[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 112 (Monday, June 10, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48895-48896]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-12603]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0999; FR ID 224289]


Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal 
Communications Commission

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, 
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the 
Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the 
general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to 
comment on the following information collection(s). 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 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 should be submitted on or before August 9, 
2024. 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 contacts below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Cathy Williams, FCC, via email to 
[email protected] and to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the 
information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0999.
    Title: Hearing Aid Compatibility Status Report and Section 20.19, 
Hearing Aid-Compatible Mobile Handsets (Hearing Aid Compatibility Act).
    Form Numbers: FCC Forms 655 and 855.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents: 934 respondents; 934 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 13.97 hours per response (average).
    Frequency of Response: On occasion and annual reporting 
requirements; Recordkeeping requirement; Third party disclosure 
requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 157, 160, 201, 202, 214, 301, 303, 308, 309(j), 310 
and 610 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 13,049 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission is requesting that OMB grant it a 
three-year extension of the currently approved information collection 
related to the Commission's wireless hearing aid compatibility 
requirements located in section 20.19 of the Commission's rules. 47 CFR 
20.19. OMB's approval of the information collection contain in these 
rules expires on October 31, 2024. While the Commission is not 
requesting approval of any substantive changes to the information 
collection, it is requesting approval of a few minor, non-substantive 
changes to FCC Form 855 and the related instructions. The Commission 
uses this form to ensure wireless service provider compliance with the 
hearing aid compatibility rules. The Commission is also requesting 
approval of certain minor, non-substantive changes to the instructions 
for FCC Form 655 but not to the form, itself. The Commission uses this 
form to ensure handset manufacturer compliance with the Commission's 
hearing aid compatibility rules. These changes are for clarification 
purposes only and do not affect the burden hours or the cost of 
compliance associated with the approved information collection.
    The Commission's wireless hearing aid compatibility rules ensure 
that consumers with hearing loss have the same access to the newest and 
most technologically advanced handset models as consumers without 
hearing loss. These rules were adopted by the Commission in response to 
the Hearing Aid Compatibility Act, which was enacted in 1988 and is 
codified as amended at 47 U.S.C. 610. See Public Law 100-394, sec. 3, 
102 Stat. 976, 976 (1988). In order to ensure handset manufacturer and 
service provider compliance with the Hearing Aid Compatibility Act and 
the Commission's regulations implementing the Act, the Commission has 
adopted handset labeling and disclosure requirements, website posting 
and record retention requirements, and handset manufacturer and mobile 
wireless service provider reporting requirements. See 47 CFR 20.19(f), 
(h), (i). These requirements are the subject of this information 
collection submission, and these regulations ensure that consumers are 
given the information that they need to make informed purchasing 
decisions and that handset manufacturers and service providers meet 
hearing aid-compatible handset model deployment requirements that the 
Commission has adopted.
    The Commission is not proposing changes to the handset labeling and 
disclosure requirements, nor to the website posting and record 
retention requirements. These requirements will remain unchanged after 
OMB approval

[[Page 48896]]

of this information collection submission.
    With respect to FCC Form 855, the Commission is proposing to add an 
information icon to two of the form's questions for clarification 
purposes only. The two questions appear in the certification part of 
the form and the Commission will place a validation stop after each 
question to ensure that filers provide answers to the questions before 
proceeding to complete the form. The two information icons will be 
placed in the following locations and will provide as follows:
     One information icon will be placed at the end of the 
question requesting filers to provide the percentage of hearing-aid 
compatible handset models that they provided for the reporting period. 
The information icon will provide the following clarification: ``If 
your company claims a HAC handset model compliance percentage of less 
than 85%, then you must indicate above which de minimis exception your 
company is claiming.'' The addition of this information icon will not 
change what the question is asking, but will provide filers with 
guidance on how to complete the form.
     The second information icon will be placed at the end of 
the question requesting filers who maintain publicly accessible 
websites to provide the website address where required hearing aid 
compatibility information is posted. The information icon will provide 
the following clarification: ``If your company did not have a publicly-
accessible website for the reporting period, then type the following 
statement into the box: `For the reporting period, [name of company] 
did not operate a publicly-accessible website.' '' The addition of this 
information icon will not change what the question is asking, but will 
provide filers with guidance on how to complete the form.
    In addition to these minor, non-substantive changes to FCC Form 
855, the Commission is proposing to modify the form's instructions to 
provide the following clarifications:
     The filing window for the form opens on the first business 
day in January each year and closes on January 31, unless January 31 is 
not a business day. In this case, the filing window closes on the first 
business day after January 31. This change conforms the form's 
instructions concerning the filing window with the information on the 
Commission's wireless hearing aid compatibility website concerning the 
filing window.
     The instruction which states that service providers should 
provide the percentage of handset models that they offered for the 
reporting period that were hearing aid-compatible will be modified by 
changing the word ``should'' to ``must,'' and ``must'' will be bolded 
for emphasis. This instruction will also reference the information icon 
discussed above that will be added to this question for clarification 
purposes only.
     The instruction which states that service providers must 
post on their publicly accessible websites certain hearing aid 
compatibility information required by the Commission's rules will be 
modified by bolding the existing word ``must'' for emphasis. This 
instruction will also reference the information icon discussed above 
that will be added to this question for clarification purposes only.
     The instruction which states that service providers who 
are not in full compliance with the Commission's hearing aid 
compatibility rules must provide an attachment explaining their non-
compliance will be modified by bolding the existing word ``must'' for 
emphasis.
    The Commission is not seeking approval of any changes to FCC Form 
655 used by handset manufacturers to show compliance with the 
Commission's hearing aid compatibility requirements. The Commission is 
proposing to modify the form's instructions to provide the following 
clarifications:
     The filing window for the form opens on the first business 
day in July each year and closes on July 31, unless July 31 is not a 
business day. In this case, the filing window closes on the first 
business day after July 31. This change conforms the form's 
instructions concerning the filing window with the information on the 
Commission's wireless hearing aid compatibility website concerning the 
filing window.
     The instruction which states that handset manufacturers 
must post on their publicly accessible websites certain hearing aid 
compatibility information required by the Commission's rules will be 
modified by bolding the existing word ``must'' for emphasis.
    These minor, non-substantive modifications the Commission is 
proposing to the existing information collection will provide clarity 
and promote efficiency. These changes will not affect the burden 
estimate or compliance cost that OMB has previously approved for this 
information collection. After the 60-day comment period expires, the 
Commission will submit the information collection to OMB to obtain a 
full three-year clearance.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-12603 Filed 6-7-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P