01-16651. Jurisdictional Separations Reform and Referral to the Federal-State Joint Board

AGENCY:

Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION:

Final rule; announcement of effective date.

SUMMARY:

This document announces the effective date of the amendments to our rules for implementing a five-year interim “Freeze” of the jurisdictional separations process in order to simplify and stabilize the separations process pending more comprehensive separations reform. We believe these modifications will bring simplification and regulatory certainty to the separations process in a time of rapid market and technology changes, until the comprehensive reform is completed. The Report and Order in CC Docket No. 80-286 was published in the Federal Register on June 21, 2001. One of the rules contained information collection requirements.

DATES:

Section 36.3(b), published at 66 FR 33202, June 21, 2001, was approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on June 22, 2001 and became effective on June 22, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Eric Einhorn or Andrew Firth, Common Carrier Bureau, Accounting Policy Division, [phone], TTY: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On May 21, 2001, the Commission released a Report and Order in CC Docket No. 80-286 (Order), 66 FR 33202, June 21, 2001, that took action in response to the Federal-State Joint Board on Jurisdictional Separations' recommended reforms to the jurisdictional separations process codified at part 36 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 36 et seq., as a means to simplify and stabilize the separations process pending more comprehensive reform. Specifically, pending further reform, the Commission adopts a five-year freeze of all part 36 category relationships and jurisdictional allocation factors for price cap incumbent local exchange carriers, and a freeze of all allocation factors for rate-of-return incumbent local exchange carriers. The Commission believes these modifications will bring simplification and regulatory certainty to the separations process in a time of rapid market and technology changes, until comprehensive reform is completed. A summary of the Order was published in the Federal Register. See 66 FR 33202, June 21, 2001. One of the rules contained information collection requirements that required OMB approval. On June 22, 2001, OMB approved the information collections. See OMB No. 3060-0988. The rule amendments adopted by the Commission in the Order took effect on June 22, 2001. This publication satisfies the statement in the Order that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of that rule.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 36

• Jurisdictional separations
• Reporting and recordkeeping requirements
• Telecommunications
• Telephone

Federal Communications Commission.

Magalie Roman Salas,

Secretary.