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 PUBLIC  NOTICE  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  St.,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 DA  05-  513 
 March  1,  2005 


 WIRELINE  COMPETITION  BUREAU  SEEKS  COMMENT  ON  PROPOSED  REVISIONS  TO  FCC  FORMS  472,  473  and  474 


 Schools  and  Libraries  Universal  Support  Mechanism 
 CC  Docket  No.  02-  6 
 Comments  Date:  March  22,  2005  Reply  Comments  Date:  April  5,  2005 


 The  Wireline  Competition  Bureau  (Bureau)  seeks  comment  on  proposed  revisions  to  three  existing  Commission  forms  used  in  the  schools  and  libraries  universal  support  mechanism  (E-  Rate 
 program).  Drafts  of  the  three  forms,  FCC  Forms  472,  473,  and  474,  and  draft  instructions  for  each  form,  are  attached  as  Attachment  A. 


 The  proposed  revisions  to  the  forms  are  a  continuation  of  the  efforts  made  in  the  Schools  and  Libraries  Fifth  Report  and  Order  to  strengthen  oversight  of  the  E-  Rate  program  and  combat  waste,  fraud, 
 and  abuse.  1  Notice  concerning  revisions  to  these  forms  as  well  as  other  E-  Rate  forms  was  issued  in  the  Federal  Register  on  August  30.  2004.  2  The  Bureau  provides  here  specifically  the  proposed  revisions  to 
 FCC  Forms  472,  473  and  474  in  order  to  provide  opportunity  for  additional  public  comment.  Pursuant  to  this  Public  Notice,  the  Bureau  establishes  the  above  referenced  comment  period  of  fifteen  days  and  a 
 reply  comment  period  of  ten  days. 


 FCC  Form  472.  Form  472  is  the  Billed  Entity  Applicant  Reimbursement  Form  (BEAR),  which  is  used  by  the  applicant,  or  Billed  Entity,  to  request  reimbursement  for  discounts  on  eligible  services  for 
 which  the  applicant  has  already  paid  the  service  provider.  Among  the  proposed  revisions  to  Form  472  are  the  requirement  of  additional  contact  information  for  the  Billed  Entity,  and  information  on  the  employer 
 of  the  individual  who  signs  the  form.  The  proposed  revisions  also  include  reference  to  the  FCC 


 1  Schools  and  Libraries  Universal  Support  Mechanism,  CC  Docket  No.  02-  6,  Fifth  Report  and  Order,  19  FCC  Rcd 
 15808  (2004)  (Schools  and  Libraries  Fifth  Report  and  Order). 
 2  69  Fed.  Reg.  52902,  52903;  44  U.  S.  C.  3507(  1)(  D).  The  60-  day  public  notice  period  pursuant  to  the  Paperwork 
 Reduction  Act  has  been  completed  for  revised  versions  of  all  three  proposed  forms.  No  comments  were  filed  in  response  to  the  publication  in  the  Federal  Register. 
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 Registration  Number  and  additional  of  certifications  against  waste,  fraud  and  abuse,  pursuant  to  the  Schools  and  Libraries  Fifth  Report  and  Order.  3 
 FCC  Form  473.  Form  473,  the  Service  Provider  Annual  Certification  Form,  is  used  when  service  providers  anticipate  direct  reimbursement  from  the  program’s  administrators.  Service  providers  attest  in 
 Form  473  that  the  invoices  to  be  submitted  to  the  program  are  anticipated  to  comply  with  the  Commission’s  rules  governing  the  program.  Service  providers  must  submit  Form  473  to  be  eligible  to 
 submit  invoices,  and  to  use  their  Service  Provider  Identification  Number  (SPIN).  The  proposed  revisions  to  Form  473  would  require  service  providers  to  provide  a  FCC  Registration  Number  and,  in  the  case  of 
 telecommunications  carriers,  a  FCC  Form  499  Filer  identification  number.  Service  providers  also  would  have  to  identify  the  employer  of  the  individual  who  signs  the  form,  and  affirm  certifications  against 
 waste,  fraud  and  abuse  pursuant  to  the  Schools  and  Libraries  Fifth  Report  and  Order.  4  In  addition,  in  place  of  the  multiple  SPINs  for  each  Form  473  permitted  under  the  existing  FCC  Form  473,  the  revised 
 Form  473  permits  only  one  SPIN  per  form. 


 FCC  Form  474.  Form  474  is  the  Service  Provider  Invoice  Form,  through  which  service  providers  obtain  universal  service  funding  in  the  amount  of  the  discounts  afforded  to  applicants  under  the  program. 
 The  proposed  revised  Form  474  includes  reference  to  the  FCC  Registration  Number. 


 For  further  information,  contact  Greg  Lipscomb  in  the  Telecommunications  Access  Policy  Division,  Wireline  Competition  Bureau,  at  (202)  418-  7400,  TTY  (202)  418-  8200. 


 3  Schools  and  Libraries  Fifth  Report  and  Order,  19  FCC  Rcd  at  15821-  22,  30,  paras.  42,  64. 
 4  Id.  at  15832,  48,  paras.  70-  71,  Appendix  B. 
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