Schedule of Application Fees

<RULE> FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION <CFR>47 CFR Part 1</CFR> <DEPDOC>[MD Docket No. 20-270; FCC 24-137; FR ID 273962]</DEPDOC> <SUBJECT>Schedule of Application Fees</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Federal Communications Commission. <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) revises its Schedule of Application Fees to adjust for increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). </SUM> <DATES> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> <E T="03">Effective date:</E> May 23, 2025. </DATES> <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Daniel Daly, Office of Managing Director, at (202) 418-1832, <E T="03">Daniel.Daly@fcc.gov.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> This is a summary of the Commission's Order, FCC 24-137, MD Docket No. 20-270, adopted on December 31, 2024, and released on January 7, 2025. Based on the CPI, there is an increase of 17.41 percent in application fees. The full text of this document is available for public inspection by downloading the text from the Commission's website at <E T="03">https://www.fcc.gov/document/2024-application-fee-order.</E> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. Procedural Matters</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">A. Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis</HD> 1. No Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is required under the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 604, because the amendments adopted herein pertain to agency organization, procedure, and practice, or because there is “good cause” to conclude that notice and comment and delayed effectiveness are unnecessary for non-substantive, editorial revisions. <HD SOURCE="HD2">B. Final Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Analysis</HD> 2. This document does not contain new or modified information collection requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. In addition, therefore, it does not contain any new or modified information collection burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees, pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, Public Law 107-198 see 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4). <HD SOURCE="HD2">C. Congressional Review Act</HD> 3. The Commission has determined, and the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, concurs that these rules are non-major under the Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 804(2). The Commission has sent a copy of the Order to Congress and the Government Accountability office, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A). <HD SOURCE="HD1">II. Order</HD> 4. By the Order, the Commission adopts rule changes to our Schedule of Application Fees set forth in §§ 1.1102 through 1.1109 of our rules, to adjust our fees for processing applications and other filings. Section 8(b)(1) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (Communications Act or Act), requires the Commission, in every even-numbered year, to adjust the schedule of fees for processing applications to reflect increases or decreases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), rounded to the nearest $5 increment. In the Order, we make the 2024 CPI adjustment. 5. In December 2020, pursuant to authority established by the RAY BAUM'S Act, the Commission adopted a new application fee schedule that significantly updated the Commission's fiscal year (FY) 2018 fee schedule (last fee schedule before implementation of the RAY BAUM'S Act). Accordingly, in 2022, pursuant to section 8(b) of the Act, the Commission adjusted the fees by applying an inflation factor to the fees adopted in 2020 to reflect a change in the CPI of 11.59%, an increase of 30.958 index points calculated from 267.054 (April 2021) to 298.012 (October 2022). Applying the CPI Index consistent with the preceding calculation and adjusted within a specific timeframe, the fee schedule adopted in the 2024 Order reflects a change in the CPI of 17.41%, an increase of 46.494 index points calculated from 267.054 (first effective date of 2020 fees in April 2021) to 313.548 (April 2024). The adjustments comply with the requirements set forth in section 8(b) of the Act. Pursuant to section 8(b)(2) of the Act, however, the Commission may not adjust an application fee if: (1) in the case of a fee the current amount of which is less than $200, the adjustment would result in a change in the current amount of less than $10 or (2) in the case of a fee the current amount of which is $200 or more, the adjustment would result in a change in the current amount of less than 5 percent. 6. We recognize that, at the time of the Order, there are open rulemakings that propose new application fees. The Order, however, merely implements the 2024 CPI adjustment and does not address fees proposed in any other proceedings. 7. Procedural Matters. The methodology and timing of adjustments to application fees are prescribed by statute at 47 U.S.C. 158(b). Because our action implementing the statute under section 8(b) leaves us no discretion, prior notice and comment is unnecessary pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B). Additionally, no final regulatory flexibility analysis is required pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 604(a) of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 <E T="03">et seq.</E> Further, this document does not contain new or modified information collection requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Public Law 104-13. In addition, therefore, it does not contain any new or modified information collection burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees, pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, Public Law 107-198, see 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4). 8. Congressional Review Act. The Commission has determined, and the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, concurs, that this rule is non-major under the Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 804(2). The Commission will send a copy of the Order to Congress and the Government Accountability Office pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A) and section 9a(b) of the Act. Notification of the fee adjustments made in the Order will also be published in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> . 9. Electronic Payments. As a reminder, filers are required to submit payments electronically in accordance with the procedures set forth on the Commission's website, <E T="03">https://www.fcc.gov/licensing-databases/fees/application-processing-fees.</E> Payments can be made through the Commission Registration System (CORES), accessible at <E T="03">https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do.</E> To file applications, tariffs, and petitions, parties utilize, as applicable, the Commission's Electronic Tariff Filing System (ETFS) for tariffs, which can be found at <E T="03">https://apps.fcc.gov/etfs/etfsHome.action,</E> or the Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), which can be found at <E T="03">https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs.</E> Petitions filed in hard copy format should be submitted according to the procedures set forth on the web page of the Commission's Office of the Secretary, accessible at <E T="03">https://www.fcc.gov/secretary.</E> <HD SOURCE="HD1">III. Ordering Clauses</HD> 10. Accordingly, <E T="03">it is ordered,</E> that, pursuant to sections 1, 4(i), 4(j), and 8 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 154(j), and 158, the rule changes specified in the Order <E T="03">are adopted</E> and the Schedule of Application Fees, 47 CFR 1.1102 through 1.1107, <E T="03">is amended</E> as set forth in the Appendix of the Order. 11. <E T="03">It is further ordered</E> that the rule changes and adjustments to the Schedule of Application Fees made in the Order shall become effective 30 days after publication in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> . 12. <E T="03">It is further ordered</E> that the Office of the Managing Director, Performance Program Management, <E T="03">shall send</E> a copy of the Order in a report to be sent to Congress and the Government Accountability Office pursuant to the Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A), and section 9a(b) of the Act. <LSTSUB> <HD SOURCE="HED">List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 1</HD> Administrative practice and procedure. </LSTSUB> <SIG> <FP>Federal Communications Commission.</FP> <NAME>Katura Jackson,</NAME> Federal Register Liaison Officer. </SIG> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Final Rules</HD> For the reasons discussed in the document above, the Federal Communications Commission amends part 1 of title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations as follows: <HD SOURCE="HED">PART 1—PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE</HD> <REGTEXT TITLE="47" PART="1"> 1. The authority citation for part 1 continues to read as follows: <HD SOURCE="HED">Authority:</HD> 47 U.S.C. chs. 2, 5, 9, 13; 28 U.S.C. 2461 note; 47 U.S.C. 1754, unless otherwise noted. </REGTEXT> <REGTEXT TITLE="47" PART="1"> 2. Revise §§ 1.1102 through 1.1107 to read as follows: <STARS/> <CONTENTS> <SUBPART> <HD SOURCE="HED">Sec.</HD> <SECTNO>1.1102</SECTNO> <SUBJECT>Schedule of charges for applications and other filings in the wireless telecommunications services.</SUBJECT> <SECTNO>1.1103</SECTNO> <SUBJECT>Schedule of charges for equipment approval, experimental radio services (or service).</SUBJECT> <SECTNO>1.1104</SECTNO> <SUBJECT>Schedule of charges for applications and other filings for media services.</SUBJECT> <SECTNO>1.1105</SECTNO> <SUBJECT>Schedule of charges for applications and other filings for the wireline competition services.</SUBJECT> <SECTNO>1.1106</SECTNO> <SUBJECT>Schedule of charges for applications and other filings for the enforcement services.</SUBJECT> <SECTNO>1.1107</SECTNO> <SUBJECT>Schedule of charges for applications and other filings for the international services.</SUBJECT> <STAR ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 44k characters. 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