E7-7295. Notice of Public Information Collections Being Submitted for Review to the Office of Management and Budget

April 12, 2007.

SUMMARY:

The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Public Law 104-13. An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a current 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 control number. Comments are requested concerning: (a) Whether the proposed collections of information are necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) 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.

DATES:

Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before May 18, 2007. 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 Jasmeet Seehra, Office of Mangement and Budget (OMB), Room 10236 NEOB, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, or via fax at [phone] or via Internet at [e-mail], and to Cathy Williams, Federal Communications Commission, Room 1-C823, 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554, or via the Internet to [e-mail]. If you would like to obtain or view a copy of this information collection, you may do so by visiting the FCC's PRA Web page at: http://www.fcc.gov/​omd/​pra.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information or copies of the information collection(s), contact Cathy Williams at [phone] or via the Internet at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 3060-1053.

Title: 47 CFR Sections 64.604 and 64.605—Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities; IP Captioned Telephone Service, Declaratory Ruling, CG Docket No. 03-123.

Form Number: Not Applicable.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.

Number of Respondents: 6.

Estimated Time per Response: 8 hours.

Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.

Total Annual Burden: 96 hours.

Total Annual Cost: None.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: An assurance of confidentiality is not offered because this information collection does not require the collection of personal identifiable information (PII) from individuals.

Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Needs and Uses: On August 1, 2003, the Commission released the Declaratory Ruling, In the Matter of Telecommunication Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities, CC 98-67, FCC 03-190. In the Declaratory Ruling, the Commission clarified that one-line captioned telephone voice carry over (VCO) service is a type of telecommunications relay service (TRS) and that eligible providers of such services are eligible to recover their costs in accordance with section 225 of the Communications Act. The Commission also clarified that certain TRS mandatory minimum standards does not apply to one-line captioned VCO service, and waived 47 CFR 64.604(a)(1) and (a)(3) of the Commission's rules for all current and future captioned telephone VCO service providers, for the same period of time beginning August 1, 2003. The waivers were contingent on the filing of annual reports, for a period of three years, with the Commission. Sections 64.604(a)(1) and (a)(3) of the Commission's rules, which contained information collection requirements under the PRA became effective on March 26, 2004.

On July 19, 2005, the Commission released an Order, In the Matter of Telecommunication Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities, CC 98-67 and CG Docket No. 03-123, FCC 05-141, that clarified two-line captioned telephone VCO service, like one-line captioned telephone VCO service, is a type of TRS eligible for compensation from the Interstate TRS Fund. Also, the Commission clarified that certain TRS mandatory minimum standards do not apply to two-line captioned VCO service, and waived 47 CFR 64.604(a)(1) and (a)(3) of the Commission's rules, for providers who offers two-line captioned VCO service. This clarification increased the number of providers who will be providing one-line and two-line captioned VCO services.

On January 11, 2007, the Commission released a Declaratory Ruling, In the Matter of Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities, CG Docket No. 03-123, FCC 06-182, granting a request for clarification that Internet Protocol (IP) captioned telephone relay service (IP CTS) is a type of TRS eligible for compensation from the Interstate TRS Fund when offered in compliance with the applicable TRS mandatory minimum standards.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene H. Dortch,

Secretary.