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 PUBLIC  NOTICE  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12th  St.,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  TTY  202  /  418-  2555  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov 
 ftp.  fcc.  gov 
 DA  00-  2718 
 Released:  December  4,  2000 


 WIRELESS  TELECOMMUNICATIONS  BUREAU  ANNOUNCES  IT  WILL  NO  LONGER 
 LIMIT  REIMBURSEMENT  FEE  FOR  AMATEUR  OPERATOR  EXAMINATIONS 


 Prior  to  February  8,  1996,  Section  4  of  the  Communications  Act  of  1934,  as  amended  (Act),  47 
 U.  S.  C.  §  154(  f),  stated  that  individuals  or  organizations  that  provide  or  coordinate  the  preparation, 
 processing,  or  administration  of  examinations  for  amateur  station  operator  licenses  could  be  reimbursed  for 
 such  services  in  an  amount  not  to  exceed  $4,  adjusted  annually  every  January  1  for  changes  in  the 
 Department  of  Labor  Consumer  Price  Index.  On  February  8,  1996,  the  provision  in  Section  4  of  the  Act 
 regarding  the  limit  on  the  amount  of  allowable  cost  reimbursement  was  stricken.  1  As  a  result,  the  amount 
 of  out-  of-  pocket  costs  that  individuals  or  organizations  providing  authorized  volunteer  services  in 
 connection  with  amateur  operator  examinations  may  recover  from  examinees  is  no  longer  limited  by 
 Section  4  of  the  Act.  Therefore,  we  will  not  issue  a  Public  Notice  specifying  the  maximum  reimbursement 
 fee  for  2001  that  may  be  charged  an  amateur  station  operator  examinee  for  administering  an  examination. 


 Further,  in  view  of  the  statutory  change  eliminating  a  reimbursement  limit,  we  believe  that  it  is 
 appropriate  to  suspend,  pending  further  Commission  action,  the  enforcement  of  Section  97.527(  b)  of  the 
 Commission’s  Rules,  47  C.  F.  R.  §  97.527(  b),  the  rule  which  implemented  the  statutory  limit  previously 
 contained  in  Section  4  of  the  Act.  Accordingly,  effective  upon  publication  of  this  Public  Notice  in  the 
 Federal  Register,  we  will  suspend  enforcement  of  47  C.  F.  R.  §  97.  527(  b). 


 By  the  Chief,  Public  Safety  and  Private  Wireless  Division,  Wireless  Telecommunications  Bureau. 
 -  FCC  - 


 1  P.  L.  104-  104,  §  403(  a)(  4),  February  8,  1996. 
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