Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission

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 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collections. 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 FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid 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 PRA comments should be submitted on or before December 19, 2016. 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 Cathy Williams, FCC, via email PRA@fcc.gov and to Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information about the information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control No.: 3060-xxxx.

Title: Sections 80.233, Technical requirements for Automatic Identification System Search and Rescue Transmitter (AIS-SART) equipment, 80.1061 Special requirements for 406.0-406.1 MHz EPIRB stations, 95.1402 Special requirements for 406 MHz PLBs, 95.1403 Special Requirements for Maritime Survivor Locating Devices.

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: New collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 80 respondents and 80 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour.

Frequency of Response: Third party disclosure requirement and on occasion reporting requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. Statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in Sections 4, 303, 48 Stat. 1066, 1082, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 154, 303 unless otherwise noted.

Total Annual Burden: 80 hours.

Annual Cost Burden: No cost.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for confidentiality with this information collection.

Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) after this 60 day comment period in order to obtain the full three year clearance from them.

The information collections contained in these rule sections require manufacturers of certain emergency radio beacons to include supplemental information with their equipment certification application which are due to the I formation collection requirements which were adopted by the Federal Communications Commission in FCC 16-119 on August 30, 2016. Manufacturers of Automatic Identification System Search and Rescue Transmitters (AIS-SARTS), 406 MHz Emergency Position Indicating RadioBeacons (EPRIBs) and Maritime Survivor Locating Device (MSLD) must provide a copy of letter from the U.S. Coast Guard stating their devices satisfies technical requirements specified in the IEC 61097-17 technical standard for AIS-SARTs, or Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services (RTCM) Standard 11000 for 406 MHz EPIRBs, or that RTCM Standard 11901 for MSLDs. They must also provide a copy or the technical test data, and the instruction manual(s). For 406 MHz PLBs manufacturers must include documentation from COSPAS/SARSAT recognized test facility that the PLB satisfies the technical requirements specified in COSPAS-SARSAT Standard C/S T.001 and COSPAS-SARSAT Standard C/S T.007 standards and documentation from an independent test facility stating that the PLB complies RTCM Standard 11010.2. The information is used by Telecommunications Certification Bodies (TCBs) to determine if the devices meets the necessary international technical standards and insure compliance with applicable rules. If this information were not available, operation of marine safety equipment could be hindered threatening the ability of rescue personnel to locate vessels in distress.