48280 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 178 / Monday, September 15, 1997 / Notices

1Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service,

Report and Order, CC Docket No. 96–45, FCC 97–

157 (released May 8, 1997) 62 FR 32862 (June 17,

1997).

2 Although the text of the Order discusses the

trigger mechanism only with respect to the full

$2.25 billion cap per funding year, we note that

§ 54.507(g) of the Commission’s rules states that the

trigger mechanism applies when only $250 million

remains in any funding year, which includes the

period from January 1, 1998 through June 30, 1998.

3 U.S. Department of Education, Institute of

Museum and Library Services, National

Telecommunications and Information

Administration, Rural Utilities Service, Education

and Library Networks, Report by the E-Rate

Implementation Working Group (July 31, 1997)

(Working Group Report).

SAFEGUARDS:

All records are maintained in secured

areas with restricted access or are

accessed by unique passwords or log-in

procedures. Only EPA personnel and

agency contractors with a need-to-know

in order to perform their duties may

access the information.

RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:

File is cumulative and is maintained

indefinitely.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:

Director, Peer Review Division,

National Center for Environmental

Research and Quality Assurance Mail

(Code 8703), USEPA, 401 M St., SW,

Washington, DC 20460.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:

Contact the system manager at the

above address. You may be required to

provide information to verify your

identity.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURE:

Same as ‘‘Notification Procedure,’’

above. In addition, please specify the

record you wish to access.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:

Same as ‘‘Notification Procedure,’’

above. In addition, please specify the

record you wish corrected, the

requested correction, and justification

for the correction.

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:

Information is obtained from the

individual reviewers and EPA and other

Federal agency personnel.

SYSTEMS EXEMPTED FROM CERTAIN PROVISIONS

OF THE ACT:

None.

[FR Doc. 97–24413 Filed 9–12–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50P

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

[CC Docket 96–45; DA 97–1957]

Common Carrier Bureau Seeks

Comment on Universal Service

Support Distribution Options for

Schools, Libraries, and Rural Health

Care Providers

Released: September 10, 1997.

Potential for Exhaustion of Funds

On May 8, 1997, the Federal

Communications Commission

(Commission) released a Report and

Order on Universal Service CC Docket

No. 96–45, FCC 97–157 62 FR 32862

(June 17, 1997) (Order). 1 In the Order,

the Commission determined that funds

for eligible schools, libraries, and rural

health care providers will be distributed

on a first-come first-served basis

beginning January 1, 1998. The

Commission also established a $2.25

billion annual cap on universal service

support for schools and libraries and a

$400 million annual cap for rural health

care providers. Eligible schools and

libraries will be required to participate

in a competitive bidding process to

select their service providers and will be

permitted to submit funding requests

once they have made agreements for

specific eligible services. The

Administrator will commit funds based

on those agreements on a first-come

first-served basis until only $250

million in funds remains available.

Thereafter, a system of priorities will

govern the distribution of the remaining

$250 million to provide an opportunity

for only the most economically

disadvantaged schools and libraries to

receive support. In light of the need to

implement the necessary administrative

processes, funding for the period

beginning January 1, 1998 and ending

June 30, 1998 will be limited to $1

billion for schools and libraries.

Similarly, disbursement to rural health

care providers will be limited to $100

million in the first quarter of 1998.

In response to concerns expressed

about distributing support to schools,

libraries, and rural health care providers

on a first-come, first-serve basis, we seek

comment on the following issues:

(1) Whether a ‘‘window’’ period

should be established in which all

beneficiaries filing within that period

would be given equal priority. We seek

comment on the length of the period in

which any such window should remain

open and as to whether there should be

a ‘‘rolling’’ or ongoing series of

windows, e.g., a series of two-week

windows during which all beneficiaries

filing within that two-week period

would be given equal priority.

(2) Whether to clarify that the rules of

priority for distributing funds to schools

and libraries set forth in § 54.507 of the

Commission’s rules, 47 CFR 54.507,

apply to the $1 billion available

between January 1, 1998 through June

30, 1998. That is, if expenditures

between January 1, 1998 and June 30,

1998 reach the level where only $250

million remains before the $1 billion

cap is reached, the remaining funds will

be distributed in accordance with the

rules of priority. 2

(3) We also seek comment on whether

a mechanism to prioritize requests from

rural health care providers should be

adopted in the event that requests

exceed available funds. For example,

should a mechanism be established to

ensure that funds are distributed to rural

health care providers located in all

regions of the country? We seek

comment on whether such a mechanism

should be permanent or should apply

only in the first quarter of 1998, when

collection for rural health care is limited

to $100 million.

(4) We also seek comment on whether

other methods might ensure a broad and

fair distribution of funds, particularly at

the earliest stages of these support

programs.

Allocation of Aggregated Requests for

Funds

In the Order, the Commission held

that schools and libraries may apply for

funds on an individual basis, by school

district, by state, or by consortium. In

the event that a school district or a state

applies for support on behalf of its

schools, the school district or state may

compute the discounts on an individual

school basis or may compute an average

discount. The state or school district

shall strive to ensure that each school

receives the full benefit of the discount

to which it is entitled. On July 31, 1997,

the ‘‘E-Rate Implementation Working

Group,’’ comprised of the U.S.

Department of Education, Institute of

Museum and Library Services, National

Telecommunications and Information

Administration, Rural Utilities Service,

and Education and Library Network

Coalition, filed a report with the

Commission in CC Docket 96–45 in

response to the Commission’s request

for recommendations on certain issues

regarding universal service support for

schools and libraries. 3 The Working

Group Report proposes a method for

allocating support to individual

institutions that apply for funds on an

aggregated (e.g., statewide or

districtwide) basis. We seek comment

on that proposal. Copies of the report
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 178 / Monday, September 15, 1997 / Notices 48281

are available for review and copying at

the FCC Reference Center, Room 239,

1919 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.

20554 or on the Internet at www.ed.gov/

Technology.

Procedure for Filing

Comments should be filed in CC

Docket No. 96–45 on or before

September 25, 1997, and should include

the DA number shown on this Public

Notice. Pursuant to § 1.3 of the

Commission’s rules, 47 CFR 1.3, we find

good cause to waive § 1.415 (c) of the

Commission’s rules, 47 CFR 1.415,

providing for replies to original

comments. Dispensing with reply

comments is crucial due to the urgent

need to provide definitive guidance to

the schools, libraries, and rural health

care providers that are applying for

services supported by the universal

service support mechanisms currently

scheduled to begin by January 1, 1998.

Interested parties must file an original

and four copies of their comments with

the Office of Secretary, Federal

Communications Commission, Room

222, 1919 M Street, N.W., Washington,

D.C. 20554. Parties should send eight

copies of their comments to Sheryl

Todd, Universal Service Branch,

Accounts and Audits Division, Federal

Communications Commission, 2100 M

St, N.W., 8th Floor, Washington, D.C.

20554. Parties should send one copy of

their comments to the Commission’s

copy contractor, International

Transcription Service, 1231 20th Street,

N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.

Pursuant to § 1.1206 of the

Commission’s Rules, 47 CFR 1.1206,

this proceeding will be conducted as a

permit-but-disclose proceeding in

which ex parte communications are

permitted subject to disclosure.

For further information, please

contact: Richard D. Smith or Lori

Wright, Common Carrier Bureau, (202)

418–7400.

Federal Communications Commission.

William F. Caton,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–24554 Filed 9–12–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–U

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

Public Information Collection

Approved by Office of Management

and Budget

September 10, 1997.

The Federal Communications

Commission (FCC) has received Office

of Management and Budget (OMB)

approval for the following public

information collection pursuant to the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub.

L. 96–511. An agency may not conduct

or sponsor a collection of information

unless it displays a currently valid

control number. Not withstanding any

other provisions of law, no person shall

be subject to any penalty for failing to

comply with a collection of information

subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act

(PRA) that does not display a valid

control number. Questions concerning

the OMB control numbers and

expiration dates should be directed to

Judy Boley, Federal Communications

Commission, (202) 418–0214.

Federal Communications Commission

OMB Control No.: 3060–0319.

Expiration Date: 9/30/2000.

Title: Application for Assignment of

Authorization or Consent to Tansfer of

Control of a Licensee.

Form No.: 490.

Estimated Annual Burden: 32,063

annual hour; average .5–3 hours per

respondent; 28,500 respondents.

Description: FCC Form 490 is filed to

solicit Commission approval to assign a

radio station authorization to another

party or to transfer control of a licensee.

The requested information is used by

the Commission in carrying out its

duties set forth in section 308, 298 and

310 of the Communications Act. This

collection is being revised to account for

the changes proposed in the Fifth Notice

of Proposed Rulemaking, Use of the

220–222 MHz Band by the Private Land

Mobile Radio Service, the Commission

concluded that any holder of a Phase II

EA, Regional or nationwide 220 MHz

license will be permitted to partition

portions of its authorization. In this

collection the Commission also received

generic approval from OMB to use this

form in future disaggregation and

partitioning for a variety of spectrum

based services licensed by the

Commission. Specific Rules will be

adopted in Reports and Orders or by

Public Notice for each service subject to

disaggregation and partitioning.

OMB Control No.: 3060–0105.

Expiration Date: 9/30/2000.

Title: Licensee Qualification Report.

Form No.: FCC 430.

Estimated Annual Burden: 21,511

annual hours; .5–2 hours per

respondent; 24,583 respondents.

Description: FCC Form 430 enables

the Commission to determine whether

applicants are legally qualified to

become or remain common carrier

telecommunications licensees. Without

this information, the Commission would

be unable to fulfill its responsibilities

under the Communications Act to make

a finding as to the legal qualifications of

an applicant or licensee. To reduce

paperwork applicants may submit

letters in lieu of completing the FCC 430

in those cases where there is no change

to the required information. This

collection is being revised to account for

the changes proposed in the Fifth Notice

of Proposed Rulemaking, Use of the

220–222 MHz Band by the Private Land

Mobile Radio Service, the Commission

concluded that any holder of a Phase II

EA, Regional or nationwide 220 MHz

license will be permitted to partition

portions of its authorization. In the Fifth

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,

Redesignation of 27.5 GHz Frequency

Band, Establishing Rules and Policies

for LMDS the Commission proposed

that this form be used to complete the

disaggregation and partitioning of

LMDS. In this collection the

Commission received generic approval

from OMB to use this form in future

disaggregation and partitioning for a

variety of spectrum based services

licensed by the Commission. Specific

rules will be adopted in reports and

orders or by public notice for each

service subject to disaggregation and

partitioning.

Federal Communications Commission.

William F. Caton,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–24353 Filed 9–12–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

[CS Docket No. 97–55; FCC 97–321]

Commission Seeks Comment on

Revised Industry Proposal for Rating

Video Programming

AGENCY: Federal Communications

Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Commission has adopted

a public notice requesting comment on

the revised industry proposal for the

establishment of a voluntary video

programming rating system. The revised

industry proposal changes some of the

descriptors associated with the agebased categories of programming, and in

certain categories, adds symbols that

indicate the type of material included in

a particular program. In addition, the

revised proposal states that the icons

and associated content symbols will

appear for 15 seconds at the beginning

of all rated programming and that the

size of the icons will be increased.

According to the revised proposal, five

representatives of the advocacy

community will also be added to the