Assessment and Collection of Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year 1997

The Commission is revising its collection procedures for regulatory fees in order to help assure increased accuracy and timeliness of regulatory fee payments. First, permittees, licensees or other entities subject to a regulatory fee and claiming an exemption from regulatory fees based upon its status as a nonprofit entity, shall make a one-time filing with the Secretary of the Commission written documentation establishing the basis for its exemption with 60 days of its coming under the regulatory jurisdiction of the Commission or at the time its fee payment would otherwise be due, whichever is sooner, or at such other time as required by the Managing Director. Second, for-profit purchasers or assignees of licenses, stations or facilities previously owned by non-profit entities not subject to regulatory fees must notify the Secretary of the Commission of such purchase or reassignment within 60 days of the effective date of the purchase or assignment. Third, the Commission is requiring licensees of Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) stations to retain for two years, and submit to the Commission upon request, documentation used in calculating their fee payments. Finally, the Commission is delegating authority to the Managing Director to publish annually in the Federal Register lists of those commercial communications firms and businesses for commercial purposes that have paid a regulatory fee for the preceding fiscal year.