,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #hge  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,april #f           
7legislative day1 ,april #d71 #bjag,mr4 
,sullivan introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1  
and ,transportation  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
require the ,comptroller ,general of the
 ,united ,states to conduct a study and 
submit a report on filing requirements  
under the ,universal ,service ,fund     
programs4  #a4 ,study and report on     
filing requirements under ,universal    
,service ,fund programs  7a7            
,definitions ,in this section-- 7#a7 the
 term ,administrative ,procedure ,act   
means subchapter ,,ii of chapter #e of  
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code2  7#b7  
the term ,commission means the ,federal 
,communications ,commission2  7#c7 the  
term covered carrier means an eligible  
telecommunications carrier or service   
provider that receives universal service
 support under sections #bad7;e7 and    

#bed of the ,communications ,act of     
#aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #bad7;e7 and #bed7 
for the provision of service under a    
,universal ,service ,fund program2 and  
7#d7 the term ,universal ,service ,fund 
program means each program of the       
,commission set forth under part #ed of 
title #dg1 ,code of ,federal            
,regulations1 or any successor thereto1 
including--  7,a7 the ,connect ,america 
,fund set forth under subpart ,d of that
 part2  7,b7 the ,lifeline program set  
forth under subpart ,e of that part2    
7,c7 the ,e-,rate program set forth     
under subpart ,f of that part2  7,d7 the
 ,rural ,health ,care program set forth 
under subpart ,g of that part2  7,e7 the
 ,remote ,areas ,fund set forth under   
subpart ,j of that part2  7,f7 the      
,connect ,america ,fund ,broadband ,loop
 ,support program set forth under       
subpart ,k of that part2  7,g7 the      
,mobility ,fund set forth under subpart 
,l of that part2 and  7,h7 the ,high    
,cost ,loop ,support for                

,rate-of-,return ,carriers program set  
forth under subpart ,m of that part4    
7b7 ,study and report ,not later than #a
 year after the date of enactment of    
this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general of 
the ,united ,states shall conduct a     
study and submit to the ,commission1 the
 ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and 
,transportation of the ,senate1 and the 
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of  
the ,house of ,representatives a report1
 which shall include--  7#a7 an analysis
 of the filing requirements for covered 
carriers participating in a ,universal  
,service ,fund program1 including any   
filings required by the ,universal      
,service ,administrative ,company2  7#b7
 an analysis of the financial impact of 
those filing requirements on covered    
carriers participating in a ,universal  
,service ,fund program2 and  7#c7       
recommendations1 if any1 on how to      
consolidate redundant filing            
requirements for covered carriers       
participating in a ,universal ,service  

,fund program4  7c7 ,rulemaking  7#a7   
,new or ongoing rulemaking ,except as   
provided in paragraph 7#b71 not later   
than #cj days after the date on which   
the report is submitted under subsection
 7b71 the ,commission shall--  7,a7 7i7 
initiate a rulemaking to consolidate    
redundant filing requirements for       
covered carriers participating in a     
,universal ,service ,fund program2 and  
7ii7 incorporate the recommendations    
described in subsection 7b77#c71 if any1
 into the rulemaking under clause 7i7 of
 this subparagraph1 except to the extent
 that doing so would violate the        
requirements of the ,administrative     
,procedure ,act2 or  7,b7 incorporate   
the recommendations described in        
subsection 7b77#c71 if any1 into an     
ongoing rulemaking relating to          
consolidating redundant filing          
requirements of the ,commission1 except 
to the extent that doing so would       
violate the requirements of the         
,administrative ,procedure ,act4  7#b7  

,previous rulemaking ,paragraph 7#a7    
shall not apply if1 on or before the    
date on which the report is submitted   
under subsection 7b71 the ,commission   
completes a rulemaking to consolidate   
redundant filing requirements for       
covered carriers participating in a     
,universal ,service ,fund program4