82 FR 34520 - Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval to the Office of Management and Budget

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 141 (July 25, 2017)

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 Commission 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.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 141 (Tuesday, July 25, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34520-34522]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-15527]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0004, 3060-1081, 3060-1223]


Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval 
to the Office of Management and Budget

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 Commission 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 24, 
2017. 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 listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, OMB, via 
email [email protected]; and to Nicole Ongele, FCC, via 
email [email protected] and to [email protected]. Include in the comments 
the OMB control number as shown in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies 
of the information collection, contact Nicole Ongele at (202) 418-2991. 
To view a copy of this information collection request (ICR) submitted 
to OMB: (1) Go to the Web page http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, (2) look for the section of the Web page called ``Currently 
Under Review,'' (3) click on the downward-pointing arrow in the 
``Select Agency'' box below the ``Currently Under Review'' heading, (4) 
select ``Federal Communications Commission'' from the list of agencies 
presented in the ``Select Agency'' box, (5) click the ``Submit'' button 
to the right of the ``Select Agency'' box, (6) when the list of FCC 
ICRs currently under review appears, look for the OMB control number of 
this ICR and then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC 
submission to OMB will be displayed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of its continuing effort to reduce 
paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) 
of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), 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.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0004.
    Title: Sections 1.1307 and 1.1311, Guidelines for Evaluating the 
Environmental Effects of Radiofrequency Exposure.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Individuals or households, Business or other for-
profit, Not-for-profit institutions, and State, Local or Tribal 
government.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 284,332 Respondents; 284,332 
Responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour-5 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement and third 
party disclosure requirement.

[[Page 34521]]

    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this Information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. Sections 154(i), 302, 303, 303(r), and 307.
    Total Annual Burden: 58,865 hours.
    Total Annual Costs: $5,449,750.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is a minimal exemption 
from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4), and 47 
CFR 0.459 of the Commission's rules, that is granted for trade secrets, 
which may be submitted to the Commission as part of the documentation 
of test results. The exemption is normally granted for a short time 
(weeks to months) for requests relating to routine authorizations and 
for a longer time for requests relating to experimental authorizations. 
No other assurances of confidentiality are provided to respondents.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this expiring 
information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
after this 60-day comment period in order to obtain the full three-year 
clearance from them.
    This information collection is a result of responsibility placed on 
the FCC by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. NEPA 
requires that each federal agency evaluate the impact of ``major 
actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.'' 
It is the FCC's opinion that this is the most efficient and reasonable 
method of complying with NEPA with regard to the environmental issue of 
radiofrequency radiation from FCC-regulated transmitters.
    The Commission requires applicants to submit limited information 
during the licensing and authorization process. In many services, the 
Commission simply requires licensees to provide reliable service to 
specific geographic areas, but does not require licensees to file site-
specific information. It does not appear that the FCC's present 
licensing methods can provide public notification of site-specific 
information without imposing new and significant additional burden to 
the Commission's applicants. However, we note that applicants with the 
greatest potential to exceed the Commission's exposure limits are 
required to perform an environmental evaluation as part of the 
licensing and authorization process.
    The Commission advises concerned members of the public, seeking 
site-specific information, to contact the FCC for the name and 
telephone number of the service providers in the concerned party's 
area. The Commission encourages all service providers to provide site-
specific, technical information and environmental evaluation 
documentation upon public request. In addition, we note alternative 
sources of information may be state and local governments, which may 
collect some site-specific information as part of the zoning process.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-1081.
    Title: Section 54.202, 54.209, 54.307, 54.313, 54.314, and 54.809, 
Telecommunications Carriers Eligible for Universal Service Support.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 20 respondents; 20 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 40 hours.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. 201(b), 214(e)(6), 303(r).
    Frequency of Response: One-time reporting requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 800 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature of Extent of Confidentiality: If respondents submit 
information which respondents believe is confidential, respondents may 
request confidential treatment of such information pursuant to section 
0.459 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 0.459.
    Needs and Uses: Designation as an Eligible Telecommunications 
Carrier (ETC) makes a telecommunications carrier eligible to 
participate in the Universal Service Fund's high-cost program, which 
support the extension of telecommunications services to underserved 
rural communities. In the absence of this information collection, the 
Commission's ability to oversee the use of Federal universal service 
funds and to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in the use of Federal funds 
would be compromised. Section 54.202 of the Commission's rules requires 
carriers seeking designation from the Commission to submit an 
application that certifies that the carrier will comply with the 
service requirement applicable to the support that it receives, 47 CFR 
54.202(a)(1)(i); applicants must submit a five year plan that describes 
with specificity proposed improvements or upgrades to the applicant's 
network throughout its proposed service area, with estimates of the 
area and population that will be served as a result of the 
improvements, Sec.  54.202(a)(1)(ii); an applicant must demonstrate its 
ability to remain functional in emergency situations, including a 
demonstration that it has a reasonable amount of back-up power to 
ensure functionality without an external power source, is able to 
reroute traffic around damaged facilities, and is capable of managing 
traffic spikes resulting from emergency situations, Sec.  54.202(a)(2); 
demonstrate that it will satisfy applicable consumer protection and 
service quality standards, Sec.  54.202(a)(3). If the common carrier is 
seeking designation as an eligible telecommunications carrier under 
section 214(e)(6) for any part of Tribal lands shall provide a copy of 
its petition to the affected tribal government and tribal regulatory 
authority, as applicable, at the time it files its petition with the 
Federal Communications Commission. In addition, the Commission shall 
send any public notice seeking comment on any petition for designation 
as an eligible telecommunications carrier on Tribal lands, at the time 
it is released, the affected tribal government and tribal regulatory 
authority, as applicable, by the most expeditious means available, 
Sec.  54.202(c).

    OMB Control Number: 3060-1223.
    Title: Payment Instructions from the Eligible Entity Seeking 
Reimbursement from the TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund.
    Form Number: FCC Form 1876.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit 
institutions and state, local or tribal government.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 1,000 respondents; 2,000 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 3 hours.
    Frequency of Response: One-time reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in the 
Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, Public Law 112-96 
(Spectrum Act) Sec.  6403(b)(4)(A).
    Total Annual Burden: 6,000 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No Cost.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: This information collection does not 
affect individuals or households; thus, there are no impacts under the 
Privacy Act.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The information collection 
includes information identifying bank accounts and providing account 
and routing

[[Page 34522]]

numbers to access those accounts. FCC considers that information to be 
records not routinely available for public inspection under 47 CFR 
0.457, and exempt from disclosure under FOIA exemption 4 (5 U.S.C. 
552(b)(4)).
    Needs and Uses: This collection was approved under the emergency 
processing provision of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 5 CFR 
1320.13. The Commission is now requesting OMB approval for this 
information collection for a full three year term. The Spectrum Act 
requires the Commission to reimburse broadcast television licensees for 
costs ``reasonably incurred'' in relocating to new channels assigned in 
the repacking process and Multichannel Video Programming Distributors 
(MVPDs) for costs reasonably incurred in order to continue to carry the 
signals of stations relocating to new channels as a result of the 
repacking process or a winning reverse auction bid.\1\
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    \1\ Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, Pubic 
Law 112-96 (Spectrum Act) Sec.  6403(b)(4)(A)(i), (ii).
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    The Commission decided through notice-and-comment rulemaking that 
it will issue all eligible broadcasters and MVPDs an initial allocation 
of funds based on estimated costs, which will be available for draw 
down (from individual accounts in the U.S. Treasury) as the entities 
incur expenses, followed by a subsequent allocation to the extent 
necessary. The reason for allowing eligible entities to draw down funds 
as they incur expenses is to reduce the chance that entities will be 
unable to finance necessary relocation changes.\2\
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    \2\ Expanding the Economic and Innovation Opportunities of 
Spectrum Through Incentive Auctions, GN Docket No. 12-268, Report 
and Order, 29 FCC Rcd 6567 (2014) (``Incentive Auction R&O'') at 
609.
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    The information collection for which we are requesting approval is 
necessary for eligible entities to instruct the Commission on how to 
pay the amounts the entities draw down, and for the entities to make 
certifications that reduce the risk of waste, fraud, abuse and improper 
payments.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-15527 Filed 7-24-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P