Information Collection Being Submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval

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 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 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 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

DATES:

Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before May 28, 2014. 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 Nicholas A. Fraser, OMB, via email Nicholas_A._Fraser@omb.eop.gov <mailto:Nicholas_A._Fraser@omb.eop.gov>; and to Cathy Williams, FCC, via email PRA@fcc.gov <mailto:PRA@fcc.gov> and to Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov <mailto:Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov>. Include in the comments the Title as shown in the Supplementary Information section below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

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

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 Title of this ICR and then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC submission to OMB will be displayed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 3060-1053.

Title: Two-Line Captioned Telephone Order, IP Captioned Telephone Service Declaratory Ruling; and Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service Reform Order, CG Docket Nos. 13-24 and 03-123.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 153,605 respondents; 373,280 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: .25 hours (15 minutes) to 20 hours.

Frequency of Response: Annual, every five years, on-going, and one-time reporting requirements; Recordkeeping requirement; Third party disclosure requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for the information collection requirement is found at Sec. 225 [47 U.S.C. 225] Telecommunications Services for Hearing-Impaired Individuals; The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, (ADA), Public Law 101-336, 104 Stat. 327, 366-69, was enacted on July 26, 1990.

Total Annual Burden: 113,252 hours.

Total Annual Cost: $558,000.

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 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 Docket No. 98-67, published at 68 FR 55898, September 28, 2003. 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 do not apply to one-line captioned telephone 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 Docket No. 98-67 and CG Docket No. 03-123, published at 70 FR 54294, September 14, 2005, 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 telephone 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, published at 72 FR 6960, February 14, 2007, 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 (Fund) when offered in compliance with the applicable TRS mandatory minimum standards.

On August 26, 2013, the Commission issued a Report and Order, In the Matter of Misuse of Internet Protocol (IP) Captioned Telephone Service; Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities, CG Docket Nos. 13-24 and 03-123, published at 78 FR 53684, August 30, 2013, to address on an ongoing basis a dramatic spike in IP CTS usage that, if left unaddressed, would constitute a serious threat to the Fund. The Report and Order regulates practices relating to the marketing of IP CTS, imposes certain requirements for the provision of this service, and mandates registration and certification of IP CTS users. The Commission published a notice in the Federal Register pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d) on September 25, 2013 (78 FR 59025) seeking comments from the public on the information collection requirements contained in the supporting statement. Sorenson Communications, Inc. and its subsidiary CaptionCall, LLC (together, CaptionCall) filed comments on November 25, 2013 regarding the user registration and certification requirements adopted in the Report and Order as well as the certification, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements for hardship exemptions to the captions default-off requirement, also adopted in the Report and Order. CaptionCall did not comment on the collections adopted in the Report and Order. Subsequently, on December 6, 2013, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit stayed “the rule adopted by the Commission [in the Report and Order] prohibiting compensation to providers for minutes of use generated by equipment consumers received from providers for free or for less than $75.” Sorenson Communications, Inc. and CaptionCall, LLC v. FCC, Order, D.C. Cir., No. 13-1246, December 6, 2013, at 1-2. (For convenience, the Commission refers to the requirement subject to the stay as “the $75 equipment charge rule.”) Because the $75 equipment charge rule is related to the registration and certification requirements adopted in the Report and Order, the Commission will defer addressing in the supporting statement CaptionCall's comments on the user registration and certification requirements until after the court issues a decision resolving the $75 equipment charge rule on the merits. At this time, the Commission seeks OMB approval of (1) the requirements regarding the labeling of equipment, software and mobile applications; (2) the certification, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements for hardship exemptions to the captions default-off requirement; and (3) an additional information reporting requirement for IP CTS applicants that seek Commission certification to provide IP CTS and for IP CTS providers to provide assurance that they will not request or collect payment from the TRS Fund for service to consumers who do not satisfy the Commission's IP CTS registration and certification requirements. The Commission does not seek OMB approval of the user registration and certification requirements adopted in the Report and Order at this time.