On July 9, 2020, the Commission released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) which considers three proposed updates to the Commission’s ex parte rules. The Commission seeks comment on:
- Exempting certain government-to-government consultations between Commission staff and leaders and official representatives of federally recognized Tribal Nations from ex parte rules to account for the unique relationship between the government and Tribal Nations, and to avoid the need to promulgate special procedures when such government-to-government consultations are necessary;
- Clarifying the ex parte exemption for the administrators of certain Commission programs to make clear that the exemption applies to “the relevant administrator” and expanding that exemption to include the Toll-Free Numbering Administrator and the Reassigned Numbers Database Administrator; and
- Modifying the filing deadlines for presentations made shortly before the beginning of the Sunshine period to require parties to file ex parte notices of all presentations before the Sunshine period begins (excluding presentations permissibly made during the Sunshine period pursuant to some other exception), with replies due 24 hours after that.
- Comments are due 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
- Reply comments are due 45 days after publication in the Federal Register.
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