Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 132 / Wednesday, July 14, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 37061 

Administrative Procedure Act would 

serve no useful purpose and are 

therefore unnecessary. 

Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis 

5. The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 

1980, as amended (RFA), see 5 U.S.C. 

603 and amended by the Small Business 

Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 

1996 (SBREFA), Public Law 104–121, 

Title II, 110 Stat. 847 (1996), requires 

that a regulatory flexibility analysis be 

prepared for notice-and-comment rule 

making proceedings, unless the agency 

certifies that ‘‘the rule will not, if 

promulgated, have a significant 

economic impact on a substantial 

number of small entities.’’ 5 U.S.C. 

605(b). The RFA generally defines the 

term ‘‘small entity’’ as having the same 

meaning as the terms ‘‘small business,’’ 

‘‘small organization,’’ and ‘‘small 

governmental jurisdiction.’’ 5 U.S.C. 

601(6); See 5 U.S.C. 601(3) 

(incorporating by reference the 

definition of ‘‘small-business concern’’ 

in 15 U.S.C. 632). Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 

601(3), the statutory definition of a 

small business applies ‘‘unless an 

agency, after consultation with the 

Office of Advocacy of the Small 

Business Administration and after 

opportunity for public comment, 

establishes one or more definitions of 

such term which are appropriate to the 

activities of the agency and publishes 

such definition(s) in the Federal 

Register.’’ 5 U.S.C. 601(3). In addition, 

the term ‘‘small business’’ has the same 

meaning as the term ‘‘small business 

concern’’ under the Small Business Act. 

15 U.S.C. 632. A small business concern 

is one which: (1) Is independently 

owned and operated; (2) is not 

dominant in its field of operation; and 

(3) satisfies any additional criteria 

established by the SBA. See 5 U.S.C. 

601–612. 

6. This Order on Reconsideration 

disposes of petitions for reconsideration 

in MB Docket Nos. 19–193 and 17–105 

without making any resulting rule 

changes. The only rule change made in 

the Order on Reconsideration merely 

reinserts a phrase that the NPRM and 

Order inadvertently deleted. Because 

this rule change does not require notice 

and comment, the Regulatory Flexibility 

Act does not apply. Id. 601(2). In the 

Order in this proceeding, the 

Commission issued a Final Regulatory 

Flexibility Analysis (FRFA) that 

conforms to the RFA, as amended. 

Order, 35 FCC Rcd at 4149, Appendix 

C. The Commission received no 

petitions for reconsideration of that 

FRFA. This Order on Reconsideration 

does not alter the Commission’s 

previous analysis under the RFA. 

7. Congressional Review Act. The 

Commission will send a copy of this 

Order on Reconsideration to Congress 

and the Government Accountability 

Office pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A). 

Ordering Clauses 

8. Accordingly, it is ordered that, 

pursuant to the authority contained in 

sections 1, 4(i), 4(j), 301, 303, 307, 308, 

309, 316, and 319 of the 

Communications Act of 1934, as 

amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 154(j), 

301, 303, 307, 308, 309, 316, and 319, 

as well as the Local Community Radio 

Act of 2010, Public Law 111–371, 124 

Stat. 4072 (2011), and the 

Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 

553(b)(B), this Order on Reconsideration 

is adopted. 

9. It is further ordered that the 

Petition for Reconsideration filed by 

Todd Urick, Todd Urick (Common 

Frequency) and Paul Bame (Prometheus 

Radio Project) along with Peter Gray 

(KFZR–LP), Makeda Dread Cheatom 

(KVIB–LP), Brad Johnson (KGIG–LP), 

David Stepanyuk (KIEV–LP), and Andy 

Hansen-Smith (KCFZ–LP) is dismissed 

in part and denied in part. 

10. It is further ordered that the 

Petition for Reconsideration filed by 

Foundation for a Beautiful Life is 

dismissed and in the alternative is 

denied. 

11. It is further ordered that, effective 

30 days after publication in the Federal 

Register, 47 CFR 74.1263(b) is amended 

as specified in Appendix A of the Order. 

12. It is further ordered that the 

Commission shall send a copy of this 

Order on Reconsideration in a report to 

be sent to Congress and the Government 

Accountability Office pursuant to the 

Congressional Review Act, see 5 U.S.C. 

801(a)(1)(A). 

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 74 

FM broadcast booster station, LPFM 

booster, Time of operation, Station 

identification. 

Federal Communications Commission. 

Marlene Dortch, 

Secretary. 

Final Rules 

For the reasons stated in the 

preamble, the Federal Communications 

Commission amends 47 CFR part 74 as 

follows: 

PART 74—EXPERIMENTAL RADIO, 

AUXILIARY, SPECIAL BROADCAST 

AND OTHER PROGRAM 

DISTRIBUTIONAL SERVICES 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 74 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 154, 302a, 303, 307, 

309, 310, 336, and 554. 

■ 2. Amend § 74.1263 by revising 

paragraph (b) to read as follows: 

§ 74.1263 Time of operation. 

* * * * * 

(b) An FM booster or FM Translator 

station rebroadcasting the signal of an 

AM, FM or LPFM primary station shall 

not be permitted to radiate during 

extended periods when signals of the 

primary station are not being 

retransmitted. Notwithstanding the 

foregoing, FM translators rebroadcasting 

Class D AM stations may continue to 

operate during nighttime hours only if 

the AM station has operated within the 

last 24 hours. 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. 2021–14336 Filed 7–13–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P 

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS 

COMMISSION 

47 CFR Chapter 1 

[WC Docket No. 18–213; FCC 21–74; FR 

ID 36878] 

Promoting Telehealth for Low-Income 

Consumers 

AGENCY: Federal Communications 

Commission. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal 

Communications Commission 

(Commission) offers further guidance on 

the administration of the Connected 

Care Pilot Program, including guidance 

on eligible services, competitive 

bidding, invoicing, and data reporting 

for selected participants, allowing 

selected Pilot Program participants to 

begin their Pilot projects. 

DATES: Effective August 13, 2021. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Bryan Boyle, Wireline Competition 

Bureau, 202–418–7400 or by email at 

Bryan.Boyle@fcc.gov. The Commission 

asks that requests for accommodations 

be made as soon as possible to allow the 

agency time to satisfy such requests 

whenever possible. Send an email to 

fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer 

and Governmental Affairs Bureau at 

(202) 418–0530. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a 

summary of the Commission’s Second 

Report and Order (R&O) in WC Docket 

No. 18–213; FCC 21–74, adopted on 

June 17, 2021 and released on June 21, 

2021. Due to the COVID–19 pandemic, 

the Commission’s headquarters will be 

closed to the general public until further 


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notice. The full text of this document is 

available at the following internet 

address: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/ 

attachments/FCC-21-74A1.pdf. 

I. Introduction 

1. Through the R&O, the Commission 

continues its efforts to implement its 

Connected Care Pilot Program (Pilot 

Program) created pursuant to the 

Commission’s authority under section 

254(h)(2)(A) of the Communications 

Act. The Commission offers further 

guidance on the administration of the 

Pilot Program, including guidance on 

eligible services, competitive bidding, 

invoicing, and data reporting for 

selected participants. 

2. The Commission received more 

than 200 Pilot Program applications 

from many health care providers whose 

patients lack internet connections 

sufficient to transmit a video visit or 

receive health care through connected 

care and providers who indicate that 

their systems and bandwidth are 

inadequate to carry the new and 

significantly increased loads. Selected 

projects will directly benefit thousands 

of low-income patients and veterans 

facing a wide variety of health 

challenges, such as diabetes, 

hypertension, stroke recovery, opioid 

dependency, high-risk pregnancy, 

pediatric heart disease, mental health 

conditions, and cancer. Through these 

projects, the Commission will develop a 

better understanding of how the 

Universal Service Fund (USF or Fund) 

can help support the adoption of 

connected care services among patients 

and their health care providers. 

II. Discussion 

3. The Commission now provides 

selected Pilot Program participants with 

additional information on the rules and 

requirements for participation so that 

they can begin their projects. 

4. Connected Care Pilot Project 

Selection Evaluation Criteria. In 

reviewing applications, the Commission 

sought to identify projects that would 

serve a high number of patients in the 

target populations, in areas most in need 

of USF support for connected care, 

treating many of the targeted conditions, 

and using products and services eligible 

for purchase with USF support. To do 

so, the Commission used the evaluation 

criteria set out in the Connected Care 

Report and Order, 85 FR 19892, April 9, 

2020, and reviewed applications in 

accordance with these criteria. For 

instance, the Commission considered 

whether an application would serve 

low-income or veteran patients, as the 

Connected Care Report and Order 

established a strong preference for Pilot 

projects that can demonstrate that they 

will primarily benefit these patient 

groups. For purposes of the Pilot 

Program, a patient is considered lowincome by determining whether (1) the 

patient is eligible for Medicaid or (2) the 

patient’s household income is at or 

below 135% of the U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services Federal 

Poverty Guidelines, and a patient is 

considered a veteran if they qualify for 

health care through the U.S. Department 

of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Health 

Administration. 

5. Pursuant to the Connected Care 

Report and Order, the Commission also 

considered whether an application is 

primarily focused on treating certain 

conditions, such as public health 

epidemics, opioid dependency, mental 

health conditions, high-risk pregnancy/ 

maternal health, or chronic or recurring 

conditions that typically require at least 

several months to treat, including, but 

not limited to, diabetes, cancer, kidney 

disease, heart disease, and stroke 

recovery. Further, the Commission gave 

particular emphasis to health care 

providers that have either experience 

with providing telehealth or connected 

care services to patients, or a 

partnership with another health care 

provider, government agency, or 

designated telehealth resource center 

with such experience. 

6. In addition, the Commission stated 

a desire in the Connected Care Report 

and Order to select a diverse set of 

projects and target Pilot Program funds 

to geographic areas and populations 

most in need of USF support for 

connected care. Consistent with this 

directive, the Commission considered 

whether applications would serve rural 

or Tribal areas or patients residing in 

those areas, or would serve patients in 

Health Professional Shortage Areas or 

Medically Underserved Areas. The 

Commission also considered whether 

applications would promote the goals of 

the Pilot Program. Lastly, the 

Commission reviewed applications to 

determine whether they sought funding 

for eligible products and services, to 

ensure that the Pilot Program would use 

its limited funding efficiently. 

7. Connected Care Pilot Program 

Requirements. This section summarizes 

the requirements of the Connected Care 

Report and Order, and provides 

additional instructions and procedures 

about the administration, budget, and 

eligible services for the Connected Care 

Pilot Program. The Commission reminds 

all Pilot Program participants to review 

the Pilot Program’s eligible services 

information prior to procuring services. 

8. Program Administration and 

Budget. As a general matter, the 

traditional funding year period (e.g., 

July 1 to June 30 of each year) for the 

Rural Health Care Program will not 

apply to the Pilot Program. Because of 

the nature of the Pilot Program, and 

given the funding request submission 

deadline and ramp-up period deadline, 

the Commission will not require 

selected Pilot Program participants to 

follow the traditional funding year 

process for the Rural Health Care 

Program. Pilot Program participants 

should therefore pay careful attention to 

any dates contained in official Pilot 

Program correspondence and on the 

Commission and the Universal Service 

Administrative Company (USAC or 

Administrator) web pages to ensure 

compliance with all applicable dates 

and deadlines. 

9. The Commission directs USAC to 

commit no more than the total amount 

associated with each project over a 

three-year period not to exceed the 

duration of the Pilot Program. This will 

ensure that total disbursements remain 

under the program budget. Further, to 

fund the Pilot Program, the Commission 

directs USAC to collect only the total 

amount associated with the actual 

commitments for each selected project. 

Because maximum expenditures based 

on each Pilot project budget were 

tracked before selection, selected 

participants will be able to request 

funding and receive funding 

commitments for multiple funding 

years. Allowing funding requests and 

commitments to cover multiple years 

will reduce administrative burdens on 

Pilot Program participants by reducing 

the number of Funding Request Forms 

(FCC Form 462) they file and will allow 

them to know what their total funding 

commitment for the Pilot Program will 

be. 

10. Eligible Services. The Pilot 

Program will provide Pilot Program 

participants funding to cover up to 85% 

of the cost of eligible services, which 

fall under the following categories: (1) 

Patient broadband internet access 

services; (2) health care provider 

broadband data connections; (3) 

connected care information services; 

and (4) certain network equipment. The 

Commission provides two clarifications 

on services eligible for support in the 

Pilot Program. First, the Commission 

clarifies that the Pilot Program will 

reimburse network equipment 

purchases necessary to make broadband 

services functional, even if the Pilot 

Program is not directly supporting the 

costs of those broadband services. The 

Connected Care Report and Order states 

that the Pilot Program will fund 

‘‘network equipment that is necessary to 

make Pilot Program funded broadband 


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services for connected care services 

functional, or to operate, manage, or 

control such services.’’ However, Pilot 

Program applicants have also indicated 

a need for network equipment to make 

a supported broadband service 

functional even if they do not require 

new or upgraded broadband from the 

Pilot Program as part of their Pilot 

project, and a need for network 

equipment to make the connected care 

services they are providing through 

their Pilot project functional. 

Accordingly, some Pilot projects do not 

require upgraded or new broadband 

service to participate in the Pilot 

Program but do require upgraded 

network equipment (e.g., switches) to 

make existing broadband services 

functional given the increased volume 

of network traffic associated with 

connected care services. To ensure these 

projects have the network equipment 

they need to provide broadband-enabled 

connected care services, the Pilot 

Program will provide funding to 

eligible, participating health care 

providers for necessary network 

equipment to make a broadband service 

functional for providing connected care 

services through the Pilot Program. 

11. Second, the Commission clarifies 

that the Pilot Program will reimburse 

network equipment purchases necessary 

to make a connected care information 

service functional (e.g., a server 

necessary for storing video conferences 

or facilitating video transmissions). 

Although the Connected Care Report 

and Order stated that equipment 

necessary to make a broadband service 

functional was supported, it did not 

specifically address eligibility of 

equipment necessary to make a 

connected care service functional. Many 

applicants requested funding for this 

type of network equipment and 

explained that this equipment was 

necessary, for example, to handle the 

increased volume of network traffic or 

storage needs associated with connected 

care services. Funding this additional 

network equipment for the limited 

purposes of the Pilot Program is 

consistent with the Commission’s 

decision to fund connected care 

information services through the Pilot 

Program and is critical to the successful 

operation of the participating Pilot 

projects that requested such equipment. 

Further, funding this equipment for the 

limited purposes of the Pilot Program is 

within the scope of the Commission’s 

statutory authority consistent with the 

legal rationale that the Commission 

relies on in the Healthcare Connect 

Fund to fund network equipment 

necessary to make a supported 

broadband service functional. To ensure 

these additional types of funded 

network equipment are within the scope 

of our statutory authority and Pilot 

Program purpose, where projects 

requested network equipment necessary 

to make a connected care service 

functional, the equipment must be 

purchased either because of the increase 

in internet traffic caused by the 

connected care services, or because the 

equipment would be primarily used for 

connected care information services. 

While the Commission’s approach to 

fund network equipment necessary to 

make a broadband service functional 

even if the Pilot Program is not funding 

the broadband service and to fund 

network equipment necessary to make a 

connected care information service 

functional is more expansive than the 

Rural Health Care Program’s (RHC) 

reimbursement for network equipment 

purchases, the Commission believes it is 

appropriate in this time-limited Pilot 

Program effort, focused on determining 

how USF funds can best support the 

trend towards connected care to be 

slightly more inclusive to ensure the 

success of selected Pilot Program 

participants. 

12. The Pilot Program will not fund 

devices, including end-user connected 

devices (e.g., tablets, smart phones, or 

remote patient monitoring equipment), 

medical equipment, health care 

provider administrative costs, personnel 

costs (including, but not limited to 

medical professional costs), or other 

miscellaneous expenses. The Pilot 

Program also will not fund network 

deployment, the construction of 

networks between health care providers, 

internal connections for health care 

providers, or connectivity services 

between health care provider sites. Pilot 

Program participants must cost allocate 

all ineligible services and/or equipment 

that are included in bundles, packages, 

or suites of services used in Pilot 

Program projects. Funding for Pilot 

Program participants is limited to three 

years. As a reminder, patient broadband 

internet access service funded through 

the Pilot Program is intended for 

patients who lack broadband or have an 

internet connection insufficient to 

receive connected care, and the funded 

patient broadband connection must be 

‘‘primarily’’ used for activities that are 

integral, immediate, and proximate to 

the provision of connected care services 

to participating patients. 

13. During application review, the 

Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) 

reviewers identified clearly ineligible 

services and equipment when they were 

apparent on the application, but USAC 

reviewers will review FCC Form 462s in 

order to take further steps to ensure that 

no funding will be committed for 

ineligible services or equipment. Pilot 

Program participants that seek 

competitive bids and submit requests 

for funding should refer to the Bureau’s 

previously published guidance on 

eligible services and equipment to 

ensure that they are only requesting 

funding for eligible items. Pilot Program 

participants should be aware that 

selection does not guarantee that all 

items in an application are eligible and 

will be funded upon request. 

14. Finally, the Commission reminds 

Pilot Program participants that they are 

prohibited from using Universal Service 

support to purchase or obtain any 

equipment or services produced or 

provided by a covered company posing 

a national security threat to the integrity 

of communications networks or the 

communications supply chain. In 

addition, Pilot Program participants are 

prohibited from using Federal subsidies 

to purchase, rent, lease, or otherwise 

obtain any covered communications 

equipment or service, or maintain any 

covered communications equipment or 

service previously purchased, rented, 

leased, or otherwise obtained. A list of 

covered equipment and services was 

posted on the Commission’s website on 

March 12, 2021 and will be updated to 

reflect any future determinations. 

15. Connected Care Pilot Program 

Rules and Procedures. This section 

provides details for Pilot Program 

participants about the competitive 

bidding process, requesting funding, 

receiving funding commitments, making 

changes to their projects, and seeking 

reimbursement through submitting 

invoices. To ensure efficient and 

predictable administration, the Pilot 

Program will use rules and procedures 

for the RHC Healthcare Connect Fund 

Program to the extent feasible. For 

purposes of the Connected Care Pilot 

Program, the Commission directs USAC 

to develop new versions of FCC Form 

461 (Request for Services Form), FCC 

Form 462 (Funding Request Form), and 

FCC Form 463 (Invoice and Request for 

Disbursement Form) and make them 

publicly available. These forms should 

be clearly marked to indicate their 

association with the Connected Care 

Pilot Program and avoid confusion with 

other versions. Pilot Program 

participants may now begin the 

competitive bidding process and, if a 

competitive bidding exemption applies, 

may file a Request for Funding. 

16. Funding Request Process 

Overview. Following selection by the 

Commission, Pilot Program participants 

can begin to follow the process outlined 

in this document. Generally, Pilot 


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projects are to operate using Pilot 

Program funds for no more than three 

years from the first date of service. 

Expenses for which Pilot Program 

funding is requested and invoiced must 

be incurred within three years from the 

first date of service for the respective 

project, and by no later than June 30, 

2025. 

• Conduct Competitive Bidding. The 

FCC Form 461 initiates the competitive 

bidding process for all products and 

services for which competitive bids are 

required. The Pilot Program participant 

will describe the required services and 

equipment for its project, develop 

scoring criteria to evaluate bids, and 

post the resulting request for services to 

USAC’s website for at least 28 days. 

Following the 28-day posting, the Pilot 

Program participant must choose the 

most cost-effective service provider and 

may then enter into a contract. This 

requirement does not apply to any 

products or services for which the Pilot 

Program participant is exempt from 

seeking competitive bids pursuant to a 

competitive bidding exemption, as 

outlined in this document: 

• Request Funding. Pilot Program 

participants must request funding by 

submitting the FCC Form 462 to USAC. 

Note that for Pilot Program participants 

in Appendices A and B, the submission 

of the FCC Form 462 to USAC must 

occur no later than six months after the 

effective date of this Report and Order. 

Any future Pilot Program selections 

must submit their respective FCC Form 

462 to USAC no later than six months 

after the announcement of their 

selection. 

• Receive a Funding Commitment. 

USAC will review the FCC Form 462 

and, if approved, issue funding 

commitment letters (FCLs) to the Pilot 

Program participants (and vendors, if 

necessary), indicating the amount 

committed under the Pilot Program for 

the FCC Form 462. The FCL contains 

other important information such as the 

service delivery deadline, and Pilot 

Program participants are reminded to 

read their FCLs closely. 

• Begin the Pilot Project. Pilot 

Program participants must begin their 

Pilot projects no later than six months 

after receipt of their FCL from USAC. 

• Make Project Modifications, if 

Needed. Pilot Program participants may 

request site or service substitutions or 

contract modifications pursuant to the 

procedures outlined in this Report and 

Order. 

• Request Reimbursement. After 

equipment or services have been 

delivered, Pilot Program participants 

may seek reimbursement by submitting 

the FCC Form 463 to USAC. Pilot 

Program participants are encouraged to 

seek reimbursement on a monthly basis, 

if possible. Note that certain vendors, 

for instance, internet Service Providers 

enrolled with the RHC program, will 

submit the FCC Form 463 directly to 

USAC, upon request by the health care 

provider (or consortium). 

17. Competitive Bidding—FCC Form 

461. In the Connected Care Report and 

Order, the Commission adopted, to the 

extent feasible, the competitive bidding 

requirements for the Healthcare Connect 

Fund Program for participants in the 

Pilot Program. Unless a competitive 

bidding exemption applies, Pilot 

Program participants must participate in 

a competitive bidding process, follow 

any additional applicable state, local or 

other procurement requirements, and 

select the most cost-effective option for 

services and equipment eligible for 

Connected Care Pilot Program support. 

The Commission provides further 

guidance on these requirements. 

18. To satisfy the competitive bidding 

requirements, Pilot Program participants 

must submit an FCC Form 461 for USAC 

to post. In some circumstances, Pilot 

Program participants will be required to 

prepare a formal Request for Proposal 

(RFP) to be posted along with their FCC 

Form 461. The FCC Form 461 should 

include a description of the services and 

equipment for which the Pilot Program 

participant is seeking support. 

19. The Pilot Program participant 

must wait at least 28 days from the date 

on which the Form 461 is posted on 

USAC’s website before selecting a 

service provider. After seeking bids 

from potential service providers, Pilot 

Program participants should conduct a 

bid evaluation to select the most costeffective means of meeting their needs, 

and thereafter participants may enter 

into a legally binding agreement with 

the selected service provider. Pilot 

Program participants may enter into a 

service agreement or sign a contract 

with the selected provider on or after 

the Allowable Contract Selection Date 

(ACSD), the day after the required 

number of days the FCC Form 461 is 

posted on the USAC website. If Pilot 

Program participants enter into a new 

contract or service agreement before the 

ACSD, funding will be denied for 

services covered under that contract or 

service agreement. Pilot Program 

participants will also be required to 

make certain certifications regarding the 

competitive bidding process before 

submitting the FCC Form 461. The FCC 

Form 461 will be made available to Pilot 

Program participants in USAC’s online 

My Portal system with additional 

information provided to Pilot Program 

participants by USAC during outreach. 

20. ‘‘Fair and Open’’ Competitive 

Bidding Process. Pilot Program 

participants must conduct a fair and 

open competitive bidding process. To 

satisfy the ‘‘fair and open’’ standard, all 

potential bidders must have access to 

the same information and be treated in 

the same manner during the competitive 

bidding period to ensure that the 

process is ‘‘fair and open.’’ Further, 

service providers who intend to bid on 

supported services may not 

simultaneously help the Pilot Program 

participant to complete its RFP or 

Request for Services form. Service 

providers who have submitted a bid to 

provide supported services, equipment, 

or facilities to a health care provider 

may not simultaneously help the health 

care provider evaluate submitted bids or 

choose a winning bid. Pilot Program 

participants must respond to all service 

providers that have submitted questions 

or proposals during the competitive 

bidding process. All Pilot Program 

participants and service providers must 

comply with any applicable state, 

Tribal, or local procurement laws, in 

addition to the Commission’s 

competitive bidding requirements. The 

competitive bidding requirements in 

this section are not intended to preempt 

such state, Tribal, or local requirements. 

Additionally, the Commission’s 

prohibitions against gifts from service 

providers apply to the Connected Care 

Pilot Program. Although service 

providers may make charitable 

contributions to Pilot Program 

participants, such gifts may not be 

directly or indirectly related to 

Connected Care Pilot Program 

procurement activities. Further, Pilot 

Program participants are reminded that 

services purchased pursuant to 

universal support mechanisms shall not 

be sold, resold, or transferred in 

consideration for money or any other 

thing of value. 

21. Competitive Bidding Exemptions. 

Pilot Program participants are not 

required to engage in competitive 

bidding if a competitive bidding 

exemption applies. All of the 

competitive bidding exemptions under 

the Healthcare Connect Fund Program, 

plus an additional exemption, apply to 

the Pilot Program as follows: 

• Government Master Services 

Agreement. The eligible health care 

provider seeks support for services and 

equipment purchased from Master 

Services Agreements (MSAs) negotiated 

by federal, state, Tribal, or local 

government entities on behalf of such 

health care providers and others, if such 

MSAs were awarded pursuant to 

applicable federal, state, Tribal, or local 

competitive bidding requirements; 


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• Pre-approved Master Services 

Agreement. The eligible health care 

provider opts into an existing MSA 

approved under the Rural Health Care 

Pilot Program or Healthcare Connect 

Fund Program and seeks support for 

services and equipment purchased from 

the MSA, if the MSA was developed 

and negotiated in response to an RFP 

that specifically solicited proposals that 

included a mechanism for adding 

additional sites to the MSA; 

• Evergreen contract. The eligible 

health care provider has a multi-year 

contract designated as ‘‘evergreen’’ by 

USAC and seeks to exercise a voluntary 

option to extend an evergreen contract 

without undergoing additional 

competitive bidding; 

• E-Rate contract. The eligible health 

care provider is in a consortium with 

participants in the schools and libraries 

universal service support program (ERate program) and a party to the 

consortium’s existing contract, if the 

contract was approved in the E-Rate 

program as a master contract; 

• Annual undiscounted cost of 

$10,000 or less. The eligible health care 

provider seeks support for $10,000 or 

less of total undiscounted eligible 

expenses for a single year, if the term of 

the contract is one year or less; or 

• Pre-existing contract (Connected 

Care Pilot Program only). The eligible 

health care provider already has entered 

into a legally binding agreement with a 

service provider for services or 

equipment eligible for support in the 

Pilot Program and that legally binding 

agreement itself was the product of 

competitive bidding. The Commission 

clarifies that this exemption applies 

only when the contract was signed 

before the applicant was selected to 

participate in the Pilot Program and the 

contract was not entered into solely for 

purposes of the Pilot Program. The prior 

competitive bidding process must have 

included public solicitation of bids or 

the applicant must have evaluated 

multiple quotes or bids before signing 

the contract. 

22. Requests for Funding—FCC Form 

462. In the Connected Care Pilot 

Program Report and Order, the 

Commission indicated that additional 

information on filing a request for 

funding would be forthcoming. The 

Commission now lays out the process 

for requesting funding. Pilot Program 

participants must request funding from 

USAC by filing the FCC Form 462, a 

formal request for funding that provides 

specific information on pricing and 

services. Pilot Program participants in 

Appendices A and B must file their 

initial FCC Form 462(s) no later than six 

months after the effective date of this 

Report and Order, and any subsequent 

Pilot Program selections must file their 

initial FCC Form 462(s) within six 

months of the announcement of their 

selection. As discussed in this 

document, Pilot Program participants 

must wait at least 28 days from the date 

of posting the FCC Form 461 before 

signing a contract or service agreement 

with a service provider and filing the 

Form 462. The 28-day period does not 

apply to those Pilot Program 

participants that are exempt from 

seeking competitive bids for certain 

products or services. Pilot Program 

participants that are exempt from 

seeking competitive bids for some but 

not all, of the Pilot-supported products 

and services, are encouraged to seek 

competitive bids as necessary, and file 

one Form 462 seeking funding for all 

requested products and services, being 

sure to wait 28 days as necessary. 

23. Requests for Multi-Year 

Commitments. Pilot Program 

participants may seek bids for multiyear or single-year contracts during the 

competitive bidding process. If a project 

only seeks bids for a single-year 

contract, it will need to conduct a new 

competitive bidding process for each 

year of the Pilot Program, unless an 

exemption applies. Pilot Program 

participants may then submit multi-year 

or single-year funding requests to 

USAC. Also, as noted in this document, 

the competitive bidding requirements 

for the Pilot Program are in addition to 

and do not supplant any applicable state 

or local procurement requirements. 

24. Funding Commitments. After 

USAC reviews the FCC Form 462 and 

makes funding determinations, USAC 

will issue an FCL for each FCC Form 

462 filed for the Pilot Program that 

details the amount of committed 

funding and contains other important 

information. The amount of funding 

specified in the FCL is the total amount 

for which a Pilot Program participant 

may request reimbursement. Pilot 

Program participants may begin to 

receive supported recurring services on 

the start date of their Pilot project. To 

ensure that projects start in a timely 

manner, Pilot Program participants may 

install equipment or pay for other 

supported non-recurring services before 

the start date, but may not invoice for 

this equipment and services until after 

the start date. Services must be 

delivered by the service delivery 

deadline applicable to the funding year 

of the last day of the funding 

commitment. To aid in administration 

of the Pilot Program, all funding 

commitments shall end three years from 

the first date of service for the respective 

Pilot project, and by no later than June 

30, 2025. Participants that seek one-year 

funding commitments may access 

unused funds in future years of the Pilot 

Program’s three year period. Pilot 

Program participants may request site 

and service substitutions as necessary 

pursuant to the process detailed in 

paragraph 26. 

25. Changes to Projects. Pilot Program 

participants are required to report to the 

Commission any material change in the 

participating health care providers’ or 

Pilot projects’ status (e.g., the health 

care provider site has closed, or the 

pilot project has ceased operations) 

within 30 days of such material change 

in status. In instances where a Pilot 

Program participant is unable to 

participate in the Pilot Program for their 

proposed project period, a successor 

may be designated by the Bureau. 

Further, to facilitate the tracking and 

monitoring of the Pilot Program budget 

and guard against potential waste, fraud 

and abuse, Pilot Program participants 

must notify USAC within 30 days of any 

decrease of 5% or more in the number 

of patients participating in their 

respective Pilot projects. Pilot Program 

participants can notify USAC of these 

changes via My Portal. The Commission 

directs USAC to advise the Bureau of 

project changes that could impact 

committed funding (e.g., changes to the 

cost of patient broadband or decrease in 

service quantities). 

26. Site and Service Substitutions. To 

provide flexibility to Pilot Program 

participants, the Pilot Program will 

permit site and service substitutions 

within a project, consistent with the site 

and service substitution rules in the 

Rural Health Care Program. Both 

individual and consortium projects may 

make service substitutions. USAC shall 

approve a site or service substitution for 

the Pilot Program if: (1) The substitution 

is provided for in the contract, within 

the change clause, or constitutes a 

minor modification; (2) the site is an 

eligible HCP and the service is an 

eligible service under the Pilot Program; 

(3) the substitution does not violate any 

contract provision or state or local 

procurement laws; and, (4) the 

requested change is within the scope of 

the controlling FCC Form 461, including 

any applicable Request for Proposal. A 

site or service substitution cannot 

increase the total funding commitment. 

Pilot Program participants may request 

site and service substitutions via My 

Portal. 

27. Contract Modifications. Contract 

modifications are permissible if they 

would be considered minor and 

therefore exempt from state, local, or 

tribal competitive bidding requirements. 

If the jurisdiction’s laws are silent or 


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otherwise inapplicable on whether a 

modification would be permitted 

without rebidding, the Commission 

adheres to the ‘‘cardinal change’’ 

doctrine, which looks at whether the 

modified terms are essentially the same 

as in the original contract. To qualify for 

reimbursement, any items provided 

pursuant to a minor contract 

modification must also be eligible 

services under the rules of the Pilot 

Program. 

28. Seeking Reimbursement—FCC 

Form 463. The Commission provides 

additional details on invoicing 

requirements and processes. The Pilot 

Program will provide universal service 

support for 85% of the cost of eligible 

services and equipment. Consistent with 

the Commission’s existing rules for the 

Healthcare Connect Fund Program, Pilot 

Program participants must contribute 

the other 15% of the cost of eligible 

services or equipment. Only funds from 

eligible sources, including the applicant 

or eligible health care provider 

participants, participating patients, or 

state, federal, or Tribal funding or 

grants, may be applied toward the 

health care provider’s required 

contribution. Health care providers 

cannot use ineligible sources (e.g., direct 

payments from vendors or service 

providers) to pay their required share of 

requested services or equipment. 

29. After eligible equipment or 

services have been delivered, service 

providers, in conjunction with the 

participating health care providers, will 

be required to make certain 

certifications and submit invoicing 

forms, i.e., FCC Form 463 (Invoice and 

Request for Disbursement Form), with 

supporting documentation to USAC. 

USAC will review the invoicing forms 

and supporting documentation and 

issue disbursements to the applicable 

service providers or vendors. So that the 

Pilot Program can operate easily with 

existing invoicing systems, service 

providers will receive reimbursement 

directly, rather than through the health 

care provider, consistent with the 

standard practice in the Healthcare 

Connect Fund Program. Both broadband 

service providers and other vendors 

must have a valid Service Provider 

Identification Number from USAC, also 

known as a 498 ID, to receive payments. 

30. Finally, the Commission waives 

the procedural rule established in the 

Connected Care Report and Order that 

invoices be submitted monthly. While 

the Commission strongly encourages 

Pilot Program participants to submit 

invoices monthly when possible, 

requiring invoices to be submitted on a 

monthly basis may pose an undue 

administrative burden for some Pilot 

Program participants and would be 

difficult to enforce. Because the 

Commission is tracking the 

expenditures for each project to ensure 

that total disbursements remain under 

the $100 million cap, and because the 

Pilot Program has a number of reporting 

requirements to further monitor the 

progress of projects, requiring monthly 

invoicing is not necessary to ensure that 

total disbursements will be under the 

cap. The Commission therefore found 

good cause under § 1.3 of the 

Commission’s rules to not require 

invoices to be submitted on a monthly 

basis, but still encourages participants 

to submit their invoices promptly upon 

incurring an expense. All invoices must 

be submitted to USAC by the invoice 

deadline for the RHC Program, which is 

120 days after the service delivery 

deadline, but no later than six months 

following the conclusion of each 

project. 

31. Wind Down Period and Project 

Conclusion. Pilot Program participants 

may begin receiving service and eligible 

network equipment upon receipt of an 

FCL from USAC and must begin 

receiving service no later than six 

months following receipt of the FCL. 

Projects are to last for three years from 

the first date of service, and no later 

than June 30, 2025. Following the 

conclusion of the three-year period, 

Pilot Program participants will have an 

additional six months to wind down 

their projects or transition to a funding 

source other than the Pilot Program. 

During this period, Pilot Program 

participants may submit any remaining 

invoices for expenses incurred during 

the three-year Pilot project period, 

submit final data reporting (discussed in 

paragraph 32), and conclude any 

administrative tasks. Additional 

guidance may be provided by the 

Bureau regarding project conclusion. 

32. Additional Pilot Program 

Requirements—Data Reporting and 

Bureau Report on Pilot. The 

Commission established the Pilot 

Program to examine how the Fund can 

help support the trend towards 

connected care services, particularly for 

low-income Americans and veterans. In 

particular, the Commission expects that 

the Pilot Program will benefit many 

low-income and veteran patients who 

are responding to a wide variety of 

health challenges such as infectious 

diseases, diabetes, opioid dependency, 

high-risk pregnancies, pediatric heart 

disease, mental health conditions, and 

cancer. The Commission also expects 

that the Pilot Program will provide 

meaningful data that will help it better 

understand how USF funds can support 

health care provider and patient use of 

connected care services. To this end, the 

Commission established three specific 

goals for the Pilot Program: To 

determine how USF support can be 

used to (1) improve health outcomes 

through connected care; (2) reduce 

health care costs for patients, facilities 

and the health care system; and (3) 

support the trend towards connected 

care everywhere. 

33. To help evaluate the Pilot 

Program, the Commission directed the 

Bureau to issue a report detailing the 

results of the Pilot Program after it has 

been completed. To assist with this 

report, the Commission will require 

Pilot Program participants to submit 

anonymized, aggregated data to the 

Bureau regarding their Pilot project. 

Pilot Program participants are required 

to submit three total reports: An annual 

report after their first year of funding, 

after their second year of funding, and 

a final report after their third year of 

funding that contains data for the third 

year of funding, summarizes final 

results, and explains whether goals of 

the Pilot project were met and how the 

Pilot project served the Commissions’ 

goals for the program. The Bureau will 

draw on the data from individual Pilot 

projects to prepare a final report upon 

the conclusion of the Pilot Program. 

34. The Commission directs the 

Bureau to develop a form template for 

Pilot Program participants to use in 

reporting data annually and at the Pilot 

project’s conclusion. The Commission 

directs the Bureau to make the template 

available as close to the start of the Pilot 

projects as possible to ensure that each 

project can gather data while the project 

is underway and be in position to report 

to the Commission at the conclusion of 

each year of the Pilot project. The 

Commission further directs the Bureau 

to provide guidance on how Pilot 

Program participants can access the 

template, and how participants can 

submit the report to the Bureau, as well 

as establish deadlines as necessary. The 

Commission expects that Pilot Program 

participants will be asked to report data 

such as: The number of patients served 

and percentage of those who were lowincome and veteran patients; changes 

from the estimated patient population; 

progress in meeting the project’s goals 

and objectives; impact of funding on 

number of patients treated with 

connected care; patient satisfaction with 

connected care and with health status; 

changes in treatment adherence; 

reductions in emergency room or urgent 

care visits; decreases in hospital 

admissions, re-admissions or lengths of 

stay; reductions or improvements in 

condition-specific outcomes or acute 

incidents among those who suffer from 


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a chronic illness; impact of funding 

patient broadband connections; 

decreases in missed appointments; 

estimated cost-savings for health care 

providers and patients; reduced patient 

travel or time (e.g., reduction in travel 

time or time missed from work); and 

other metrics that may demonstrate 

progress toward achieving the Pilot 

Program’s goals, and general feedback 

on program administration. The 

Commission expects that the final report 

from Pilot Program participants will, at 

a minimum, include an overall 

summary of the information in the 

annual reports, an explanation of how 

the project helped advance the goals 

and objectives of the Pilot Program, an 

explanation of whether the Pilot project 

met its specific goals and objectives, 

information on any lessons learned 

concerning the provision and utilization 

of connected care services, and, 

particularly for low-income patients and 

veterans, lessons learned concerning 

patient retention, patient training, and 

how best to address digital literacy 

challenges. Pilot projects must collect 

data sufficient to provide substantive 

responses for the required reports. 

Failure to provide the data may result in 

either the elimination of the selected 

participant from the Pilot Program, loss 

or reduction of support, or recovery of 

prior distributions. 

35. USAC Outreach. All Pilot Program 

participants listed in the R&O have 14 

calendar days from the effective date of 

the R&O to provide or update, as 

needed, contact information for the lead 

project coordinator to USAC, including 

the lead project coordinator’s name, 

mailing address, email address, and 

telephone number. Any future 

selections will need to provide or 

update this information within 14 

calendar days of the announcement of 

their selection. Within 30 days of the 

effective date of the R&O, USAC will 

conduct an initial coordination meeting 

with Pilot Program participants 

identified in Appendices A and B of the 

R&O. For any future selections, the 

Commission directs USAC to conduct 

an initial coordination meeting with 

additional selected Pilot Program 

participants within 30 days of their 

selection. USAC will also conduct a 

targeted outreach program, such as a 

webinar or similar outreach, to educate 

and inform selectees about the Pilot 

Program administrative process, 

including filing requirements and 

deadlines. In addition to the structured 

outreach, participants are encouraged to 

contact USAC support staff, who will be 

available to respond to individual 

questions about how to file forms or 

submit proper supporting documents. 

Pilot Program participants can also find 

information on USAC’s website for the 

Connected Care Pilot Program. And as 

noted in this document, most program 

forms and other program documents can 

be found in My Portal. 

36. Document Retention, Audits, and 

Protection Against Waste, Fraud, ad 

Abuse. As in the Healthcare Connect 

Fund, health care providers and 

selected participants, in addition to 

maintaining records related to their 

Pilot projects to demonstrate their 

compliance with the Pilot Program rules 

and requirements, must also keep 

supporting documentation for the 

required reports for at least five years 

after the conclusion of their Pilot project 

and must present that information to the 

Commission or USAC upon request. 

Pilot projects will also be subject to 

random compliance audits to ensure 

compliance with the Pilot Program rules 

and requirements. 

37. One indicator of the Pilot 

Program’s success will be the avoidance 

of waste, fraud, and abuse and the 

careful stewardship of USF resources. 

Pilot Program participants must 

carefully adhere to program rules, file 

timely and accurate reports, and 

promptly consult with USAC when 

questions regarding Pilot Program rules 

or processes arise. The Commission 

retains the discretion to evaluate the 

uses of monies disbursed through the 

USF programs and to determine on a 

case-by-case basis that waste, fraud, or 

abuse of program funds occurred, and 

that recovery is warranted. 

Additionally, in the event the 

Commission discovers any improper 

activity resulting from the Pilot 

Program, it will subject the offending 

party to all available penalties at our 

disposal, and will direct USAC to 

recover funds, assess retroactive fees 

and/or interest, or both. The 

Commission remains committed to 

ensuring the integrity of the USF 

programs and will continue to 

aggressively pursue instances of waste, 

fraud, or abuse under our own 

procedures and in cooperation with law 

enforcement agencies. 

38. Further, consistent with the 

Commission’s existing rules for the 

Healthcare Connect Fund Program, Pilot 

Program participants must contribute 

their 15% share of the eligible costs 

from eligible sources (e.g., the applicant, 

patient charges, an eligible health care 

provider, or state, federal, or Tribal 

funding or grants) and cannot apply 

funds from ineligible sources (including 

other FCC programs, such as the 

Universal Service Fund and the COVID– 

19 Telehealth Program, or direct 

payments from vendors or service 

providers). Pilot Program participants 

are also reminded that on their program 

application, they certified that no funds 

from any source—private, state, or 

federal—have been received or are 

expected to be received for the exact 

same services or equipment that are 

claimed as eligible for support under the 

Pilot Program. All Pilot Program 

participants are strongly encouraged to 

review their active certification 

commitments, including those related to 

HIPAA compliance, document 

retention, and proper use of funds. 

39. Finally, the Commission reminds 

Pilot Program participants that Pilot 

projects are prohibited from receiving 

duplicative funding from the Pilot 

Program and the COVID–19 Telehealth 

Program, or any other source, for those 

exact same items. If a Pilot Program 

participant is also selected for 

participation in the COVID–19 

Telehealth Program, it must ensure that 

it does not request disbursements for the 

same services or equipment from both 

programs. If any Pilot Program 

participant is also selected to participate 

in the COVID–19 Telehealth Program, 

the participant shall notify the 

Administrator immediately, and the 

Commission directs the Administrator 

to compare that participant’s Pilot 

Program funding request(s) against its 

COVID–19 Telehealth Program 

application to ensure that participants 

do not receive duplicative funding. 

40. Payment Administration. FCC Red 

Light Rule. To implement the 

requirements of the Debt Collection 

Improvement Act of 1996, the 

Commission established what is 

commonly referred to as the ‘‘red light 

rule.’’ Under the red light rule, the 

Commission will not take action on 

applications or other requests by an 

entity that is found to owe debts to the 

Commission until full payment or 

resolution of that debt. If the delinquent 

debt remains unpaid or other 

arrangements have not been made 

within 30 days of being notified of the 

debt, the Commission will dismiss any 

pending applications. If a Pilot Program 

participant or service provider is 

currently on red light status, it will need 

to satisfy or make arrangements to 

satisfy any debts that it owes to the 

Commission before its application can 

be processed. 

41. System for Award Management 

Registration. All Pilot Program 

participants and service providers must 

also register with the System for Award 

Management (SAM). SAM is a webbased, government-wide application 

that collects, validates, stores, and 

disseminates business information 


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about the federal government’s partners 

in support of federal awards, grants, and 

electronic payment processes. 

Registration in SAM provides the 

Commission with an authoritative 

source of information necessary to 

provide funding to Pilot Program 

participants and to ensure accurate 

reporting pursuant to the Federal 

Funding Accountability and 

Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA), as 

amended by the Digital Accountability 

and Transparency Act of 2014 (DATA 

Act). Only those applicants and service 

providers that are actively registered in 

SAM will be able to receive 

reimbursement from the Pilot Program. 

Pilot Program participants and service 

providers that are already registered 

with SAM do not need to re-register 

with that system in order to receive 

payment from the Pilot Program. Pilot 

Program participants who are not 

already registered with SAM may still 

participate in the Pilot Program, apply 

for funding, and receive program 

commitments, but Pilot Program 

participants and service providers must 

be registered in SAM before any 

payments can be issued for the Pilot 

Program. To assist participants who are 

not registered with SAM, the 

Commission directs USAC to provide 

information and guidance to 

participants regarding the SAM 

registration process. To the extent that 

Pilot Program participants subaward the 

payments they receive from the Pilot 

Program, as defined by FFATA/DATA 

Act regulations, Pilot Program 

participants may be required to submit 

data on those subawards. 

42. Do Not Pay. Pursuant to the 

requirements of the Payment Integrity 

Information Act of 2019, the 

Commission is required to ensure that a 

thorough review of available databases 

with relevant information on eligibility 

occurs to determine program or award 

eligibility and prevent improper 

payments before the release of any 

federal funds. To meet this requirement, 

the Commission and USAC will make 

full use of the Do Not Pay system 

administered by the U.S. Treasury’s 

Bureau of the Fiscal Service. If a check 

of the Do Not Pay system results in a 

finding that a Pilot Program participant 

or service provider should not be paid, 

the Commission will withhold issuing 

commitments and payments. The Pilot 

Program participant or service provider 

is responsible for working with the 

relevant agency to correct its 

information in the Do Not Pay system 

before payment can be issued. 

43. Appeals of USAC Decisions. 

Affected parties may seek review of a 

USAC decision pursuant to the rules 

and procedures outlined in §§ 54.719 to 

54.725 of the Commission’s rules. 

Specifically, an affected party may seek 

review of a decision by USAC by filing 

a request for review with USAC within 

60 days of the date of the decision. An 

affected party may seek Commission 

review of a USAC decision, only after 

first seeking review of the decision with 

USAC, and may file a request for review 

with the Commission within 60 days 

after USAC’s decision on appeal. An 

affected party may only request a waiver 

of the Commission’s rules, or a waiver 

of a decision by USAC, by filing such 

request with the Commission, within 60 

days of USAC’s decision. All other 

requirements for appeals and requests 

for waiver, including the form the 

filings must take, can be found in 

§§ 54.719 to 54.725 of the Commission’s 

rules. 

44. Delegations of Authority. In order 

to ease program administration, the 

Commission delegates to the Bureau, 

consistent with the goals of the Pilot 

Program, the authority to waive certain 

program deadlines, clarify any 

inconsistencies or ambiguities in the 

Pilot Program rules, adjust Pilot project 

funding commitments, or to perform 

other administrative tasks as may be 

necessary for the smooth operation of 

the Pilot Program. The Commission also 

delegates to the Bureau the authority to 

grant limited extensions of deadlines to 

Pilot projects, and other authority as 

may be necessary to ensure a successful 

Pilot Program. 

45. The Commission delegates 

financial oversight of this program to 

the Commission’s Managing Director 

and direct the Office of the Managing 

Director (OMD) to work in coordination 

with the Bureau to ensure that all 

financial aspects of the program have 

adequate internal controls. These duties 

fall within OMD’s current delegated 

authority to ensure that the Commission 

operates in accordance with federal 

financial statutes and guidance. OMD 

performs this role with respect to 

USAC’s administration of the 

Commission’s Universal Service 

programs and the Commission 

anticipates that OMD will leverage 

existing policies and procedures, to the 

extent practicable and consistent with 

the Connected Care Pilot Program, to 

ensure the efficient and effective 

management of the program. Finally, the 

Commission notes that OMD is required 

to consult with the Bureau on any 

policy matters affecting the program, 

consistent with § 0.91(a) of the 

Commission’s rules. 

III. Procedural Matters 

A. Paperwork Reduction Act Analysis 

46. This document contains new 

information collection requirements. 

The Commission, as part of its 

continuing effort to reduce paperwork 

burdens, will invite the general public 

and the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) to comment on the 

information collection requirements 

contained in this document, as required 

by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(PRA), Public Law 104–13. In addition, 

pursuant to the Small Business 

Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, Public 

Law 107–198, see 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4), 

the Commission seeks specific comment 

on how it might further reduce the 

information collection burden for small 

business concerns with fewer than 25 

employees. 

B. Congressional Review Act 

47. The Commission will not send a 

copy of the R&O to Congress and the 

Government Accountability Office 

pursuant to the Congressional Review 

Act, see 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A) because 

no rules are being adopted in the R&O. 

IV. Ordering Clauses 

48. Accordingly, it is ordered that, 

pursuant to the authority contained in 

sections 201, 254, and 303(r) of the 

Communications Act of 1934, as 

amended, 47 U.S.C. 201, 254, and 303(r) 

the R&O is adopted and shall become 

effective August 13, 2021, pursuant to 

47 U.S.C. 408. 

49. It is further ordered that, pursuant 

to the authority contained in sections 

201, 254, and 303(r) of the 

Communications Act of 1934, as 

amended, 47 U.S.C. 201, 254, and 

303(r), and § 1.3 of the Commission’s 

rules, 47 CFR 1.3, the monthly invoice 

submission requirement is waived, to 

the extent discussed herein. 

Federal Communications Commission. 

Marlene Dortch, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2021–14891 Filed 7–13–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P 


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