[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 230 (Friday, December 1, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 83829-83830]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26421]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 54

[WC Docket No. 17-310; FCC No. 23-6; FR ID 188068]


Promoting Telehealth in Rural America

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; announcement of effective date.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal Communications Commission 
(Commission) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
has approved, for a period of three years, a revision to an information 
collection associated with the rules for the Rural Health Care (RHC) 
Program contained in the Commission's Order, FCC 23-6. This document is 
consistent with the Order on Reconsideration, Second Report and Order, 
and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in 
the Federal Register announcing the effective date

[[Page 83830]]

of the new information collection requirements.

DATES: The amendments to Sec. Sec.  54.604 (amendatory instruction 2), 
54.605 (amendatory instruction 3), and 54.627 (amendatory instruction 
8), published at 88 FR 17379, March 23, 2023, are effective December 1, 
2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bryan P. Boyle, Telecommunications 
Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau at (202) 418-7400 
or TTY: (202) 418-0484 or via email: [email protected]. For 
additional information concerning the Paperwork Reduction Act 
information collection requirements, contact Nicole Ongele at (202) 
418-2991 or via email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission submitted new information 
collection requirements for review and approval by OMB, as required by 
the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, on October 25, 2023, which 
were approved by the OMB on November 27, 2023. The information 
collection requirements are contained in the Commission's Order on 
Reconsideration, Second Report and Order, and Order, FCC 23-6 published 
at 88 FR 17379, March 23, 2023. The OMB Control Number is 3060-0804. 
The Commission publishes this document as an announcement of the 
effective date of the rules that required PRA approval. If you have any 
comments on the burden estimates listed herein, or how the Commission 
can improve the collections and reduce any burdens caused thereby, 
please contact Nicole Ongele, Federal Communications Commission, 45 L 
Street NE, Washington, DC 20554. Please include the OMB Control Number, 
3060-0804, in your correspondence. The Commission will also accept your 
comments via email at [email protected].
    To request materials in accessible formats for people with 
disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), 
send an email to [email protected] or call the Consumer and Governmental 
Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (TTY).

Synopsis

    As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3507), the Commission is notifying the public that it received OMB 
approval on November 27, 2023, for the information collection 
requirements contained in 47 CFR 54.604, 54.605, and 54.627. Under 5 
CFR part 1320, an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of 
information unless it displays a current, valid OMB Control Number.
    No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply 
with a collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act 
that does not display a current, valid OMB Control Number. The OMB 
Control Number is 3060-0804.
    The foregoing notification is required by the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13, October 1, 1995, and 44 U.S.C. 3507.
    The total annual reporting burdens and costs for the respondents 
are as follows:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0804.
    OMB Approval Date: November 27, 2023.
    OMB Expiration Date: November 30, 2026.
    Title: Universal Service--Rural Health Care Program.
    Form Nos.: FCC Form 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: This collection is utilized for the RHC support 
mechanism of the Commission's universal service fund (USF). The 
Commission and USAC will use the information to determine if entities 
are eligible for funding pursuant to the RHC universal service support 
mechanism, to determine whether entities are complying with the 
Commission's rules, and to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. This 
information also allows 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.
    To aid in collecting this information, the public will use the 
Commission's forms to provide the necessary information and 
certifications. This revision modifies the existing information 
collection requirements applicable to the Telecommunications (Telecom) 
Program as a result of the 2023 Promoting Telehealth Order on 
Reconsideration, Second Report and Order, and Order, FCC 23-6, rel. 
January 27, 2023 (88 FR 17379, March 23, 2023). The revisions, where 
applicable, are intended to simplify calculations of support in the 
Telecom Program and streamline the invoicing process in the Telecom 
Program.

Federal Communications Commission.
Katura Jackson,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023-26421 Filed 11-30-23; 8:45 am]
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