81 FR 3729 - Updating Competitive Bidding Rules

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 14 (January 22, 2016)

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved, on an emergency basis, a revision to an approved information collection to implement modified and new collection requirements on FCC Form 175, Application to Participate in an FCC Auction, contained in the Part 1 Report and Order, Updating Competitive Bidding Rules, FCC 15-80. This document is consistent with the Part 1 Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the effective date of the rules and requirements.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 14 (Friday, January 22, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 3729-3730]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-01185]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 1

[GN Docket No. 12-268, WT Docket Nos. 14-70, 05-211, RM-11395; FCC 15-
80]


Updating Competitive Bidding Rules

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; announcement of effective date.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approved, on an emergency basis, a revision 
to an approved information collection to implement modified and new 
collection requirements on FCC Form 175, Application to Participate in 
an FCC Auction, contained in the Part 1 Report and Order, Updating 
Competitive Bidding Rules, FCC 15-80. This document is consistent with 
the Part 1 Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would 
publish a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and 
the effective date of the rules and requirements.

DATES: 47 CFR 1.2105(a)(2), 1.2105(a)(2)(iii)-(vi), (a)(2)(viii)-(x), 
(a)(2)(xii), 1.2105(c)(3), and 1.2112(b)(1)(iii)-(vi), published at 80 
FR 56764 on September 18, 2015, and

[[Page 3730]]

revised FCC Form 175, are effective on January 22, 2016. OMB approved 
the information collection requirements in 47 CFR 1.2105(c)(3), 
1.2110(b)(1), and 1.2112(b) on January 14, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Cathy Williams, 
[email protected], (202) 418-2918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document announces that, on January 14, 
2016, OMB approved, on an emergency basis, a revision to an approved 
information collection to implement modified and new collection 
requirements on FCC Form 175, Application to Participate in an FCC 
Auction, and under 47 CFR 1.2105(a)(2), 1.2105(a)(2)(iii)-(vi), 
(a)(2)(viii)-(x), (a)(2)(xii), 1.2105(a)(3), 1.2105(c)(3), 
1.2110(b)(1), 1.2112(b), and 1.2112(b)(1)(iii)-(vi), published at 80 FR 
56764 on September 18, 2015. The OMB Control Number is 3060-0600. The 
Commission publishes this document as an announcement of the effective 
date of the rules and requirements. If you have any comments on the 
burden estimates listed below, or how the Commission can improve the 
collections and reduce any burdens caused thereby, please contact Cathy 
Williams, Federal Communications Commission, Room 1-C823, 445 12th 
Street SW., Washington, DC 20554. Please include the OMB Control 
Number, 3060-0600, in your correspondence. The Commission will also 
accept your comments via the Internet if you send them to [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 
emergency approval from OMB on January 14, 2016 for the revised 
information collection requirements contained in the information 
collection 3060-0600, Application to Participate in an FCC Auction.
    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 3060-0600. The foregoing document 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: 3060-0600.
    OMB Approval Date: January 14, 2016.
    OMB Expiration Date: July 31, 2016.
    Title: Application to Participate in an FCC Auction.
    Form No.: FCC Form 175.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; Not-for-profit 
institutions; State, local or Tribal government.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 500 respondents; 500 
responses.
    Estimated Time per response: 90 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: On-occasion reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 
sections 154(i) and 309(j)(5) of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended, 47 U.S.C. 4(i), 309(j)(5), and sections 1.2105, 1.2110, 1.2112 
of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.2105, 1.2110, 1.2112.
    Total Annual Burden: 750 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: None.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Information collected on FCC 
Form 175 is made available for public inspection. To the extent that a 
respondent seeks to have certain information collected on FCC Form 175 
withheld from public inspection, the respondent may request 
confidential treatment of such information pursuant to section 0.459 of 
the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 0.459.
    Needs and Uses: In the Part 1 Report and Order, the Commission 
updated many of its Part 1 competitive bidding rules. The updated Part 
1 rules apply to applicants seeking to participate in future non-
reverse auctions for Commission licenses and permits, including the 
forward auction component of the Commission's upcoming television 
broadcast incentive auction (BIA). The revised information collection 
on FCC Form 175 implements the modified and new collection requirements 
contained in sections 1.2105(a)(2), 1.2105(a)(2)(iii)-(vi), 
(a)(2)(viii)-(x), (a)(2)(xii), 1.2105(a)(3), 1.2105(c)(3), 
1.2110(b)(1), 1.2112(b), and 1.2112(b)(1)(iii)-(vi) of the Commission's 
rules, as adopted in the Part 1 Report and Order. The information 
collected on the revised FCC Form 175 will be used by the Commission to 
determine if an applicant is legally, technically, and financially 
qualified to participate in a non-reverse Commission auction for 
Commission licenses and permits, including the forward component of the 
BIA. Commission staff will review the information collected on FCC Form 
175 for a particular auction as part of the pre-auction process, prior 
to the auction being held. Staff will determine whether each applicant 
satisfies the Commission's requirements to participate in the auction 
and, if an applicant claims status as a particular type of auction 
participant, whether that applicant is eligible for the status claimed. 
This approach provides an appropriate screen to ensure serious 
participation and deter possible abuse of the bidding process without 
being unduly burdensome.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-01185 Filed 1-21-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P