PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 DA 12-1527 Released: September 24, 2012 OFFICE OF MANAGING DIRECTOR SEEKS COMMENT ON GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REGULATORY FEES REFORM REPORT AND EXTENDS REPLY COMMENT DEADLINE FOR REGULATORY FEES REFORM RULEMAKING MD Docket 12-201 Comment Date: October 9, 2012 (GAO Regulatory Fee Report) Reply Comment Date: October 23, 2012 (GAO Regulatory Fee Report and Regulatory Fees Notice of Proposed Rulemaking) On July 17, 2012, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeking comment on proposals to reform the Commission’s policies and procedures for assessing and collecting regulatory fees.1 The Commission published this Regulatory Fees Reform NPRM in the Federal Register, establishing a comment deadline of September 17, 2012 and reply comment deadline of October 16, 2012 .2 On September 10, 2012, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report entitled, Federal Communications Commission, Regulatory Fee Process Needs to Be Updated. 3 In its report, GAO, observes, among other things, that the Regulatory Fees Reform NPRM “proposes some fundamental changes to FCC’s regulatory fee program that relate to many of the concerns raised in this report.”4 In this Public Notice, the Office of Managing Director (OMD) seeks comment on the GAO Regulatory Fees Report and extends the deadline for filing reply comments in response to the Regulatory Fees Reform NPRM until October 23, 2012. This extension aligns the reply comment deadlines in response to both items so that interested parties have the opportunity to concurrently examine and comment on the intertwined issues in these items. Accordingly, comments for the GAO Regulatory Fees Report will be due October 9, 2012 and reply comments in response to both the GAO Regulatory Fees Report and Regulatory Fees Reform NPRM are due October 23, 2012. Finally, OMD has entered the 1 See In the Matter of Procedures for Assessment and Collection of Regulatory Fees, MD Docket 12-201, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 27 FCC Rcd 8458, FCC 12-77 (2012). 2 See Procedures for Assessment and Collection of Regulatory Fees, Federal Register, 77 FR 49749-01 (Aug. 17, 2012). 3 See Government Accountability Office, Regulatory Fee Process Needs to be Updated, GAO 12-686 (Aug. 2012) (GAO Report), available at, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-686. 4 See id. at 27. 2GAO Regulatory Fees Report into the record of the Regulatory Fees Reform proceeding so that comments on both documents may be filed in MD Docket 12-201. Pursuant to sections 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission’s rules, interested parties may file comments or reply comments on or before the dates indicated above.5 Comments may be filed using the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS).6 § Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/. § Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing. If more than one docket or rulemaking number appears in the caption of this proceeding, filers must submit two additional copies for each additional docket or rulemaking number. Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial overnight courier, or by first- class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail. All filings must be addressed to the Commission’s Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. § All hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission’s Secretary must be delivered to FCC Headquarters at 445 12th St., SW, Room TW-A325, Washington, DC 20554. The filing hours are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be disposed of before entering the building. § Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743. § U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail must be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW, Washington DC 20554. People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (tty). If you have any additional questions, please contact Roland Helvajian at (202) 418-0444. - FCC- 5 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.415, 1.419. 6 See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, GC Docket No. 97-113, Report and Order, 13 FCC Rcd 11322 (1998).