§159a Provisions applicable to application and regulatory fees

Summary

Fee changes or updates for the fees under sections 158 and 159 cannot be reviewed by a court. The Commission must tell Congress right away when it makes an adjustment under those laws. The Commission must tell Congress at least 90 days before an amendment there takes effect. If a fee is paid late, the Commission will add a penalty equal to 25% of the unpaid fee. It will also charge interest at the rate set in section 3717 of title 31. The Commission can reject applications or filings that come with unpaid fees, interest, or penalties. It can also revoke a license if fees aren’t paid after the Commission sends a registered-mail notice and gives the licensee at least 30 days to pay or explain why they should not pay. A hearing is only required if the licensee raises a serious factual question. Any hearing will use written evidence, and the licensee must present and prove their case. The Commission can charge hearing costs unless the licensee largely wins. A revocation order must give at least 30 days to pay and does not become final until the licensee finishes any court review allowed under section 402(b)(5). The Commission may waive, cut, or delay fees, interest, or penalties for good cause if it serves the public interest. It must allow large fees to be paid in installments and small fees to be prepaid for up to the length of the license. The Commission must set up accounting systems needed to carry out the fee changes allowed by sections 158(c) and 159(d).