Modernizing the E-Rate Program for Schools and Libraries

AGENCY:

Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION:

Final rule; announcement of effective date.

SUMMARY:

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, an information collection associated with the rules for the Universal Service Schools and Libraries program contained in the Commission's Modernizing the E-Rate Program for Schools and Libraries Report and Order (Category Two Order), FCC 19-117. This document is consistent with the Category Two Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of the new information collection requirements.

DATES:

The amendment to § 54.513(d) published at 84 FR 70026, December 20, 2019, is effective June 25, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kate Dumouchel, Wireline Competition Bureau at (202) 418-7400 or via email: Kate.Dumouchel@fcc.gov. For additional information concerning the Paperwork Reduction Act information collection requirements contact Nicole Ongele at (202) 418-2991 or via email: Nicole.Ongele@fcc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Commission made a submission for non-substantive changes to an existing collection for review and approval by OMB, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, on June 7, 2021, which were approved by the OMB on June 8, 2021. The information collection requirements are contained in the Commission's Category Two Order, FCC 19-117, published at 84 FR 70026, December 20, 2019. The OMB Control Number is 3060-0853. The Commission publishes this document as an announcement of the effective date of the rules published December 20, 2019. If you have any comments on the burden estimates listed below, or how the Commission can improve the collections and reduce any burdens caused thereby, please contact Nicole Ongele, Federal Communications Commission, 45 L St., NE, Washington, DC 20554. Please include the OMB Control Number, 3060-0853, in your correspondence. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible in order to allow the agency to satisfy such requests whenever possible. Send an email to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530.

Synopsis

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3507), the Commission is notifying the public that it received OMB approval on June 8, 2021, for the information collection requirements contained in 47 CFR 54.513(d), published at 84 FR 70026, December 20, 2019. Under 5 CFR part 1320, an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a current, valid OMB Control Number.

No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act that does not display a current, valid OMB Control Number. The OMB Control Number is 3060-0853.

The foregoing notice is required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13, October 1, 1995, and 44 U.S.C. 3507.

The total annual reporting burdens and costs for the respondents are as follows:

OMB Control Number: 3060-0853. OMB Approval Date: June 8, 2021.

OMB Expiration Date: December 31, 2022.

Title: Certification by Administrative Authority to Billed Entity Compliance with the Children's internet Protection Act Form, FCC Form 479; Receipt of Service Confirmation and Certification of Compliance with the Children's internet Protection Act Form, FCC Form 486; and Funding Commitment and Adjustment Request Form, FCC Form 500.

Form Numbers: FCC Forms 479, 486 and 500.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit institutions, and state, local or tribal government.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 58,500 respondents, 58,500 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour for FCC Form 479, 1 hour for FCC Form 486, 1 hour for FCC Form 500, and .75 hours for maintaining and updating the internet Safety Policy.

Frequency of Response: On occasion and annual reporting requirements, recordkeeping requirements.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 1, 4(i), 4(j), 201-205, 214, 254, 312(d), 312(f), 403 and 503(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3), 601-612; 15 U.S.C. 1, 632; 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4); 47 U.S.C. 1, 4(i), 4(j), 201-205, 214, 254, 312(d), 312(f), 403, 503(b).

Total Annual Burden: 53,575 hours.

Total Annual Cost: No cost.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents concerning this information collection. However, respondents may request materials or information submitted to the Commission or the Administrator be withheld from public inspection under 47 CFR 0.459 of the FCC's rules.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Needs and Uses: The requirements contained herein are necessary to implement the Congressional mandate for universal service. It provides the Commission and USAC with the necessary information to administer the E-Rate program, determine the amount of support entities seeking funding are eligible to receive, to determine if entities are complying with the Commission's rules, and to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. The information will also allow the Commission to evaluate the extent to which the E-Rate program is meeting the statutory objectives specified in section 254 of the 1996 Act, the Commission's own performance goals set in the 2014 First E-Rate Order, and to evaluate the need and feasibility for any future revisions to program rules.

Further, the purpose of this information is to ensure that schools and libraries that are eligible to receive discounted internet Access services (Category One), and Broadband Internal Connections, Managed Internal Broadband Services, and Basic Maintenance of Broadband Internal Connections (Basic Maintenance) (known together as Category Two Services) have in place internet safety policies. Schools and libraries receiving these services must certify, by completing a FCC Form 486 (Receipt of Service Confirmation and Certification of Compliance with the Children's internet Protection Act), that respondents are enforcing a policy of internet safety and enforcing the operation of a technology prevention measure. Also, respondents who received a Funding Commitment Decision Letter indicating services eligible for universal service funding must file FCC Form 486 to indicate their service start date and to start the payment process. In addition, all members of a consortium must submit signed certifications to the Billed Entity of their consortium using a FCC Form 479; Certification by Administrative Authority to Billed Entity of Compliance with Children's internet Protection Act, in language consistent with the certifications adopted for the FCC Form 486.

Consortia must, in turn, certify collection of the FCC Forms 479 on the FCC Form 486. FCC Form 500 is used by E-rate participants to make adjustments to previously filed forms, such as changing the contract expiration date filed with the FCC Form 471, changing the funding year service start date filed with the FCC Form 486, cancelling or reducing the amount of funding commitments, requesting extensions of the deadline for nonrecurring services, and notifying USAC of equipment transfers.