[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 69 (Thursday, April 10, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 17566-17567]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-9159]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
47 CFR Parts 0 and 97
[WT Docket No. 95-57; FCC 97-99]
Amateur Service Rules
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: This action amends the amateur service rules to improve
eligibility standards for a club station license, recognizes the role
of volunteer examiner (VE) teams and session managers, establishes a
special event call sign system, and authorizes a self-assigned
indicator in the station identification announcement. The Commission
declined to allow examination credit for licenses formerly held. The
amendments are necessary in order to serve the amateur service
licensees more effectively. The effect of this action is to improve
license processing, increase operational flexibility, and minimize
regulation.
EFFECTIVE DATE: May 12, 1997.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maurice J. DePont, Federal
Communications Commission, Washington, D.C. 20554, (202) 418-0690.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Report
and Order adopted March 20, 1997, and released April 1, 1997. The
complete text of this Commission action, including the amended rules,
is available for inspection and copying during normal business hours in
the FCC Reference Center (Room 230), 1919 M Street, N.W., Washington,
D.C. The complete text of this Report and Order may also be ordered
from the Commission's copy contractor, International Transcription
Services, Inc., 2100 M Street, N.W., Suite 140, Washington, D.C. 20037,
telephone (202) 857-3800.
Summary of Report and Order
1. The amended rules respond to petitions filed by the American
Radio Relay League, Inc., and the National Conference of Volunteer-
Examiner Coordinators. The amended rules also reflect action on
proposals made by the Commission on its own motion.
2. The amended rules increase the eligibility requirement for an
amateur service club station license to four persons in order to
improve the effectiveness of the amateur service licensing process.
3. The amended rules permit a VE team to select a VE session
manager to organize activities at an examination session and to conduct
liaison functions with the coordinating VEC.
4. In order to provide greater operational flexibility for amateur
radio operators, the amended rules allow the station identification to
include a self-assigned indicator before, after, or both before and
after, the assigned call sign.
5. Finally, the amended rules authorize the licensee of an amateur
station operating in conjunction with a self-determined special event
to substitute for its assigned call sign a self-selected call sign from
the block of one-by-one call signs.
6. In view of the opposition expressed in the comments, the
Commission declined to give examination credit for licenses formerly
held.
7. The amended rules are set forth below.
8. Pursuant to Section 605(b) of the Regulatory Flexibility Act
(RFA) the Commission certifies that the amended rules will not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities
because the amateur stations that are the subject of this proceeding
are not authorized to transmit communications for a pecuniary interest.
9. Authority for this action is contained in Sections 4(i) and
303(r) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i)
and 303(r).
10. A copy of the RFA certification will be provided to the Chief
Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration.
List of Subjects
47 CFR Part 0
Organization and functions (Government agencies).
[[Page 17567]]
47 CFR Part 97
Radio, Volunteers.
Federal Communications Commission
William F. Caton,
Acting Secretary.
Rule Changes
Parts 0 and 97 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations are
amended as follows:
PART 0--COMMISSION ORGANIZATION
1. The authority citation for Part 0 continues to read as follows:
Authority: Sec. 5, 48 Stat. 1068, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 155,
225, unless otherwise noted.
2. Section 0.131 is amended by adding new paragraph (p) to read as
follows:
Sec. 0.131 Functions of the Bureau.
* * * * *
(p) Certifies, in the name of the Commission, volunteer entities to
coordinate, maintain and disseminate a common data base of amateur
station special event call signs, and issues Public Notices detailing
the procedures of amateur service call sign systems.
PART 97--AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE
1. The authority citation for Part 97 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 48 Stat. 1066, 1082, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 154, 303.
Interpret or apply 48 Stat. 1064-1068, 1081-1105, as amended; 47
U.S.C. 151-155, 301-609, unless otherwise noted.
2. Section 97.3(a)(11)(iii) is added to read as follows:
Sec. 97.3 Definitions.
(a) * * *
(11) * * *
(iii) Special event call sign system. The call sign is selected by
the station licensee from a list of call signs shown on a common data
base coordinated, maintained and disseminated by the amateur station
special event call sign data base coordinators. The call sign must have
the single letter prefix K, N or W, followed by a single numeral 0
through 9, followed by a single letter A through W or Y or Z (for
example K1A). The special event call sign is substituted for the call
sign shown on the station license grant while the station is
transmitting. The FCC will issue public announcements detailing the
procedures of the special event call sign system.
* * * * *
3. Section 97.5(b)(2) is revised to read as follows:
Sec. 97.5 Station license required.
* * * * *
(b) * * *
(2) A club station license. A club station license is granted only
to the person who is the license trustee designated by an officer of
the club. The trustee must be a person who has been granted an Amateur
Extra, Advanced, General, Technician Plus, or Technician operator
license. The club must be composed of at least four persons and must
have a name, a document of organization, management, and a primary
purpose devoted to amateur service activities consistent with this
part. The club station license document is printed on FCC Form 660.
* * * * *
4. Section 97.119 is amended by revising paragraph (c),
redesignating paragraphs (d) through (f) as paragraphs (e) through (g),
and adding new paragraph (d) to read as follows:
Sec. 97.119 Station identification.
* * * * *
(c) One or more indicators may be included with the call sign. Each
indicator must be separated from the call sign by the slant mark (/) or
by any suitable word that denotes the slant mark. If an indicator is
self-assigned, it must be included before, after, or both before and
after, the call sign. No self-assigned indicator may conflict with any
other indicator specified by the FCC Rules or with any prefix assigned
to another country.
(d) When transmitting in conjunction with an event of special
significance, a station may substitute for its assigned call sign a
special event call sign as shown for that station for that period of
time on the common data base coordinated, maintained and disseminated
by the special event call sign data base coordinators. Additionally,
the station must transmit its assigned call sign at least once per hour
during such transmissions.
* * * * *
5. Section 97.509 (a) and (i) are revised to read as follows:
Sec. 97.509 Administering VE requirements.
(a) Each examination element for an amateur operator license must
be administered by a team of at least 3 VEs at an examination session
coordinated by a VEC. Before the session, the administering VEs or the
VE session manager must ensure that public announcement is made stating
the location and time of the session. The number of examinees at the
session may be limited.
* * * * *
(i) When the examinee is credited for all examination elements
required for the operator license sought, 3 VEs must certify on the
examinee's application document that the applicant is qualified for the
license and that they have complied with these administering VE
requirements. The certifying VEs are jointly and individually
accountable for the proper administration of each examination element
reported on the examinee's application FCC Form 610. The certifying VEs
may delegate to other qualified VEs their authority, but not their
accountability, to administer individual elements of an examination.
* * * * *
6. New Section 97.513 is added to read as follows:
Sec. 97.513 VE session manager requirements.
(a) A VE session manager may be selected by the VE team for each
examination session. The VE session manager must be accredited as a VE
by the same VEC that coordinates the examination session. The VE
session manager may serve concurrently as an administering VE.
(b) The VE session manager may carry on liaison between the VE team
and the coordinating VEC.
(c) The VE session manager may organize activities at an
examination session.
7. Section 97.519(b) is revised to read as follows:
Sec. 97.519 Coordinating examination sessions.
* * * * *
(b) At the completion of each examination session, the coordinating
VEC must collect the FCC Form 610 documents and test results from the
administering VEs. Within 10 days of collecting the FCC Form 610
documents, the coordinating VEC must:
(1) Screen each FCC Form 610 document; (2) Resolve all
discrepancies appearing on the FCC Form 610 documents and verify that
the VEs' certifications are properly completed; and
(3) For qualified examinees, forward electronically the data
contained on the FCC Form 610 documents, or forward the FCC Form 610
documents to: FCC, 1270 Fairfield Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325-7245. When
the data is forwarded electronically, the coordinating VEC must retain
the FCC Form 610 documents for at least 15 months and make them
available to the FCC upon request.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 97-9159 Filed 4-9-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
