FCC Begs: Help Us Tame the Paperwork Monster
Published Date: 4/30/2026
Notice
Summary
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is asking the public and small businesses to share their thoughts on how to make paperwork easier and less time-consuming. They want to keep collecting important info but reduce the hassle, especially for small businesses with fewer than 25 employees. Comments are open until June 1, 2026, so don’t miss your chance to help shape the process!
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
You must register in CORES
You must use FCC Form 160 to register in the FCC’s Commission Registration System (CORES) if you want to do regulatory transactions with the FCC, such as receiving licenses, paying fees, or participating in auctions. The collection is required to obtain or retain those benefits and applies to businesses, individuals, not-for-profits, and State/Local/Tribal governments.
Paperwork time: 10 minutes per filing
Each respondent is estimated to spend 10 minutes (0.167 hours) to complete FCC Form 160; the FCC estimates 154,077 respondents and a total annual burden of 25,730 hours. This is a one-time reporting requirement.
No monetary filing costs
The FCC states the Total Annual Costs for this information collection are 'No cost,' meaning there is no monetary fee to submit FCC Form 160 for CORES registration.
FCC seeks relief for very small firms
Under the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act, the FCC specifically asks for comments on how to reduce the information collection burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. Comments are due by June 1, 2026.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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Previous: 2026-08427 — Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority
The FCC is checking in with the public to review and improve some paperwork rules they manage. They want to make sure the info they collect is useful, clear, and not too much work—especially for small businesses. If you have thoughts, you’ve got until June 29, 2026, to share them and help shape smarter, simpler rules that save time and money.
Next: 2026-08429 — Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission
The FCC is checking in with the public and businesses to make sure its paperwork isn’t too tricky or time-consuming. They want your thoughts on how to keep info collection useful, clear, and easy—especially for small businesses. Comments are due by June 29, 2026, so don’t miss your chance to help shape smarter rules that save time and hassle!