E8-13526. Public Information Collection Requirement Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval, Comments Requested

June 5, 2008.

SUMMARY:

The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, 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 No. 104-13. An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. Pursuant to the PRA, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information that does not display a valid control number. Comments are requested concerning (a) 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; (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 July 16, 2008. 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, Office of Management and Budget, via Internet at [e-mail] or via fax at [phone]; and to Cathy Williams, Federal Communications Commission, Room 1-C823, 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554, or via Internet at [e-mail] and/or [e-mail]. Include in the comments the OMB control number of the collection as shown in the “Supplementary Information” section below or, if there is no OMB control number, the Title as shown in the “Supplementary Information” section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information or copies of the information collection, contact Cathy Williams at 202-418-2918, or via Internet at [e-mail], and/or [e-mail]. 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 you want to review (or its Title if there is no OMB control number) and then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC submission to OMB will be displayed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 3060-0463.

Title: Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities, Report and Order and Declaratory Ruling, CG Docket No. 03-123, FCC 07-186.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; State, local or tribal government.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 5,045 respondents; 5,211 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 10-15 hours.

Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirement; Recordkeeping requirement; Third Party Disclosure.

Total Annual Burden: 27,412 hours.

Total Annual Cost: None.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefit. The statutory authority can be found at section 225 of the Communications Act, 47 U.S.C. 225. The law was enacted on July 26, 1990, as Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Public Law 101-336, 104 Stat. 327.

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

Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Needs and Uses: On November 19, 2007, the Commission released the Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities, Report and Order and Declaratory Ruling (2007 TRS Cost Recovery Order), CG Docket No. 03-123, FCC 07-186, adopting (1) A new cost recovery methodology for interstate traditional Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) and interstate Speech-to-Speech (STS) based on the Muliti-state Average Rate Structure (MARS) plan proposed by Hamilton Relay, Inc., (2) a new cost recovery methodology for interstate captioned telephone service (CTS) and interstate and intrastate Internet-Protocol (IP) Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) based on the MARS plan, (3) a cost recovery methodology for IP Relay based on price caps, and (4) a cost recovery methodology for Video Relay Services (VRS) that adopts tiered rates based on call volume. The 2007 TRS Cost Recovery Order also clarifies the nature and extent that certain categories of costs are compensable from the Interstate TRS Fund (Fund), and addresses certain issues concerning the management and oversight of the Fund, including financial incentives offered to consumers to make relay calls and the role of the Interstate TRS Fund Advisory Council.

The 2007 TRS Cost Recovery Order establishes reporting requirements associated with the MARS plan cost recovery methodology for compensation from the Fund. Specifically, TRS providers must submit to the Fund administrator the following information annually, on a per-state basis, regarding the previous calendar year: (1) The per-minute compensation rate(s) for intrastate traditional TRS, STS and CTS, (2) whether the rate applies to session minutes or conversation minutes, (3) the number of intrastate session minutes for traditional TRS, STS and CTS, and (4) the number of intrastate conversation minutes for traditional TRS, STS, and CTS. Also, STS providers must file a report annually with the Fund administrator and the Commission on their specific outreach efforts directly attributable to the additional compensation approved by the Commission for STS outreach.

In the 2007 TRS Cost Recovery Order, the Commission has assessed the effects of imposing the submission of rate data, and has found that there is no increased administrative burden on businesses with fewer than 25 employees. The Commission recognizes that the required rate data is presently available with the states and the providers of interstate traditional TRS, interstate STS, and interstate CTS, thereby no additional step is required to produce such data. The Commission therefore believes that the submission of the rate data does not increase an administrative burden on businesses.

 Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene H. Dortch,

Secretary.