FCC Asks Small Businesses How to Make Federal Paperwork Less Painful
Published Date: 10/19/2026
Notice
Summary
The FCC is asking for your thoughts on how to make their paperwork easier, especially for small businesses with fewer than 25 employees. They want to cut down on the hassle and are open to ideas until November 18, 2026. If you have suggestions, now’s the time to speak up and help shape smarter, simpler rules!
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
Ongoing reporting triggers and revocation risk
The Order creates ongoing reporting triggers and a streamlined enforcement and revocation process for non-compliance, meaning entities could face faster enforcement or loss of authorization if they do not meet reporting requirements. These procedures were established as part of the Foreign Adversary Control Report & Order adopted in January 2026.
New FCC Form 5655 reporting rule
If your business or non-profit holds FCC-regulated licenses or authorizations, you must complete a new attestation and disclosure using FCC Form 5655 under the ‘‘Foreign Adversary Control’’ Order adopted in January 2026. The agency estimates 18,000 respondents will each spend about 2 hours per response (total annual burden 36,000 hours); the OMB control number is 3060-XXXX and responses are required to obtain or retain benefits.
Extra disclosures if foreign control reported
If you indicate your entity is owned, controlled, or subject to the jurisdiction of a foreign adversary, you must provide additional information about the nature of that control as part of the new reporting requirements. The Order specifies those respondents who report foreign-adversary control will have to submit this extra disclosure information.
Some attestation details may be public
Certain information from the attestation and additional disclosures will be made available to the public for inspection, subject to privacy and confidentiality rules, to improve transparency about foreign-adversary risks to U.S. communications networks. The Commission says this public disclosure is intended to allow outside parties to raise concerns where appropriate.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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