92846 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 227 / Monday, November 25, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS 

COMMISSION 

47 CFR Part 36 and 54 

[WC Docket Nos. 10–90, 23–328, 14–58, 09– 

197; WT Docket No. 10–208; FCC 23–87; 

FR ID 262480] 

Connect America Fund, Alaska 

Connect Fund, ETC Annual Reports 

and Certifications, 

Telecommunications Carriers Eligible 

To Receive Universal Service Support, 

Universal Service Reform—Mobility 

Fund 

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 Connect America Fund 

contained in the Commission’s Connect 

America Fund Order (Order) published 

April 10, 2024, WC Docket No. 10–90 et 

al., FCC 23–87. This document is 

consistent with the Order, which stated 

that the Commission would publish a 

document in the Federal Register 

announcing the effective date of the 

revised information collection 

requirement. 

DATES: The amendments to §§ 36.4 

(amendatory instruction 2), 54.903 

(amendatory instruction 18), and the 

removal and reservation of 54.1306 

(amendatory instruction 22), published 

at 89 FR 25147, on April 10, 2024, are 

effective November 25, 2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jesse Jachman, Wireline Competition 

Bureau at (202) 418–7400 or TTY (202) 

418–0484. For additional information 

concerning the Paperwork Reduction 

Act information collection requirements 

contact Nicole Ongele at (202) 418–2991 

or via email at Nicole.Ongele@fcc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Commission submitted revised 

information collection requirements for 

review and approval by OMB, as 

required by the Paperwork Reduction 

Act (PRA) of 1995, on April 10, 2024. 

OMB approved the revised information 

collection requirements on October 16, 

2024. The information collection 

requirements are contained in the 

Commission’s Connect America Fund 

Order, FCC 23–87, published at 89 FR 

25147, April 10, 2024. The OMB Control 

Number is 3060–0233. The Commission 

publishes this document as an 

announcement of the effective date of 

the rules published on April 10, 2024. 

If you have any comments on the 

burden estimates listed in the following, 

or how the Commission can improve the 

collections and reduce any burdens 

caused thereby, please contact Nicole 

Ongele, Federal Communications 

Commission, 45 L Street NE, 

Washington, DC 20554. Please include 

the OMB Control Number, 3060–0233, 

in your correspondence. The 

Commission will also accept your 

comments via email at PRA@fcc.gov. To 

request materials in accessible formats 

for people with disabilities (Braille, 

large print, electronic files, audio 

format), send an email to fcc504@fcc.gov 

or call the Consumer and Governmental 

Affairs Bureau at (202) 418–0530 

(voice). 

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 

October 16, 2024, for the amendments to 

47 CFR 36.4,54.903 and the removal and 

reservation of 47 CFR 54.1306 published 

at 89 FR 25147, April 10, 2024. 

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 

3060–0233. 

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: 3060–0233. 

OMB Approval Date: October 16, 

2024. 

OMB Expiration Date: October 31, 

2027. 

Title: Rate-of-Return Carrier Universal 

Service Reporting Requirements; Waiver 

of Local Exchange Carrier Study Area 

Boundary Changes. 

Form Number: FCC Form 507, FCC 

Form 508 and FCC Form 509. 

Type of Review: Revision of a 

currently approved collection. 

Respondents: Business or other forprofit entities, not-for-profit institutions. 

Number of Respondents and 

Responses: 1,098 respondents; 3,627 

responses. 

Estimated Time per Response: 1 

hours–22 hours. 

Frequency of Response: Annual 

reporting requirements. 

Obligation to Respond: Required to 

obtain or retain benefits. Statutory 

authority for this information collection 

is contained in 47 U.S.C. 151–154, 214, 

218–220, 221(c), 254, and 303(r). 

Total Annual Burden: 34,404 hours. 

Total Annual Cost(s): No Cost. 

Needs and Uses: In order to determine 

which carriers are entitled to universal 

service support, all rate-of-return 

regulated (rate-of-return) incumbent 

local exchange carriers (LECs) must 

provide the National Exchange Carrier 

Association (NECA) with the loop cost 

and loop count data required by section 

54.1305 for each of its study areas and, 

if applicable, for each wire center as that 

term is defined in 47 CFR part 54. See 

47 CFR 54.1305, 54.5. The loop cost and 

loop count information is to be filed 

annually with NECA by July 31st of 

each year. See 47 CFR 54.1305. Pursuant 

to section 54.1307, the information filed 

on July 31st of each year will be used 

to calculate universal service support 

for each study area and is filed by NECA 

with the Commission on October 1 of 

each year. See 47 CFR 54.1307. An 

incumbent LEC is defined as a carrier 

that meets the definition of ‘‘incumbent 

local exchange carrier’’ in section 51.5 

of the Commission’s rules. See 47 CFR 

51.5. 

In March 2016, the Commission 

adopted the Rate-of-Return Reform 

Order to continue modernizing the 

universal service support mechanisms 

for rate-of-return carriers. Connect 

America Fund et al., Report and Order 

et al., 31 FCC Rcd 3087 (2016) (Rate-ofReturn Reform Order). The Rate-ofReturn Reform Order replaced the 

Interstate Common Line Support (ICLS) 

mechanism with the Connect America 

Fund—Broadband Loop Support (CAF– 

BLS) mechanism. Id. at 3117–57, paras. 

80–187. While ICLS supported only 

lines used to provide traditional voice 

service (including voice service bundled 

with broadband service), CAF–BLS also 

supports consumer broadband-only 

loops. Id. at 3157–62, paras. 188–204. 

For the purposes of calculating and 

monitoring CAF–BLS, rate-of-return 

carriers that receive CAF–BLS must file 

common line and consumer broadbandonly loop counts on FCC Form 507, 

forecasted common line and consumer 

broadband-only loop costs and revenues 

on FCC Form 508, and actual common 

line and consumer broadband-only loop 

costs and revenues on FCC Form 509. 

See 47 CFR 54.903(a). 

In December 2018, the Commission 

adopted the December 2018 Rate-ofReturn Reform Order to require rate-ofreturn carriers that receive Alternative 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 227 / Monday, November 25, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 92847 

1See Homeland Security Acquisition Regulation, 

Rescinding Reserve Officer Training Corps and 

Military Recruiting on Campus Clause (HSAR Case 

2024–001), 89 FR 61384 (Jul. 31, 2024). 

2See Department of Homeland Security 

Acquisition Regulation, 68 FR 67868 (Dec. 4, 2003). 

3See Revision of Department of Homeland 

Security Acquisition Regulation, 71 FR 25759 (May 

2, 2006). 

4See 85 FR 67619 (Oct. 23, 2020). 

Connect American Model (A–CAM) or 

Alaska Plan support to file line count 

data on FCC Form 507 as a condition of 

high-cost support. Connect America 

Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10–90 et al., 

Report and Order, Further Notice of 

Proposed Rulemaking and Order on 

Reconsideration, 33 FCC Rcd 11893 

(2018) (2018 Rate-of-Return Reform 

Order). Historically, all rate-of-return 

carriers that received CAF–BLS or, prior 

to that, ICLS, were required to file line 

count data on FCC Form 507 as a 

condition of that support but Rate-ofreturn carriers that had elected to 

receive A–CAM I, A–CAM II, or Alaska 

Plan instead were not. Id. at 11937, 

para. 148. In order to restore a data set 

that the Commission relied on to 

evaluate the effectiveness of its highcost universal service programs, the 

Commission revised its rules in that 

Order to require all rate-of-return 

carriers to file that data. See id. at 

11937, para. 51. While carriers receiving 

CAF–BLS must file the line count data 

on March 31 for line counts as of the 

prior December 31, the A–CAM I, A– 

CAM II, and Alaska Plan carriers will be 

required to file on July 1 of each year 

to coincide with other existing 

requirements in OMB Control No. 3060– 

0986. 47 CFR 54.903(a)(1), 54.313(f)(5). 

On October 20, 2023, the Commission 

made changes to rate-of-return reporting 

rules by eliminating optional 

unseparated loop cost data quarterly 

updates. Connect America Fund et al., 

WC Docket No. 10–90 et al. WT Docket 

No. 10–208, Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking and Report and Order, FCC 

23–87 at 79–80, paras. 181–82 (Oct. 20, 

2023). In addition, the Commission 

amended section 36.4 of the 

Commission’s rules, 47 CFR 36.4, to 

require local exchange carriers seeking a 

change in study area boundaries to 

submit a petition for waiver of these 

boundary changes notwithstanding any 

prior exemptions from such waiver 

requests including, but not limited to, 

when a company is combining 

previously unserved territory with one 

of its study areas or a holding company 

is consolidating existing study areas 

within the same state. See id. at 176– 

180, paras. 77–79. 

Federal Communications Commission. 

Marlene Dortch, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2024–27481 Filed 11–22–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

48 CFR Parts 3009 and 3052 

[Docket No. DHS–2024–0023] 

RIN 1601–AB14 

Homeland Security Acquisition 

Regulation, Rescinding Reserve 

Officer Training Corps and Military 

Recruiting on Campus Clause (HSAR 

Case 2024–001) 

AGENCY: Office of the Chief Procurement 

Officer, Department of Homeland 

Security (DHS). 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: DHS is issuing a final rule to 

amend the Homeland Security 

Acquisition Regulation (HSAR) to 

remove and reserve an HSAR clause and 

subpart. These provisions contain 

regulatory requirements, which 

prohibits the award of certain Federal 

contracts to institutions of higher 

education that prohibit Reserve Officer 

Training Corps units or military 

recruiting on campus. These HSAR 

provisions are no longer needed in light 

of amendments made in the Federal 

Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which 

DHS has adhered to since December 

2020. 

DATES: This final rule is effective 

December 26, 2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Ellen Murray, Procurement Analyst, 

DHS, Office of the Chief Procurement 

Officer, Acquisition Policy and 

Legislation at (202) 282–8000 or email 

HSAR@hq.dhs.gov. When using email, 

include HSAR Case 2024–001 in the 

‘‘Subject’’ line. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents for Preamble 

I. Background 

II. Discussion of Comments and the Final 

Rule 

III. Regulatory Analyses 

A. Executive Orders 12866, 13563, and 

14094 

B. Regulatory Flexibility Act 

C. Paperwork Reduction Act 

D. National Environmental Policy Act 

I. Background 

In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 

(NPRM), published in the Federal 

Register on July 31, 2024, DHS 

proposed to amend certain Homeland 

Security Acquisition Regulation (HSAR) 

provisions prohibiting the award of 

certain Federal contracts to institutions 

of higher education that prohibit 

Reserve Officer Training Corps units or 

military recruiting on campus.1

As explained in the NPRM, on 

December 4, 2003, DHS published an 

interim final rule to establish the 

HSAR.2 On May 2, 2006, DHS published 

a final rule, which adopted the interim 

rule with some changes in response to 

public comment (HSAR final rule).3 The 

HSAR final rule finalized, among other 

provisions, HSAR clause 3052.209–71, 

Reserve Officer Training Corps and 

Military Recruiting on Campus (48 CFR 

3052.209–71). This prohibited the 

award of certain Federal contracts to 

institutions of higher education that 

prohibit Reserve Officer Training Corps 

units or military recruiting on campus. 

HSAR clause 3052.209–71 required 

certain contractors to represent at time 

of contract award that it did not have 

and agree that during performance of a 

contract to not adopt, any policy or 

practice that prohibits or prevents the 

maintenance, establishment, or 

operation of a Senior Reserve Officer 

Training Corps (ROTC) unit at the 

institution; students at that institution 

from enrolling in a unit of the Senior 

ROTC at another institution of higher 

education; the Secretary of a military 

department or Secretary of Homeland 

Security from gaining access to 

campuses, or students on campuses, for 

military recruiting purposes; or access 

by military recruiters, for the purposes 

of military recruiting, to certain 

information pertaining to students 

enrolled at the institution. The clause 

also listed the two statutory exceptions 

to the prohibition concerning the award 

of a contract found in 10 U.S.C. 983(c). 

On October 23, 2020, the Department 

of Defense (DoD), the General Services 

Administration (GSA), and National 

Aeronautics and Space Administration 

(NASA) jointly issued a final rule 

entitled Federal Acquisition Regulation 

(FAR) Reserve Officer Training Corps 

and Military Recruiting on Campus 

(‘‘FAR final rule’’).4 The FAR final rule, 

among other amendments, codified for 

all affected Federal agencies a 

requirement to include, where 

applicable, a clause that prohibits the 

award of certain Federal contracts to 

institutions of higher education that 


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