**Before the**

**Federal Communications Commission**

**Washington, D.C. 20554**

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| In the Matter of                 | *  | WC Docket No. 02-60          |
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| Rural Health Care Support        | ** |                              |
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**ORDER ON RECONSIDERATION**

**Adopted: January 14, 2004 Released: January 16, 2004**

By the Commission:

1.  In this order, we reconsider, on our own motion,[^1] the requirement
    in section 54.619(a)(4) of the Commission's rules that the Universal
    Service Administrative Company (USAC) submit to the Commission an
    annual report on the rural health care program on the first business
    day in May of each year.[^2] The Commission recently made a number
    of changes to the rural health care program to improve the program's
    effectiveness. The Commission, among other things, expanded the
    entities eligible to participate in the program, added Internet
    access to the list of services eligible for discounts, and modified
    the way in which telecommunications service discounts are
    calculated.[^3] Although the Commission made other changes to
    section 54.619 in this recent order, it made no changes to section
    54.619(a)(4). Section 54.702(g) already requires USAC to submit an
    annual report detailing its activities and information for each of
    the support mechanisms, including the rural health care program, to
    the Commission by March 31 of each year.[^4] We do not believe it
    necessary for USAC to submit two separate annual reports to the
    Commission on the rural health care program. Therefore, we delete
    section 54.619(a)(4) of our rules.[^5]

2.  Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to sections 1-4, 201-202, 254,
    and 405 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. §§
    151-154, 201-202, 254, and 405 and section 1.108 of the Commission's
    rules, 47 C.F.R. § 1.108, this ORDER ON RECONSIDERATION is ADOPTED.

3.  IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Part 54 of the Commission's rules, 47
    C.F.R. § 54.619(a)(4), IS AMENDED, as set forth in Appendix A
    attached hereto, effective thirty (30) days after the publication of
    this ORDER ON RECONSIDERATION in the Federal Register.

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Marlene H. Dortch

Secretary

**APPENDIX A**

**Final Rules**

For the reasons discussed above, the Federal Communications Commission
amends 47 C.F.R. Part 54 as follows:

**[PART 54 - UNIVERSAL SERVICE]{.underline}**

1\. Amend § 54.619 by deleting paragraph (a)(4).

[^1]: *See* 47 C.F.R. § 1.108.

[^2]: *See* 47 C.F.R. § 54.619(a)(4).

[^3]: *Rural Health Care Support Mechanism*, WC Docket No. 02-60, Report
    and Order, Order on Reconsideration, and Further Notice of Proposed
    Rulemaking, 18 FCC Rcd 24546 (2003). This order was published in the
    Federal Register on December 24, 2003. *See* 68 Fed.Reg. 74492
    (2003).

[^4]: 47 C.F.R. § 54.702(g).

[^5]: *See* Appendix A.