2017-08954. Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to the Office of Management and Budget

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.

The Commission may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 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 OMB control number.

DATES:

Written comments should be submitted on or before June 2, 2017. 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, OMB, via email [e-mail]; and to Nicole Ongele, FCC, via email [e-mail] and to [e-mail]. Include in the comments the OMB control number as shown in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information or copies of the information collection, contact Nicole Ongele at [phone]. 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 and then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC submission to OMB will be displayed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), 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.

OMB Control Number: 3060-0589.

Title: FCC Remittance Advice Forms, FCC Form 159/159-C, 159-B, 159-E, and 159-W.

Form Number(s): FCC Form 159 Remittance Advice, 159-C Remittance Advice Continuation Sheet, 159-B Remittance Advice Bill for Collection, 159-E Remittance Voucher, and 159-W Interstate Telephone Service Provider Worksheet.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Businesses or other for-profit entities; individuals or households; not-for-profit institutions; and State, local, or tribal governments.

Number of Respondent and Responses: 102,405 respondents; 102,405 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 15 minutes (0.25 hours).

Frequency of Response: On occasion and annual reporting requirements; third party disclosure requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. Statutory Authority for this information collection is contained in the Communications Act of 1934, as amended; Section 8 (47 U.S.C. 158) for Application Fees; Section 9 (47 U.S.C. 159) for Regulatory Fees; Section 309(j) for Auction Fees; and the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, Public Law 104-134, Chapter 10, Section 31001.

Total Annual Burden: 25,601 hours.

Total Annual Cost: No Cost.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for confidentiality, except for personally identifiable information (PII) that individuals may submit on one or more of these forms. FCC Form 159 series instructions include a Privacy Act Statement. Furthermore, while the Commission is not requesting that the respondents submit confidential information to the FCC, respondents may request confidential treatment for information they believe to be confidential under 47 CFR Section 0.459 of the Commission's rules. The Commission has a system of records notice (SORN), FCC/OMD-25, Financial Operations Information System (FOIS), to cover any PII that individuals may submit. The SORN is posted on the FCC Privacy Web page at: https://www.fcc.gov/​general/​privacy-act-information#systems. Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA): A PIA is being drafted and posted on the FCC Privacy Web page at: https://www.fcc.gov/​general/​privacy-act-information#systems.

Needs and Uses: The FCC supports a series of remittance advice forms and a remittance voucher form that may be submitted in lieu of a remittance advice form when entities or individuals electronically submit a payment. A remittance advice form (or a remittance voucher form in lieu of an advice form) must accompany any payment to the Federal Communications Commission (e.g. payments for regulatory fees, application filing fees, auctions, fines, forfeitures, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) billings, or any other debt due to the FCC. Information is collected on these forms to ensure credit for full payment, to ensure entities and individuals receive any refunds due, to service public inquiries, and to comply with the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996. On August 12, 2013 the Commission released a Report and Order (R&O), In the Matter Assessment and Collection of Regulatory Fee for Fiscal Year 2013 and Procedures for Assessment and Collection of Regulatory Fees, MD Docket Nos. 13-140 and 12-201, FCC 13-110. In this R&O, the Commission requires that beginning in FY 2014, all regulatory fee payments be made electronically and that the Commission will no longer mail out initial regulatory fee assessments to CMRS providers.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene H. Dortch,

Secretary, Office of the Secretary.