# Public Information Collections Approved by Office of Management and Budget > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A97-33684 ## Record - **Collection:** Federal Register - **Document type:** Notice - **Published:** December 29, 1997 - **Citation:** 62 FR 67639 ## Text FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Public Information Collections Approved by Office of Management and Budget December 18, 1997. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has received Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the following public information collections pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. For further information contact Shoko B. Hair, Federal Communications Commission, (202) 418- 1379. Federal Communications Commission OMB Control No.: 3060-0745. Expiration Date: 12/31/2000. Title: Implementation of the Local Exchange Carrier Tariff Streamlining Provisions in the Telecommunications Act of 1996--CC Docket No. 96-187. Form No.: N/A. Respondents: Business or other for-profit. Estimated Annual Burden: 170 respondents; 25 hours per response (avg.); 4250 total annual burden hours for all collections. Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $170,000. Frequency of Response: On occasion. Description: In the Report and Order issued in CC Docket No. 96- 187, the Commission adopts measures to implement the specific streamlining tariff filing requirements for local exchange carriers (LECs) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (1996 Act). a. Electronic filing requirement: The 1996 Act provides that LECs may file tariffs on seven and fifteen days' notice (47 U.S.C. Sec. 204(a)). The Common Carrier Bureau has established an Electronic Tariff Filing System (ETFS) that permits incumbent LECs to submit federal tariffs and associated documents electronically, via the Internet. At the present, use of EFTS by incumbent LECs for an official filing is voluntary. Mandatory use of ETFS by incumbent LECS is scheduled to commence on February 2, 1998. See Public Notice, DA 97-2491, released 11/25/97. (No. of respondents: 50; hours per response: 72 hours; total annual burden: 3600 hours). b. Requirement that carriers desiring tariffs proposing rate decreases to be effective in seven days must be filed in separate transmittals: The 1996 Act provides that LEC tariffs seeking rate increases shall be effective in fifteen days and LEC tariffs seeking rate decreases shall be effective in seven days. The 15 day notice period applies to transmittals that contain both rate increases and decreases. Carriers wishing to take advantage of the seven day notice period must file rate decreases in separate transmittals. This result will permit all of the carriers' rate changes will still receive streamlined treatment. Carriers filing a rate decrease have the opportunity to file on the shorter seven-day notice period by transmitting rate decrease in a separate filing. Any other tariff filed pursuant to section 204(a)(3) of the Communications Act, including those that propose a rate increase or any change in terms and conditions of service other than a rate charge, shall be filed on 15 days' notice. (No. of respondents: 10; hours per response: 4 hours; total annual burden: 40 hours). c. Requirement that carriers identify transmittals filed pursuant to the streamlined provisions of the 1996 Act: Because of the short notice periods, the Commission adopts the requirement that carriers identify specifically transmittals filed pursuant to Section 204(a)(3), including whether the transmittals contain rate increases, rate decreases or both. The Commission requires that LECs display prominently in the upper right hand corner of the tariff transmittal letters a statement indicating that the tariff is being filed on a streamlined basis under section 204(a)(3) of the Act and whether the tariff filing contains a proposed rate increase, decrease or both. This requirement will result in minimal inconvenience to the LECs while allowing the Commission and public to identify quickly whether the tariff is eligible for streamlined treatment and the notice period to be applied to the filing. Without such a statement, we will treat transmittal as filed outside of section 204(a)(3), i.e., not on a streamlined basis. (No. of respondents: 50; hours per response: 9 hours; total annual burden: 350 hours). d. Requirement that price cap LECs file their Tariff Review Plans (TRPs) prior to filing their annual access tariffs: Under existing Commission rules, LECs are required to submit revisions to their annual access tariffs on 90 days' notice to be effective on July 1. Because these revisions are eligible for streamlined treatment, we will require carriers subject to price cap regulation to file a TRP prior to the filing of the annual access tariff revisions absent any information on the carriers' rates proposed rates, and to make it available to the public. Early filing of the TRPs [[Page 67640]] will facilitate review of the annual access filings within the streamlined notice periods by resolving most of the major issues currently raised with the annual access proceedings. (This requirement does not impose any additional burden on the respondents since respondents are already required to file TRPs). e. Petitions and Replies: Petitions against LEC tariff transmittals that are effective 7 days from filing must be filed within 3 calendar days from the date of tariff filing, and replies must be filed within 2 calendar days of service of petition. Petitions against LEC tariff transmittals that are effective 15 days from filing will be filed as currently specified in sections 1.773(a)(2)(ii) and 1.773(b)(1)(ii). These rules require petitions to be filed within 4 days of service of the petition. All tariffs and associated documents filed on 15 days' notice or less must include, among other things, the facsimile number of the individual designated by the filing carrier to receive personal or facsimile service of petitions and that petitions and replies in connection with such tariff filings be served by hand or facsimile. (No. of respondents: 20; hours per response: 6 hours; total annual burden: 120 hours). f. Standard Protective Orders: In the Report and Order, the Commission issued a standard protective order for use in review of LEC tariff filings submitted pursuant to section 204(a)(3). Reviewing parties must keep a written record of all copies made and to provide this record to the Submitting Party on reasonable request. (No. of respondents: 20; hours per response: 2 hours; total annual burden: 40 hours). The information collected under the program of electronic filing will facilitate access to tariff and associated documents by the public, especially by interested persons who do not have ready access to the Commission's public reference rooms, and state and federal regulators. Ready electronic access to carrier tariffs should also facilitate the compilation of aggregate data for industry analysis purposes without imposing new reporting requirements on carriers. The Commission adopts its proposal to require that carriers desiring tariffs proposing rate decreases to be effective in seven days must be filed in separate transmittal. This requirement will ensure that a tariff filing proposing a rate decrease is given the shortest notice period possible under the 1996 Act. The Commission also adopts the requirement that carriers identify transmittals filed pursuant to the streamlining provisions of the 1996 Act. All of the requirements would be used to ensure that local exchange carriers comply with their obligations under the Communications Act and that the Commission be able to ensure compliance within the streamlined timeframes established by the 1996 Act. Obligation to respond: Mandatory. Public reporting burden for the collections of information is as noted above. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of the collections of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden to Performance Evaluation and Records Management, Washington, D.C. 20554. Federal Communications Commission. Magalie Roman Salas, Secretary. [FR Doc. 97-33684 Filed 12-24-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6712-01-P --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A97-33684. Public record. Not legal advice.