[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 155 (Monday, August 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55040-55041]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-17415]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0804; FR ID 161992]


Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal 
Communications Commission

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

[[Page 55041]]


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.

DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before October 
13, 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: 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.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0804.
    Title: Universal Service--Rural Health Care Program.
    Form Numbers: FCC Forms 460, 461, 462, 463, 465, 466, 467, and 469.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal Government; and State, Local, or Tribal 
governments.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 12,854 unique respondents; 
116,404 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.30-17 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion, One-time, Annual, and Monthly 
reporting requirements.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in 
sections 1-4, 201-205, 214, 254, 303(r), and 403 of the Communications 
Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151-154, 201-205, 214, 254, 303(r), 
and 403, unless otherwise noted.
    Total Annual Burden: 442,117 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No Cost.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission seeks OMB approval of a revision of 
this information collection as a result of the 2023 Promoting 
Telehealth Order on Reconsideration, Second Report and Order, and 
Order, FCC 23-6, rel. January 27, 2023 (2023 Order) (88 FR 17379, March 
23, 2023). This collection is utilized for the RHC support mechanism of 
the Commission's universal service fund (USF). The collection of this 
information is necessary so that the Commission and the Universal 
Service Administrative Company (USAC) will have sufficient information 
to determine if entities are eligible for funding pursuant to the RHC 
universal service support mechanism, to determine if entities are 
complying with the Commission's rules, and to promote program 
integrity. This information is also necessary in order to allow the 
Commission to evaluate the extent to which the RHC Program is meeting 
the statutory objectives specified in section 254(h) of the 1996 Act, 
and the Commission's performance goals for the RHC Program.
    This information collection is being revised to: (1) extend some of 
the existing information collection requirements for the Healthcare 
Connect Fund and Telecom Programs; (2) revise some of the information 
collection requirements for the Telecom Programs as a result of the 
2023 Order; and (3) add a new information collection requirement for 
the Telecom Program as a result of the 2023 Order. As part of this 
information collection, the Commission is also revising the FCC Form 
466 Template, terminating the Telecommunications Program Invoice 
Template and the FCC Form 467 Template in the Telecom Program, and 
adding a FCC Form 469 Template which is the new invoice form in the 
Telecom Program adopted by the 2023 Order to ensure that healthcare 
providers have adequate, predictable support, to simplify the invoicing 
process, and to promote program integrity in the RHC Program. These 
changes will be effective starting funding year 2024.
    The Healthcare Connect Fund Program currently includes FCC Forms 
460, 461, 462, and 463. Prior to funding year 2024, the Telecom Program 
includes FCC Forms 465, 466, and 467. Effective funding year 2024, the 
Telecom Program includes FCC Forms 465, 466, and 469. The information 
on the FCC Form templates is a representative description of the 
information to be collected via an online portal and is not intended to 
be a visual representation of what each applicant or service provider 
will see, the order in which they will see information, or the exact 
wording or directions used to collect the information. Where possible, 
information already provided by applicants from previous filing years 
or that was pre-filed in the system portal will be carried forward and 
auto-generated into the form to simplify the information collection for 
applicants.

Federal Communications Commission.
Katura Jackson,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023-17415 Filed 8-11-23; 8:45 am]
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