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"  " ? ?" ? ?" ? ?" " ? ?  ?? ?  ?  ? ?!?!?!??!~???!?!????????????|??? ??  ???? ? ? ???????8?x?x? ? ??? ?? ?? ? ?? ? ? ?  ? ? ?  ??  ?  ?? 0? ?? 8 ?? 8?? ?? ??? ???   @ ? ? ? ! ?!$$?$?$??#??#?8?##?# ??# ?# ?% %~&''?''?'?'''?'*)*?*p*|*~*?*?*?À**?----CCC C ?C ?C E E E ?E E E ?EEEE?EDEEEG?GGG G G ?8 6 6 6 ?6? ?5 5 7 7 7       ?   ?  ?  ? ?? ?  ? ?  ? ?  ?? ??  ?? ??  ?? ??  ?? ?  ??   ?   ?   ?          ǀ      ?              ?  ? ? ?  ?? ? À8 ? ?         ?  ? ?   ?       ?  ?À   À      ??    ? ?? ?   ?    ?  ?  À    ??    ?  ?   ? ?           ?      ? ?        ?     >   ??       ?  ?          ?     ?   ?   ?            ?? ? ??  ? ?   ?            ?        ??  ?  ?    &  '  '        ?       ?            ??  ??  ? ? ?   ?    ?                        ?   ??   ?   ? ?ǀ   ?ǀ  ? ?À  ? ?À   ?À   ?À   ?         ?         ?  ?  π       ?   ?            ?  À ?        ? ? ?      ?    8?       ? ? ~  ?  ? ?  ? ?  ?    ?  ? ??  ?   ?   ? ??  ?   ?  ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  ? ?   ?   ?   ?  ?  ? ?? ? ? ??? ~?   ? ? ? ?? ? ??  ? ? ??  ?  ?  ?À? ? ?? ?? ?? ? ? ? ?? ?? ??? ? ?? ?? ? ? ?? ? ?? ??  ??  ???  ?  ?  ? ?? ??  ?  ?  >?  ?  ?? - ?: 9 4ǀ? ?4 4 4? 4 4 4 4 5? 5 4 ?4 ?4 5 5 5 ?1? ?1 ?1 ?1 ?0 1x 1 / /? ?/π / / / .? ??.? ?. <. - - - --,,?,,-?----?+?* ??* ?+,>,,,?,?,?,--.?.?.?.%?À%%%%%%?%%?%?%?%&&'''?'?'?''?'())))x)?)?)?))*+++ǀX? π? ? ??? ##?&#&#? %#0%#x?%#?x%#?|%#?%#?%#?%#?%#%#%#%# ?%# $# ?$#?$# $# ?$# $#$#$#$#$#$#$#$###??####?##?##?#$ ?#$'$?'$'*'*'+'++XC d     X  XX  ddZd  Figure 1  Figure 1 #` 2pPG;JG` # U 1  1 y!HHX@Uddfcclogo.wpgHHy$XX%%%%!$\!d ddh d  eA'L#I2PG;ZP#News media information 202 / 4180500 'FaxOnDemand 202 / 4182830 ;[Internet: http://www.fcc.gov tftp.fcc.gov\!PUBLIC NOTICE#Xm2PG;jXP# ,%%ATT!!T%,  P*4$TT*XXTT!T%$X` hp x (#%'0*,.8135@8: 0*(( " the term "small business concern" under the Small Business Act, 15 U.S.C.  632, unless the  X4Commission has developed one or more definitions that are appropriate to its activities.)  yOb'ԍ 5 U.S.C.  601(3) (incorporating by reference the definition of "small business concern" in 15 U.S.C. 632). Pursuant to 5 U.S.C.  601(3), the statutory definition of small business applies "unless an agency after consultation with the Office of Advocacy of the Small Business Administration and after opportunity for public comment, establishes one or more definitions of such term which are appropriate to the activities of the agency and publishes such definitions in the Federal Register.")  X4Under the Small Business Act, a "small business concern" is one that: (1) is independently owned and operated; (2) is not dominant in its field of operation; and (3) meets any additional  X4criteria established by the Small Business Administration (SBA).Y x yO 'ԍ Small Business Act, 15 U.S.C.  632 (1996). Y As noted, the RFA also applies to nonprofit organizations and to governmental organizations such as governments of cities, counties, towns, townships, villages, school districts, or special districts with  X_4populations of less than 50,000.? _ yO'ԍ 5 U.S.C.  601(5).? As of 1992, the most recent figures available, there were  XH485,006 governmental entities in the United States.H {O'ԍ United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1992 Census of Governments (1992  {O['Census of Governments). 6. For "small business" determinations in this context, the SBA has established a definition of small elementary and secondary schools and small libraries as those with under  X 4  $5 million in annual revenues.T  yO'ԍ 13 C.F.R.  121.201, SIC 8211 and 8231.T Other entities of this sort may be considered small under the other two prongs of the RFA. The most reliable source of information regarding the total number of kindergarten through 12th grade (K12) schools and libraries nationwide of which we are aware appears to be data collected by the United States Department of Education and the National Center for Educational Statistics. Based on that information, it appears that there are approximately 86,221 public and 26,093 private K12 schools in the United States (SIC  Xb48211).b  yO'ԍ Letter from Emilio Gonzalez, to Mark Nadel, FCC, dated November 4, 1996 (U.S. Department of  {O_'Education November 4 ex parte). It further appears that there are approximately 15,904 libraries, including branches,  XK4in the United States (SIC 8231). K {O!'ԍ National Center for Education Statistics, Public Library Structure and Organization in the United States, Tbl. 1 (March 1996). Although it seems certain that not all of these schools and libraries would qualify as small entities under the SBA's determination, we are unable at this time to estimate with greater precision the number of small schools and libraries that would qualify as small entities under the definition. Consequently, we estimate that there are fewer than 86,221 public and 26,093 private schools and fewer than 15,904 libraries that may be affected by the decisions and rules adopted in this Third Report and Order."80*((n"Ԍ7. Neither the Commission nor the SBA has developed a definition of small, rural health care providers. Section 254(h)(5)(B) defines the term "health care provider" and sets  X4forth the seven categories of health care providers eligible to receive universal service  X4support.P {O4'ԍ See 47 U.S.C.  254(h)(5)(B).P We estimate that there are: (1) 625 "postsecondary educational institutions offering health care instruction, teaching hospitals, and medical schools," including 403 rural  X4community colleges,Z yO'ԍ Letter from Kent A. Phillippe, American Association of Community Colleges to John Clark, FCC, dated  {O` 'March 31, 1997 (AACC March 31 ex parte at 2). 124 medical schools with rural programs, yO 'ԍ Letter from Donna J. Williams, Ass'n of American Medical Colleges, to John Clark, FCC, dated  {O 'September 9, 1996 (AAMC September 9 ex parte). and 98 rural teaching  Xv4hospitals;v yO5'ԍ Letter from Kevin G. Serrin, Ass'n of American Medical Colleges, to John Clark, FCC, dated September  {O'5, 1996 (AAMC September 5 ex parte). (2) 1,200 "community health centers or health centers providing health care to  X_4migrants;"_h  yOx'ԍ Letter from Richard C. Bohrer, Division of Community and Migrant Health, HHS, to John Clark, FCC,  {O@'dated March 31, 1997 (HHS March 31 ex parte at 2). (3) 3,093 "local health departments or agencies" including 1,271 local health  XH4departmentsH  yO'ԍ Telephone contact by John Clark, FCC, with Carol Brown, National Association of County Health Officials, May 2, 1997. and 1,822 local boards of health;H yO'ԍ Letter from Ned Baker, Nat'l Ass'n of Local Boards of Health, to John Clark, FCC, dated April 2, 1997  {O'(Nat'l Ass'n of Local Boards of Health April 2 ex parte). (4) 2,000 "community mental health  X14centers;"1t yOV'ԍ Telephone contact by John Clark, FCC, with Mike Weakin, Center for Mental Health Services, HHS, on May 2, 1997. (5) 2,049 "notforprofit hospitals;"1 {O'ԍ American Hospital Association Center for Health Care Leadership,  A Profile of Nonmetropolitan  {Ox'Hospitals 199195 at 5 (1997). and (6) 3,329 "rural health clinics."1( {O 'ԍ Letter from Patricia Taylor, ORHP/HHS, to John Clark, FCC, dated May 2, 1997 (ORHP/HHS May 2 ex  {O'parte). We do not have sufficient information to make an estimate of the number of consortia of health care providers at this time. The total of these categorical numbers is 12,296. Consequently, we estimate that there are fewer than 12,296 health care providers potentially affected by the  X 4rules in this Third Report and Order. For the purposes of "small business" analysis, we note that according to the SBA definition, hospitals must have annual gross receipts of $5 million  X 4or less to qualify as a small business concern.K  yO&'ԍ 13 C.F.R.  121.201, SIC 8060.K There are approximately 3,856 hospital firms," 0*(( " of which 294 have gross annual receipts of $5 million or less. Although some of these small  X4hospital firms may not qualify as rural health care providers, we are unable at this time to estimate with greater precision the number of small hospital firms which may be affected by this Third Report and Order. Consequently, we estimate that there are fewer than 294 hospital firms affected by this Third Report and Order.  Xv48. Description of Projected Reporting, Recordkeeping, and Other Compliance  Xa4Requirements. This Third Report and Order will impose no additional reporting, recordkeeping or other compliance requirements on small entities.  X 49. Steps Taken to Minimize the Significant Economic Impact on Small Entities and  X 4Significant Alternatives Considered. Based on the nearly unanimous comments received in  X 4response to the September 10 Public Notice, the Commission concludes that all applications  X 4filed during the window will be treated as if simultaneously received.  {OX'ԍ See, e.g., Alaska at 12; Anchorage School Dist. at 1; DataCast at 1; Great City Schools Council at 2; Kansas Hosp. Ass'n at 1; KM Broadcasting at 4; Maine Dept. of Ed. at 1; Missouri PSC at 12; Missouri Res. Ed. Net. at 4; Missouri State Library at 2; Mississippi Council for Ed. Tech. at 23; NJ Ratepayer Advocate at 2; New York City Dept. of IT&T at 2; NYSDPS/NYSED at 1; North Dakota PSC at 1; CNMI at 4; RUPRI at 1; South Carolina OIR at 1; Utah Ed. Net. at 1. The Commission finds that adopting such a window period will best serve the needs of applicants for universal service discounts, and will assist the administrative corporations in processing these requests in a timely manner. The Commission finds that the window will reduce pressure on  X4applicants to submit their contracts at the earliest possible moment and, thus, will improve the accuracy and care with which these contracts are negotiated and the accompanying forms are completed. By providing additional time to complete contract negotiations after the fourweek competitive bid waiting period, a window will allow schools to negotiate their contracts  X'4with greater care.'z {OR'ԍ See 47 C.F.R.  54.504(b)(3), 54.603(b)(3) (requiring an applicant to wait four weeks from the date its request for services is posted on a website to make commitments with a selected service provider). Further, this window will reduce disparities between applicants with substantial administrative resources and applicants with fewer resources, such as small  X4schools, libraries, and health care providers." yO~'ԍ For example, a school that uses a courier service to deliver its signed contract on the morning of the first  {OF'day of a window will be treated the same as a library that files its contract several days later. See also Maine Dept. of Ed. at 1 (staff in rural Maine will likely have to work in the evenings in order to prepare their submission for universal service support). The Commission recognizes, as noted by the  X4commenters, that this window will not eliminate all disparities among applicants.4   {OQ#'ԍ See, e.g., Great City Schools Council at 2 (noting that window will not stop large buyers such as  yO$'statewide consortia from claiming sizable portions of the initial $1 billion allotment); Montana PSC at 2 (should assure that all states receive at least some opportunity to receive funding); Montana School Boards Ass'n at 2 (windows will exacerbate problem, will only ensure that similarly situated entities are treated more equally and will not ensure equal distribution across all states).4 The Commission adopted annual funding caps, $2.25 billion for schools and libraries and $400"p 0*((" million for health care providers, because it estimated that these monies would be sufficient for all applicants during the funding year. We emphasize that we have no reason to revise these estimates and have no reason to believe that either of the caps will be reached during the initial filing period, nor at any other point during the funding period. We are adopting a window primarily to allow applicants sufficient time to negotiate contracts properly and submit complete filings.  X_4 10. The Commission will send a copy of the Third Report and Order and this FRFA in a report to be sent to Congress pursuant to the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement  X14Fairness Act of 1996.O!1 {O 'ԍ See 5 U.S.C.  801(a)(1)(A).O A copy of the Third Report and Order and this FRFA will also be  X 4published in  the Federal Register and will be sent to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the  X 4Small Business Administration.I" Z {O'ԍ See 5 U.S.C.  604(b).I ] Action by the Acting Chief, Common Carrier Bureau\