House Subcommittee Oks FCC Process Reform Act

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, November 17, 2011 | 0:13am CT

The U.S. House Communications Subcommittee voted 14-9 on Wednesday to pass the FCC Process Reform Act of 2011, or HR 3309. The Act prohibits the Commission from issuing a notice of proposed rule making unless, during the 3-year period preceding the issuance of such notice, the Commission has sought public comment through a notice of inquiry, a notice of proposed rule making, or a notice on a petition for rule making.

The measure also calls for a Minimum Comment Period as the Commission would be required to provide in each notice of proposed rule making a 30-day period for the submission of comments and an additional 30-day period for the submission of reply comments on such notice of proposed rule making.

In the case of the adoption of a rule or the modification or deletion of an existing rule that may impose additional burdens on industry or consumers, the order requires an identification and analysis of the market failure and actual harm to consumers that the adoption, modification or deletion will prevent. Additionally, a cost-benefit analysis of the adopted rule or the modification or deletion of an existing rule and performance measures for evaluating the effectiveness of the rule.

A proposed amendment added to the bill include one that requires links from the FCC website to detailed budget information.