28768 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 110 / Thursday, June 6, 1996 / Rules and Regulations

13. Section 74.763 is amended by

revising paragraph (c) to read as follows:

§ 74.763 Time of operation.

* * * * *

(c) Failure of a low power TV, TV

translator, or TV booster station to

operate for a period of 30 days or more,

except for causes beyond the control of

the licensee, shall be deemed evidence

of discontinuation of operation and the

license of the station may be cancelled

at the discretion of the FCC.

Furthermore, the station’s license will

expire as a matter of law, without regard

to any causes beyond control of the

licensee, if the station fails to transmit

broadcast signals for any consecutive

12-month period, notwithstanding any

provision, term, or condition of the

license to the contrary.

* * * * *

14. Section 74.1263 is amended by

revising paragraph (e) to read as follows:

§ 74.1263 Time of operation.

* * * * *

(e) Failure of an FM translator or

booster station to operate for a period of

30 or more consecutive days, except for

causes beyond the control of the

licensee or authorized pursuant to

paragraph (c) of this section, shall be

deemed evidence of discontinuation of

operation and the license of the station

may be cancelled at the discretion of the

Commission. Furthermore, the station’s

license will expire as a matter of law,

without regard to any causes beyond

control of the licensee or to any

authorization pursuant to paragraph (c)

of this section, if the station fails to

transmit broadcast signals for any

consecutive 12-month period,

notwithstanding any provision, term, or

condition of the license to the contrary.

[FR Doc. 96–14239 Filed 6–05–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

47 CFR Part 95

[WT Docket No. 95–102; FCC 96–215]

Establishment of the Family Radio

Service

AGENCY: Federal Communications

Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: This action revises the

Personal Radio Service rules to establish

a very short distance, unlicensed, twoway voice personal radio service called

the Family Radio Service (FRS). The

rule amendments are necessary so that

families, friends and associates could

have the capability to communicate

with one another over a very short

range, typically a few city blocks. The

effect of this action is to provide a highquality low-cost communications

service that will be useful to hunters,

campers, hikers, bicyclists and other

outdoor activity enthusiasts who need

to communicate with other members of

their party who are out of speaking

range or sight but still in the same

general area.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 8, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

William T. Cross, Federal

Communications Commission,

Washington, DC 20554, (202) 418–0680.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a

summary of the Commission’s Report

and Order, adopted May 14 , 1996, and

released May 15, 1996. The complete

text of this Commission action,

including the rule amendments, is

available for inspection and copying at

the Federal Communications

Commission, Room 246, 1919 M Streeet,

NW., Washington, DC. The complete

text of this Report and Order may also

be obtained from the Commission’s

copy contractor, International

Transcription Services, Inc., 2100 M

Street, NW., Suite 140, Washington, DC

20037, telephone (202) 857–3800, and

from the FCC’s internet World Wide

Web homepage, http://www.fcc.gov

Summary of Report and Order

1. By this action, we are amending the

Personal Radio Service rules to establish

the FRS.

2. Also, by this action, we are also

amending the technical standards to

establish standards for FRS transmitters.

3. The amended rules are set forth

below, effective July 8, 1996.

4. This Report and Order and the rule

amendments are issued under the

authority contained in 47 U.S.C. 154(i),

303(r), and 307(e).

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 95

Communications equipment, Radio.

Federal Communications Commission

William F. Caton,

Acting Secretary.

Rule Changes

Part 95 of Chapter I of Title 47 of the

Code of Federal Regulations is amended

as follows:

PART 95—PERSONAL RADIO

SERVICES

1. The authority citation for part 95

continues to read as follows:

Authority: Secs. 4, 303, 48 Stat. 1066,

1082, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 154, 303.

2. Subpart B, §§ 95.191 through

95.194, is added to part 95 to read as

follows:

Subpart B—Family Radio Service (FRS)

General Provisions

Sec.

95.191 (FRS Rule 1) Eligibility and

responsibility.

95.192 (FRS Rule 2) Authorized locations.

95.193 (FRS Rule 3) Types of

communications.

95.194 (FRS Rule 4) FRS units.

Subpart B—Family Radio Service (FRS)

General Provisions

§ 95.191 (FRS Rule 1) Eligibility and

responsibility.

(a) Unless you are a representative of

a foreign government, you are

authorized by this rule to operate an

FCC certified FRS unit in accordance

with the rules in this subpart. No

license will be issued.

(b) You are responsible for all

communications that you make with the

FRS unit. You must share each channel

with other users. No channel is

available for the private or exclusive use

of any user.

§ 95.192 (FRS Rule 2) Authorized

locations.

(a) Provided that you comply with

these rules, you are authorized to

operate an FRS unit:

(1) Within or over any area of the

world where radio services are regulated

by the FCC (this area includes the fifty

United States and the District of

Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto

Rico, the United States Virgin Islands

(50 islets and cays), American Samoa

(seven islands), the Commonwealth of

Northern Marianna Islands, and Guam

Island);

(2) Within or over any other area of

the world, except within or over the

territorial limits of areas where radio

services are regulated by an agency of

the United States other than the FCC or

any foreign government (you are subject

to its rules);

(3) Aboard any vessel or aircraft

registered in the United States, with the

permission of the captain, that is within

or over any area of the world where

radio services are regulated by the FCC

or upon or over international waters;

(4) or; Aboard any unregistered vessel

or aircraft owned or operated by a

United States citizen or company that is

within or over any area of the world

where radio services are regulated by

the FCC or upon or over international

waters.

(5) You must operate the FRS unit

only according to any applicable treaty

to which the United States is a party.
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 110 / Thursday, June 6, 1996 / Rules and Regulations 28769

The FCC will make public notice of any

such conditions.

(b) Your use of an FRS unit must not

cause harmful interference to a FCC

monitoring facility. Doing so could

result in imposition of restrictions upon

the operation of the FRS unit within 0.8

km (0.5 mile) of the facility by its

Engineer-in-Charge. (Geographical

coordinates of the facilities that require

protection are listed in § 0.121(c) of this

chapter.)

(c) The FCC may impose additional

restrictions on a FRS station if the

station is located at a point within the

National Radio Quiet Zone (an area

within the States of Maryland, Virginia

and West Virginia). The Zone is the area

bounded by:

(1) 39° 15′ N. on the North;

(2) 78° 30′ W. on the East;

(3) 37° 30′ N. on the South; and

(4) 80° 30′ W. on the West.

§ 95.193 (FRS Rule 3) Types of

communications.

(a) You may use an FRS unit to

conduct two-way voice communications

with another person. You may use the

FRS unit to transmit one-way

communications only to establish

communications with another person,

send an emergency message, provide

traveler assistance, make a voice page,

or to conduct a brief test.

(b) The FRS unit may transmit tones

to make contact or to continue

communications with a particular FRS

unit. If the tone is audible (more than

300 Hertz), it must last no longer than

15 seconds at one time. If the tone is

subaudible (300 Hertz or less), it may be

transmitted continuously only while

you are talking.

(c) You must not use an FRS unit in

connection with any activity which is

against federal, state or local law.

(d) You must, at all times and on all

channels, give priority to emergency

communication messages concerning

the immediate safety of life or the

immediate protection of property.

(e) No FRS unit may be

interconnected to the public switched

network.

§ 95.194 (FRS Rule 4) FRS units.

(a) You may only use an FCC certified

FRS unit. (You can identify an FCC

certified FRS unit by the label placed on

it by the manufacturer.)

(b) You must not make, or have made,

any internal modification to an FRS

unit. Any internal modification cancels

the FCC certification and voids your

authority to operate the unit in the FRS.

(c) You may not attach any antenna,

power amplifier, or other apparatus to

an FRS unit that has not been FCC

certified as part of that FRS unit. There

are no exceptions to this rule and

attaching any such apparatus to a FRS

unit cancels the FCC certification and

voids everyone’s authority to operate

the unit in the FRS.

Subpart D—Citizens Band (CB) Radio

Service

3. Section 95.401 is revised to read as

follows:

§ 95.401 (CB Rule 1) What are the Citizens

Band Radio Services?

The Citizens Band Radio Services are:

(a) The Citizens Band (CB) Radio

Service—a private, two-way, shortdistance voice communications service

for personal or business activities of the

general public. The CB Radio Service

may also be used for voice paging.

(b) The Family Radio Service (FRS)—

a private, two-way, very short-distance

voice communications service for

facilitating family and group activities.

The rules for this service are contained

in Subpart B of this part.

Subpart E—Technical Regulations

4. Section 95.601 is revised to read as

follows:

§ 95.601 Basis and purpose.

These rules provide the technical

standards to which each transmitter

(apparatus that converts electrical

energy received from a source into RF

(radio frequency) energy capable of

being radiated) used or intended to be

used in a station authorized in any of

the Personal Radio Services must

comply. They also provide requirements

for obtaining type acceptance of such

transmitters. The Personal Radio

Services are the GMRS (General Mobile

Radio Service), the Family Radio

Service (FRS), the R/C (Radio Control

Radio Service), and the CB (Citizens

Band Radio Service). For operating

rules, see Part 95, Subpart A–GMRS;

Subpart B–FRS; Subpart C–R/C; and

Subpart D–CB.

5. Section 95.603 is amended by

revising the section heading and adding

paragraph (d) to read as follows:

§ 95.603 Type acceptance or certification

required.

* * * * *

(d) Each FRS unit (a transmitter that

operates or is intended to operate in the

FRS) must be certified for use in the

FRS in accordance with Subpart J of

Part 2 of this chapter.

6. Section 95.605 is revised to read as

follows:

§ 95.605 Type acceptance and certification

procedures.

Any entity must request type

acceptance for its transmitter when the

transmitter is used in the GMRS, R/C or

CB Radio Service, or IVDS following the

procedures in Part 2 of this chapter. Any

entity must request certification for its

transmitter when the transmitter is used

in the FRS following the procedures in

Subpart J of Part 2 of this chapter.

§§ 95.627 through 95.669 (Redesignated as

§§ 95.629 through 95.671)

7. Sections 95.627 through 95.669 are

redesignated as 95.629 through 95.671

and a new Section 95.627 is added to

read as follows:

§ 95.627 FRS unit channel frequencies.

(a) The FRS unit channel frequencies

are:

Channel No. (MHz)

1 ............................................ 462.5625

2 ............................................ 462.5875

3 ............................................ 462.6125

4 ............................................ 462.6375

5 ............................................ 462.6625

6 ............................................ 462.6875

7 ............................................ 462.7125

8 ............................................ 467.5625

9 ............................................ 467.5875

10 .......................................... 467.6125

11 .......................................... 467.6375

12 .......................................... 467.6625

13 .......................................... 467.6875

14 .......................................... 467.7125

(b) Each FRS unit must be maintained

within a frequency tolerance of

0.00025%.

8. Newly redesignated § 95.629 is

amended by revising paragraph (b),

redesignating paragraphs (d) and (e) as

paragraphs (e) and (f) respectively, and

adding a new paragraph (d) to read as

follows:

§ 95.629 Emission types.

* * * * *

(b) An R/C transmitter may transmit

any appropriate non-voice emission

which meets the emission limitations of

§ 95.633.

* * * * *

(d) An FRS unit may transmit only

emission type F3E. A non-voice

emission is limited to selective calling

or tone-operated squelch tones to

establish or continue voice

communications.

* * * * *

9. Newly redesignated § 95.631 is

amended by adding a new paragraph (c)

to read as follows:

§ 95.631 Emission bandwidth.

* * * * *
28770 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 110 / Thursday, June 6, 1996 / Rules and Regulations

(c) The authorized bandwidth for

emission type F3E transmitted by a FRS

unit is 12.5 kHz.

10. Newly redesignated § 95.633 is

amended by revising paragraph (b) to

read as follows:

§ 95.633 Unwanted radiation.

* * * * *

(b) The power of each unwanted

emission shall be less than TP as

specified in the applicable paragraph:

Transmitter Emission type Applicable

paragraphs

GMRS .................................................... A1D, A3E, F1D, G1D, F3E, G3E with filtering .................................................... (1), (3), (7)

A1D, A3E, F1D, G1D, F3E, G3E without filtering ............................................... (5), (6), (7)

H1D, J1D, R1D, H3E, J3E, R3E ......................................................................... (2), (4), (7)

FRS ....................................................... F3E with filtering .................................................................................................. (1), (3), (7)

Note: Filtering refers to the requirement in § 95.635(b) R/C:

27 MHz band ......................................... As specified in § 95.629(b) .................................................................................. (1), (3), (7)

72–76 MHz band ................................... As specified in § 95.629(b) .................................................................................. (1), (3), (7), (10), (11),

(12)

CB .......................................................... A1D, A3E ............................................................................................................. (1), (3), (8), (9)

H1D, J1D, R1D, H3E, J3E, R3E ......................................................................... (2), (4), (8), (9)

A1D, A3E type accepted before September 10, 1976 ........................................ (1), (3), (7)

H1D, J1D, R1D, H3E, J3E, R3E type accepted before September 10, 1986 .... (2), (4), (7)

* * * * *

11. Newly redesignated § 95.635 is

amended by revising paragraph (a) to

read as follows:

§ 95.635 Modulation standards.

(a) A GMRS transmitter that transmits

emission types F1D, G1D, or G3E must

not exceed a peak frequency deviation

of plus or minus 5 kHz. A GMRS

transmitter that transmits emission type

F3E must not exceed a peak frequency

deviation of plus or minus 5 kHz. A FRS

unit that transmits emission type F3E

must not exceed a peak frequency

deviation of plus or minus 2.5 kHz, and

the audio frequency response must not

exceed 3.125 kHz .

* * * * *

12. Newly redesignated § 95.637 is

amended by adding a new paragraph (d)

to read as follows:

§ 95.637 Maximum transmitter power.

* * * * *

(d) No FRS unit, under any condition

of modulation, shall exceed 0.500 W

effective radiated power (ERP).

13. Newly redesignated § 95.645 is

revised to read as follows:

§ 95.645 FRS unit and R/C transmitter

antennas.

The antenna of each FRS unit, and the

antenna of each R/C station transmitting

in the 72–76 MHz band, must be an

integral part of the transmitter. The

antenna must have no gain (as

compared to a half-wave dipole) and

must be vertically polarized.

14. Newly redesignated § 95.647 is

revised to read as follows:

§ 95.647 Power capability.

No CB or R/C station transmitter or

FRS unit shall incorporate provisions

for increasing its transmitter power to

any level in excess of the limit specified

in § 95.637.

15. Newly redesignated § 95.649 is

revised to read as follows:

§ 95.649 Crystal control required.

All transmitters used in the Personal

Radio Services must be crystal

controlled, except an R/C station that

transmits in the 26–27 MHz frequency

band, and a FRS unit.

16. Appendix 1 to Subpart E is

amended by adding the definition for

‘‘FRS’’, in alphabetical order, to read as

follows:

Appendix 1 To Subpart E-Glossary of Terms

* * * * *

FRS. Family Radio Service.

* * * * *

[FR Doc. 96–14140 Filed 6–5–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs

Administration

49 CFR Part 192

[Docket PS–124; Amdt. 192–76]

RIN 2137–AC25

Regulatory Review; Gas Pipeline

Safety Standards

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs

Administration (RSPA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: This final rule changes

miscellaneous gas pipeline safety

regulations to provide clarity, eliminate

unnecessary or burdensome

requirements, and foster economic

growth. The changes result from a

comprehensive review of the regulations

RSPA has completed under President

Clinton’s Regulatory Reinvention

Initiative to reduce the burden of

government regulations. The changes

are intended to reduce the costs of

compliance without compromising

safety.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This final rule is

effective July 8, 1996. The incorporation

by reference of certain publications

listed in the regulations is approved by

the Director of the Federal Register as of

July 8, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A.

C. Garnett, (202) 366–2036, or L. M.

Furrow, (202) 366–4559, regarding the

subject matter of this amendment, or the

Dockets Unit, (202) 366–5046 regarding

copies of this amendment or other

material in the docket.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Early in 1992, RSPA began an

extensive review of the federal gas

pipeline safety regulations (49 CFR part

192) and invited the public to

participate (57 FR 4745, Feb. 7, 1992).

The review was to see what changes

were necessary to provide clarity,

eliminate unnecessary or overly

burdensome requirements, and foster

economic growth. As a result of the

review, RSPA published a Notice of

Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM),

proposing changes to 38 regulations in

part 192 (Notice 1; 57 FR 39572, Aug.

31, 1992).

Then the National Association of

Pipeline Safety Representatives

(NAPSR) reported on a separate but

related review of part 192. RSPA had

asked NAPSR to identify regulations in

part 192 that may not assure safety or