Justification for non-substantive change request

Justification for Non-Substantial Changes to Enhanced Geo-Targeted Wireless Emergency Alerts

OMB Control No. 3060-1269

The Commission is requesting approval for non-substantial changes to the methodology and surveys associated with the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) testing in collection 3060-1269.  The proposed updates to the collection’s methodology are designed to adapt the approved collection methodology for a nationwide test of WEA that will be conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the FCC, on August 11, 2021, at 2:20 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), with a backup date of August 25, 2021 at 2:20 p.m. EDT.¹ While the nationwide nature of the test will make it difficult for the Commission to identify how WEA performs outside of a targeted area, it will still enable the Commission to better understand WEA performance, particularly with respect to whether WEA alerts are delivered to 100% of the target geographic area specified by an alert originator. The Commission’s proposed updated methodology would continue to collect test results from a control group of respondents by using a voluntary live test survey, which would remain unchanged from the version approved by the Office of Management and Budget. The Commission proposes to update the control group by identifying volunteers affiliated with several organizations, rather than only two alert originations in specific geographic areas. The Commission also proposes to update the collection to reduce the burden on respondents by only collecting test results through the live test survey (i.e. eliminating the preliminary survey) and only collecting test results from the control group (i.e. not collect information from the general public). The updates to this collection will reduce the burden estimates and reporting and record keeping requirements that the Commission submitted (and which OMB subsequently approved) in 2020.

The Commission expects that these proposed modifications will enable it to use the nationwide WEA test to further its public safety mission by informing the public of the state of WEA delivery and identifying any current shortfalls in WEA performance that warrant additional efforts. Based on the results of the collection, the FCC may be interested in coordinating on future tests that specifically examine geotargeting accuracy outside of a targeted area. The Commission acknowledges that conducting any future collections of this nature will require a new or revised information collection.

1 Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Announces Nationwide Test of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alert System On August 11, 2021 and Opens the EAS Test Reporting System for Filings, Public Notice, DA 21-680 at 1 (PSHSB June 11, 2021).