tracked the procedural rules previously adopted by the 
Commission in the Second Report and Order, but also adopted a new 
requirement that Reimbursement Program participants notify the 
Commission of changes in ownership, to ensure accurate information is 
on file for participants and to help protect the Reimbursement Program 
against waste, fraud, and abuse.
    This submission proposes to revise this currently-approved 
collection by deleting an existing question on FCC Form 5640 and 
replacing it with a more detailed query. The new question will ask 
program participants to describe in detail how they have spent 
Reimbursement Program funds. The addition of this question will allow 
the Bureau to satisfy its statutory obligations to collect information 
about how Reimbursement Program funds have been spent, including 
detailed accounting of the covered communications equipment and 
services permanently removed and disposed of, and the replacement 
equipment or services purchased, rented, leased, or otherwise obtained 
using Reimbursement Program funds, as well as to combat waste, fraud, 
and abuse, as required under the Secure Networks Act. The Bureau 
determined that FCC Form 5640 required this revision in order to elicit 
the information necessary for the Bureau to better satisfy its 
statutory obligations.
    This proposed addition will increase the information collected, and 
will impose an additional burden on respondents, which will vary with 
the number of invoices respondents submit during the relevant reporting 
period. However, this submission also reflects a decrease in the 
estimated total annual responses, total annual burden hours, and total 
annual costs for this collection. These adjustments are due to a 
reduction of the number of respondents for several categories of 
information to be collected on Form 5640, based on the Bureau's 
experience with the Reimbursement Program since this collection was 
first approved.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-08046 Filed 4-14-23; 8:45 am]
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