2023-25295. 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 (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 January 16, 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 contact listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES:

Direct all PRA comments to Nicole Ongele, FCC, via email [e-mail] and to [e-mail].

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: 3060–0004.

Title: Sections 1.1307 and 1.1311, Guidelines for Evaluating the Environmental Effects of Radiofrequency Exposure.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Revision 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: 233,596 Respondents; 233,596 Responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 0.0833 hours (5 minutes)–20 hours.

Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement and 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. 154, 302, 303, and 307.

Total Annual Burden: 26,005 hours.

Total Annual Costs: $1,958,335.

Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this revision of a currently approved 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.

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.

To account for rule changes implemented by 2019 rulemaking item FCC 19–126, ET Docket Nos. 03–137 and 13–184, the Commission had previously estimated the burden to respondents for the collection of information in two components: the recurring annual burden, and the one-time burden of transitioning to the rule changes for existing parties. The period for transition to those rule changes has now passed, and so the Commission has now revised its estimates to remove consideration of the one-time transition burden. To update burden estimates based on the most recently available data, the Commission has also adjusted the total number of respondents/responses, the total annual hourly burden, and the total annual costs from the previous estimates, based on licensing data for calendar year 2022.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene Dortch,

Secretary, Office of the Secretary.