Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 98 /Thursday, May 21, 1998 / Notices 27967

Number of Respondents: 668

respondents.

Estimated Time Per Response: 2 hours

per response (avg.).

Frequency of Response: On occasion

reporting requirement.

Total Annual Burden: 1336 hours.

Estimated Annual Reporting and

Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

Needs and Uses: The Commission has

a monitoring program which requires

the periodic reporting by telephone

companies and the National Exchange

Carrier Association (NECA). Certain

companies are required to submit

information on network usage and

growth. This information is generally

maintained by all companies that settle

on a cost basis. The information is being

collected for the Commission by NECA.

The information is used by the

Commission, Joint Board, Congress and

the general public to assess the impact

of several Joint Board decisions.

OMB Approval No.: 3060–0470.

Title: Computer III Remand

Proceeding: Bell Operating Company

Safeguards, and Tier 1 LEC Safeguards

(CC Docket No. 90–623) and

Implementation of Further Cost

Allocation Uniformity (MO&)).

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for

profit.

Number of Respondents: 18

respondents.

Estimated Time Per Response: 600

hours per response (avg.).

Freqency of Response: On occasion

and annual reporting requirements.

Total Annual Burden: 10,800 hours.

Estimated Annual Reporting and

Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

Needs and Uses: 47 CFR Section

64.903(a) requires local exchange

carriers with annual operating revenues

that equal or exceed the indexed

revenue threshold, as defined in Section

32.900 file a manual containing the

information specified in Section

64.903(a)(1)–(6). Section 64.903(b)

requires that carriers update their cost

allocation manuals at least annually,

except that changes to the cost

apportionment table and to the

description time reporting procedures

must be filed at least 15 days before the

carrier plans to implement the changes.

The cost allocation manual is reviewed

by the Commission to ensure that all

costs are properly classified between

regulated and nonregulated activity.

Uniformity in the CAMs will help

improve the joint cost allocation

process. In addition, this uniformity

will give the Commission greater

reliability in financial data submitted by

the carriers through the Automated

Reporting Management Information

System (ARMIS).

Federal Communications Commission.

Magalie Roman Salas,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–13569 Filed 5–20–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

Notice of Public Information Collection

Submitted to OMB for Review and

Approval

May 14, 1998.

SUMMARY: The Federal Communications

Commission, as part of its continuing

effort to reduce paperwork burden

invites the general public and other

Federal agencies to take this

opportunity to comment on the

following information collections, as

required by the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995, Public Law 104–13. An

agency may not conduct or sponsor a

collection of information unless it

displays a currently valid 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 (PRA) that

does not display a valid control number.

Comments are requested concerning: (a)

whether the proposed collection of

information is necessary for the proper

performance of the functions of the

Commission, including whether the

information shall have practical utility;

(b) the accuracy of the Commission’s

burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance

the quality, utility, clarity of the

information collected; and (d) ways to

minimize the burden of the collection of

information on the respondents,

including the use of automated

information techniques or other forms of

information technology.

DATES: Written comments should be

submitted on or before June 22, 1998. If

you anticipate that you will be

submitting comments, but find it

difficult to do so within the period of

time allowed by this notice, you should

advise the contact listed below as soon

as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all comments to Les

Smith, Federal Communications, Room

234, 1919 M St., N.W., Washington, DC

20554 or via internet to lesmith@fcc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

additional information or copies of the

information collections contact Les

Smith at 202–418–0214 or via internet

at lesmith@fcc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Approval Number: 3060–0392.

Title: 47 CFR 1 Subpart J—Pole

Attachment Complaint Procedures.

Form No: N/A.

Type of Review: Revision of a

currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business and other forprofit; State, local and tribal

governments.

Number of Respondents: 1,381.

Estimated Time Per Response: .5–35

hours.

Frequency of Response: On occasion

reporting requirement; third party

disclosure.

Cost to Respondents: $267,122

($262,500 for outside legal counsel

estimated at $150 per hour; $4,622 for

filing expenses, postage and stationery

costs, etc.).

Total Annual Burden: 3,047 hours.

Needs and Uses: On February 6, 1998,

the Commission released a Report and

Order, FCC 98–20, in CS Docket No. 97–

151. In this Report and Order, the

Commission adopts rules implementing

Section 703 of the Telecommunications

Act of 1996 relating to pole attachments.

Section 703 requires the Commission to

prescribe regulations to govern the

charges for pole attachments used by the

telecommunications carriers to provide

telecommunications services.

Information collection requirements

regarding pole attachment provisions

are used by the Commission to hear and

resolve petitions for stay and complaints

as mandated by Section 224 of the

Communications Act of 1934.

Information filed has been used to

determine the merits of the petitions

and complaints. Additionally, state

certifications are used to make public

notice of the state’s authority to regulate

the rates, terms and conditions for pole

attachments.

Federal Communications Commission.

Magalie Roman Salas,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–13568 Filed 5–20–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–10–P

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

[CC Docket No. 96–45; DA 98–580]

Program To Monitor Impacts of

Universal Service Support

Mechanisms

AGENCY: Federal Communications

Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: On April 24, 1998, the

Common Carrier Bureau issued a Public
27968 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 98 /Thursday, May 21, 1998 / Notices

Notice to solicit comment on its

proposed program to monitor the

impacts of universal service support

mechanisms and to issue reports

documenting the results of that

monitoring program. Previously, on May

8, 1997, the Commission released a

Report and Order implementing section

254 of the Communications Act, as

amended, and creating a new set of

universal service support mechanisms.

The Public Notice describes a

monitoring program, developed in

consultation with the states, and that

will enable the public, the Commission,

and other policy makers to assess and

evaluate the new universal service

support mechanisms.

DATES: Comments to the Public Notice

are due on or before May 26, 1998.

Reply comments are due on or before

June 10, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments and reply

comments should be sent to the Office

of the Secretary, Federal

Communications Commission, 1919 M

Street, N.W., Suite 222, Washington,

D.C. 20554, with a copy to Scott

Bergmann of the Common Carrier

Bureau, Federal Communications

Commission, 2033 M Street, N.W., Suite

500, Washington, D.C. 20554. Parties

should also file one copy of any

documents filed in this docket with the

Commission’s copy contractor,

International Transcription Services,

Inc. (ITS), 1231 20th St., NW,

Washington, DC 20036, (202) 857–3800.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Thomas J. Beers, Deputy Chief of the

Industry Analysis Division, Common

Carrier Bureau, at (202) 418–0952, or

Scott K. Bergmann, Industry Analysis

Division, Common Carrier Bureau, at

(202) 418–7102.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a

summary of the Bureau’s Public Notice

released April 24, 1998 (DA 98–580).

The full text of this Public Notice is

available for inspection and copying

during normal business hours in the

FCC Reference Center, Room 239, 1919

M Street, Washington, D.C. 20554. The

complete text also may be purchased

from the Commission’s copy contractor,

International Transcription Service, Inc.

(202) 857–3800, 1231 20th St., NW,

Washington, DC 20036.

Summary of The Public Notice

1. On May 8, 1997, the Commission

released a Report and Order, FederalState Joint Board on Universal Service,

CC Docket No. 96–45, FCC 97–157, (62

FR 32862, June 17, 1997) (hereafter

Universal Service Order), implementing

section 254 of the Communications Act,

as amended, (47 U.S.C. Section 151 et

seq.) and creating a new set of universal

service support mechanisms. In the

Universal Service Order, the

Commission also decided to create a

new program to monitor the universal

service support mechanisms and to

issue reports documenting the results of

that monitoring program at least once a

year. The Commission delegated

responsibility for creating this

monitoring program and for compiling

the Monitoring Reports to the Common

Carrier Bureau (Bureau), in consultation

with the state staff of the Universal

Service Joint Board. This Public Notice

seeks comment on the proposed

monitoring program.

2. The Commission instructed the

Bureau to issue publicly available

Monitoring Reports that are based on

information provided by the

administrator of the universal service

support mechanisms to the Commission

relating to the determination and

amounts of payments made and monies

received with respect to the universal

service support mechanisms. With this

guidance, the Commission delegated to

the Bureau discretion over the exact

content and timing of the Monitoring

Reports. This Public Notice describes a

monitoring program that we have

developed in consultation with the

states and that will enable the public,

the Commission, and other policy

makers, to assess and evaluate the new

universal service support mechanisms.

We issue this Public Notice to seek

comment, particularly from those states,

industry participants, and other

members of the public not actively

involved in CC Docket 96–45, on the

proposed monitoring program. We note

that, with some exceptions described

below, the data included in the

proposed Monitoring Reports are

obtained pursuant to existing

information collections, and thus

impose no new reporting requirements

on carriers, states, or any person other

than the universal service administrator.

I. Background

3. In the 1996 Act, Congress adopted

new section 254 of the Communications

Act, as amended, and articulated a new

statutory basis for federal universal

service support mechanisms. Section

254 directs the Commission and states

to establish support mechanisms to

ensure the delivery of affordable

telecommunications service to all

Americans, including low-income

consumers, eligible schools and

libraries, and rural health care

providers. The Commission, in the

Universal Service Order, set forth a plan

to meet all of the statutory requirements

and to implement a universal service

support system that will be sustainable

over time.

II. Proposal

4. The new monitoring program will

document and assess three aspects of

the new universal service support

mechanisms: (1) the contribution of

support to the universal service support

mechanisms; (2) the disbursement of

support through the explicit universal

service support mechanisms; and, (3)

various measures of the impacts of the

universal service support mechanisms.

With respect to contributions, we

propose to receive and report data on

the monies collected by the

administrator and to analyze the

revenue data on which those

contributions are based. This

information will provide one measure of

the overall size of the universal service

support mechanisms. Similarly, with

respect to disbursements, we propose to

receive and report data on the monies

distributed by the administrator and to

analyze the various data (concerning, for

example, costs to provide service in

high cost areas, participation in lowincome assistance plans, and provision

of services through the new schools and

libraries and rural health care support

mechanisms) obtained by the

administrator in the course of making

disbursements. Finally, we propose to

collect and report data on a number of

measures (e.g., rates, penetration, usage,

quality of service, and infrastructure), as

a means of evaluating the effectiveness

and efficiency of the universal service

support mechanisms.

5. As a general matter, we seek

comment on the proposals set forth in

this Public Notice, including the

organization, format, and content of

individual sections of the Monitoring

Report. In particular, we invite parties

to address proposed additions to, or

modifications of, sections included in

the previous Monitoring Reports, as

well as the proposed elimination of

certain sections. We invite commenters

to identify any additional information

that they believe should be provided in

the Monitoring Reports, and request that

they explain why it would be in the

public interest to add such information

to the Monitoring Reports.

6. As we implement the new

Monitoring Reports, we note that the

Commission has delegated to the Bureau

the authority to administer the

monitoring program. Thus, the Bureau

may change the content or timing of the

Monitoring Reports if it is necessary or

desirable to do so. In order to allow

parties to submit, or review, materials

and comments concerning the

monitoring program at any time, we
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 98 /Thursday, May 21, 1998 / Notices 27969

have created a separate Bureau file

number (CCB–IAD File No. 98–101) for

all pleadings concerning the monitoring

program.

7. In addition, we seek comment on

whether we should supplement the

Monitoring Report data on federal

mechanisms with corresponding data on

state universal service mechanisms. One

of the Commission’s fundamental goals

in the Universal Service Order was to

‘‘create sustainable and harmonious

federal and state methods of

continuously fulfilling universal service

goals’’ in cooperation with the Universal

Service Joint Board. If we were to

include data on state universal service

support mechanisms in the Monitoring

Reports, they would present a more

comprehensive picture of the impact of

both federal and state universal service

support mechanisms on the industry

and customers, materially enhancing the

usefulness of the monitoring program.

We note, however, that the federal

universal service mechanisms are

designed to address that portion of the

cost of providing telecommunications

services that is attributable to interstate

service. Accordingly, and in light of

these universal service goals, we seek

comment on whether it would be

appropriate, useful, and feasible to

include state data in the Monitoring

Reports.

8. Given the close relationship

between the Commission’s previous

universal service support mechanisms

and those new support mechanisms

outlined in the Universal Service Order,

we propose to adopt the structure and

content of the past Monitoring Reports,

i.e., those issued in CC Docket 87–339,

with modifications described herein.

The new Monitoring Reports, proposed

in the Public Notice, contain eleven

sections, each described in the Public

Notice. To address certain new aspects

of the universal service support

mechanisms, we propose to add four

sections to the Monitoring Report. These

new sections would report data on: (1)

contributions to the universal service

support mechanisms and accompanying

industry revenue information; (2) the

new rural health care mechanism; (3)

the new schools and libraries

mechanism; and (4) quality of service.

III. Procedural Issues

9. Procedures for Filing. Interested

parties may file comments in CC Docket

No. 96–45 not later than May 26, 1998.

Reply comments may be filed not later

than June 10, 1998. All filings should

refer to the pleadings as Program to

Monitor Impacts of Universal Service

Support Mechanisms, CC Docket 96–45,

CCB–IAD File No. 98–101. One original

and four copies of all comments must be

sent to Magalie Roman Salas, Secretary,

Federal Communications Commission,

1919 M Street, NW., Washington, D.C.

20554. Two copies should also be sent

to Ms. Terry Conway, Industry Analysis

Division, Common Carrier Bureau, 2033

M Street, NW., Suite 500, Washington,

D.C. 20554. Copies of documents filed

with the Commission may be obtained

from the International Transcription

Service (ITS), 1231 20th Street, NW.,

Suite 140, Washington, D.C. 20036,

(202) 857–3800. Documents are also

available for review and copying at the

Reference Center, Room 239, 1919 M

Street, NW., Washington, D.C., Monday,

from 9:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and

Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m.

to 4:30 p.m., (202) 418–0270.

10. This proceeding is a non-restricted

proceeding. See 47 CFR 1.1200(a),

1.1206. Accordingly, ex parte

presentations are permitted, provided

that they are disclosed in conformance

with the Commission’s ex parte rules.

11. Paperwork Reduction Act. We

note that substantially all of the data

included in the proposed Monitoring

Reports is obtained pursuant to existing

information collections that have

previously been approved by the Office

of Management and Budget (OMB),

pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995, Public Law No. 104–13. We

tentatively conclude that certain

proposals in this Public Notice might be

subject to approval by the OMB,

pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction

Act, since they might impose new or

modified collection requirements. Our

analysis indicates that the following

proposals may require OMB approval:

(1) any collection of voluntarily

submitted data from states concerning

state universal service mechanisms (See

paragraph 9 of the Public Notice); (2)

any expansion of the Commission’s

local rate survey (See paragraphs 37–38

of the Public Notice); and (3) collection

of certain usage data (See paragraph 43–

45 of the Public Notice). All other

proposals associated with the program

either require responses from fewer than

ten parties or are continuations of

requirements that already have OMB

approval. We invite the general public

to comment on the new or modified

information collections. Comments

should address: (a) whether the

proposed collection of information is

necessary for the proper performance of

the functions of the Commission,

including whether the information shall

have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of

the Commission’s burden estimates; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information collected; and

(d) ways to minimize the burden of

collection of information on

respondents, including the use of

automated collection techniques or

other forms of information technology.

Federal Communications Commission.

Peyton L. Wynns,

Chief, Industry Analysis Division.

[FR Doc. 98–13562 Filed 5–20–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

FEDERAL EMERGENCY

MANAGEMENT AGENCY

National Flood Insurance Program;

Standard Flood Hazard Determination

Form

AGENCY: Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA).

ACTION: Notice with request for

comments.

SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency

Management Agency gives notice of

certain changes to the FEMA Standard

Flood Hazard Determination form,

which form is used to ensure that

buildings and mobile homes located

within an identified Special Flood

Hazard Area (SFHA) will be covered by

flood insurance. We invite public

comment on the changes to the form.

DATES: Please submit any comments in

writing on or before July 20, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Please submit any

comments to the Rules Docket Clerk,

Office of the General Counsel, Federal

Emergency Management Agency, 500 C

Street SW., room 840, Washington, DC

20472, (facsimile) (202) 646–4536, or

(email) rules@fema.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of

our implementation of the National

Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994,

FEMA published a final rule at 60 FR

35276, July 6, 1995, to establish a

standard form for determining whether

a building or mobile home is located in

an SFHA, whether flood insurance is

required, and whether federal flood

insurance is available. The federal

entities for lending regulation published

a final rule (60 FR 35286, July 6, 1995)

requiring use of the form. Use of the

form by federally regulated lenders

became mandatory on January 2, 1996.

The OMB number for the current form

expires on April 30, 1998 but OMB has

extended the expiration date for an

additional 90 days.

During the two years that this form

has been in use, many users have

commented on the form asking FEMA to

make minor changes and clarifications.

By separate rule published today in the

Federal Register we have removed the

form from 44 CFR part 65, Appendix A.