How does FCC rulemaking work? When the FCC makes new rules, the agency goes through a series of steps to craft policies that are in the best interest of the public. Let’s break it down: First, the FCC issues a proposal for what the potential rules might looks like. That proposal is called a “Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” (NPRM). Almost immediately after the NPRM is released, the FCC opens a window to solicit public comment on how the proposal will affect Americans. This is where you come in. The FCC wants to hear from you. On May 15th, EFF will launch our public comment tool to help you submit your thoughts directly to the FCC. These comments are a matter of public record. That means that once you submit a comment, it lands on the FCC’s public docket, and anyone can see it. The FCC is required to respond to the public comments. And sometimes after a public comment window, the FCC will still have more questions. When this happens, the agency opens a “Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” and another subsequent public comment window to solicit answers to their questions. It won’t be until after this long process that we see what the FCC’s new rules look like. The whole rulemaking process can take up to a year, so we need to be in this for the long haul. Be prepared to comment and call Congress as the issue progresses.
Posted on: Wed, 18 Jun 2014 15:55:19 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015