The Federal Communications Commission
(Commission) seeks emergency processing under the Paperwork
Reduction Act (PRA), 5 C.F.R. § 1320.13, for a one-time information
collection. The Commission is requesting approval from the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) for this information collection no
later than 37 days after it is received at OMB. The Commission
established a new one-time information collection associated in the
Review of International Section 214 Authorizations to Assess
Evolving National Security, Law Enforcement, Foreign Policy, and
Trade Policy Risks, IB Docket No. 23-119; Amendment of the Schedule
of Application Fees Set Forth in Sections 1.1102 through 1.1109 of
the Commission’s Rules, MD Docket No. 23-134, Order and Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking (Evolving Risks Order and Notice). The other
requirements adopted in the Evolving Risks Order and Notice do not
include information collections or are part of other information
collections for which the Commission will request separate
approval. The Commission is submitting this non-substantive change
request to the Office of Management and Budget for review and
approval. Please see the justification behind the change request
submission.
On June 6, 2023, the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved a request for an
emergency PRA approval in Control No. 3060-1308, Reporting On
Foreign Ownership of International Section 214 Authorization
Holders. The collection expires on December 31, 2023. Through this
collection, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) will
conduct a one-time information collection through an online form.
The one-time information request was adopted by the Federal
Communications Commission (Commission) in Review of International
Section 214 Authorizations to Assess Evolving National Security,
Law Enforcement, Foreign Policy, and Trade Policy Risks, IB Docket
No. 23-119; Amendment of the Schedule of Application Fees Set Forth
in Sections 1.1102 through 1.1109 of the Commission’s Rules, MD
Docket No. 23-134, Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
(Evolving Risks Order and Notice), FCC 23-28. Given unforeseen
technical challenges with the creation of the form on a new
software application, the Commission requests an emergency
extension. The Commission seeks OMB approval for a six-month
emergency extension of this one-time information collection, from
January 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024. The collection of this
information is a necessary first step for the Commission to make an
informed decision concerning the proposed rules and procedures in
the Evolving Risks Order and Notice. The Commission has incomplete
and outdated information about international section 214
authorization holders. Importantly, we do not have up-to-date
information on authorized carriers’ current foreign ownership. The
information derived from this one-time collection will allow the
Commission to determine the number of active authorization holders
and whether they have reportable foreign ownership. In addition,
the information will enable the Commission to identify those
authorization holders that are no longer in business or are in
business but discontinued service under their international section
214 authority. Overall, the information will assist the Commission
in developing a timely and effective process for prioritizing the
review of international section 214 authorizations that are most
likely to raise national security, law enforcement, foreign policy,
and/or trade policy concerns. We request an additional six-month
emergency extension for several reasons. First, an emergency
extension would enable the collection to remain active while the
Commission finalizes the one-time information collection online
form. The Commission is using, for this purpose, a new software
application purchased by the Commission this year and is resolving
several unexpected technology issues that arose during creation of
the online form. The Commission will resolve these technology
issues as soon as practicable, ultimately improving the user
experience, mitigating the burdens on international section 214
authorization holders, and ensuring the Commission collects the
required information. Second, a six-month emergency extension would
enable the collection to remain active in the event of a lapse in
annual appropriations. Finally, an emergency extension would
facilitate responsiveness by allowing the Commission to schedule a
filing window that does not coincide with the holiday season.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Non-Substantive Change Request - One-Time Information Collection (Nov. 2023).docx
Emergency Justification Letter (FCC 23-28).pdf
Reporting On Foreign Ownership of International Section 214 Authorization Holders