*Pages 1--2 from Microsoft Word - 46233.doc* Federal Communications Commission FCC 05- 39 Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D. C. 20554 In the Matter of Federal- State Joint Conference On Accounting Issues ) ) ) ) WC Docket No. 02- 269 ORDER Adopted: February 15, 2005 Released: February 16, 2005 By the Commission: I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1. In this Order, we extend the Federal- State Joint Conference on Accounting Issues (Joint Conference) until March 1, 2007. This extension will provide the Joint Conference with the time needed to consider and make recommendations on additional accounting and reporting issues. 2. The Commission convened the Joint Conference on September 5, 2002, “to provide a forum for an ongoing dialogue between the Commission and the states in order to ensure that regulatory accounting data and related information filed by carriers are adequate, truthful, and thorough.” 1 The Commission found that the “Joint Conference will provide a focused means by which we and interested state commissions may conduct an open dialogue, collect and exchange information, and consider initiatives that will improve the collection of adequate, truthful, and thorough accounting data for regulatory purposes.” 2 In charging the Joint Conference with the task of reexamining federal and state accounting and reporting requirements, the Commission noted that the Joint Conference has a broad mandate to perform its work, including the ability to recommend additions to, or eliminations of, accounting requirements. 3 3. On October 9, 2003, the Joint Conference submitted a series of recommendations to the Commission. 4 On December 23, 2003, the Commission released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comments on those recommendations. 5 1 Federal- State Joint Conference on Accounting Issues, WC Docket No. 02- 269, Order, 17 FCC Rcd 17025, 17025- 27 paras. 1, 7 (2002) (Convening Order). 2 Id. at 17026, para. 4. 3 Id. at 17027, para. 7. The Joint Conference sought comment on a range of accounting and reporting issues in a Public Notice. See Federal- State Joint Conference on Accounting Issues Request for Comment, WC Docket No. 02- 269, Public Notice, 17 FCC Rcd 24902 (2002). In addition, the Joint Conference held a public hearing to gather information from a cross- section of telecommunications industry representatives. See List of Panelists to Attend Public Hearing Held by the Federal- State Joint Conference on Accounting Issues, Public Notice, 18 FCC Rcd 2532 (2003). 4 Letter from Federal- State Joint Conference on Accounting Issues to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC (October 9, 2003). 5 Federal- State Joint Conference on Accounting Issues; 2000 Biennial Regulatory Review – Comprehensive Review of the Accounting Requirements and ARMIS Reporting Requirements for Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers: (continued....) 1 Federal Communications Commission FCC 05- 39 2 4. On June 24, 2004, we issued an order addressing the issues raised in the Joint Conference report. 6 In the Joint Conference Report and Order, we adopted some of the Joint Conference’s recommendations, and we resolved the outstanding petitions for reconsideration of the Phase II Report and Order. 7 The Joint Conference Report and Order, however, did not address several other issues that were raised by commenting parties. Many commenters included additional proposals and specific areas for investigation or study by the Joint Conference and the Commission. In the Joint Conference Report and Order, we stated that the Joint Conference would continue to examine these issues. 8 II. DISCUSSION 5. In the Convening Order we stated that we would revisit the need for and utility of the Joint Conference in two years time. 9 We find that continued dialogue between the Commission and the states will be useful to facilitate review of accounting and reporting issues that remain outstanding. We therefore extend the Joint Conference until March 1, 2007. III. ORDERING CLAUSE 6. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to sections 4( i), 4( j), and 410( b) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U. S. C. §§ 154( i), 154( j), and 410( b), that the Federal- State Joint Conference on Accounting Issues IS EXTENDED until March 1, 2007. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Marlene H. Dortch Secretary (... continued from previous page) Phase II; Jurisdictional Separations Reform and Referral to the Federal- State Joint Board; Local Competition and Broadband Reporting, WC Docket No. 02- 269, CC Docket Nos. 00- 199, 80- 286 and 99- 301, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 18 FCC Rcd 26991 (2003) (Notice). The Joint Conference Recommendation is contained in its entirety in Appendix A of the Notice. See id. at 27015- 56, App. A. 6 Federal- State Joint Conference on Accounting Issues; 2000 Biennial Regulatory Review – Comprehensive Review of the Accounting Requirements and ARMIS Reporting Requirements for Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers: Phase II; Jurisdictional Separations Reform and Referral to the Federal- State Joint Board; Local Competition and Broadband Reporting, Report and Order in WC Docket No. 02- 269 and CC Docket Nos. 00- 199, 80- 286 and 99-301, 19 FCC Rcd 11732 (2004) (Joint Conference Report and Order). 7 See id.; 2000 Biennial Regulatory Review – Comprehensive Review of the Accounting Requirements and ARMIS Reporting Requirements for Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers: Phase II, Amendments to the Uniform System of Accounts for Interconnection; Jurisdictional Separations Reform and Referral to the Federal- State Joint Board; Local Competition and Broadband Reporting, Report and Order in CC Docket Nos. 00- 199, 97- 212, and 80- 286; Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in CC Docket Nos. 00- 199, 99- 301, 80- 286, 16 FCC Rcd 19913 (2001) (Phase II Report and Order). 8 See Joint Conference Report and Order, 19 FCC Rcd at 11751, para. 64. 9 See Convening Order, 17 FCC Rcd at 17027, para. 6. 2