The FCC is seeking comment on its proposed fiscal year (FY) 2017 regulatory fees. The final figures are usually adopted in mid-summer, and payable in late summer or early fall. As directed by Congress, the FCC collects regulatory fees to recover the costs of enforcement activities, policy and rulemaking activities, user information services, and international activities. The FCC derives regulatory fees by determining the full-time equivalent number of employees performing various activities, adjusted to take into account factors that are reasonably related to the benefits provided to fee payers. Regulatory fees recover direct costs, such as salary and expenses, indirect costs, such as overhead functions, and support costs, such as rent, utilities, or equipment. The FCC proposes collection of $356,710,992 in regulatory fees for FY 2017 (down from $384,012,497 in FY 2016), broken down as follows: $115.5 million (32.38%) in fees from Wireline Competition Bureau regulatees; $130.3 million (36.53%) in fees from Media Bureau regulatees; $88.7 million (24.87%) in fees from Wireless Telecommunications Bureau regulatees; and $22.2 million (6.22%) in fees from International Bureau regulatees. Comments are due by June 22, 2017, and reply comments are due by July 7, 2017.
