Regulations last checked for updates: May 01, 2025

Title 47 - Telecommunication last revised: Apr 23, 2025
§ 1.40001 - Executive branch review of applications, petitions, other filings, and existing authorizations or licenses with reportable foreign ownership.

(a) The Commission, in its discretion, may refer applications, petitions, and other filings to the executive branch for review for national security, law enforcement, foreign policy, and/or trade policy concerns.

(1) The Commission will generally refer to the executive branch applications filed for an international section 214 authorization and submarine cable landing license as well as an application to assign, transfer control of, or modify those authorizations and licenses where the applicant has reportable foreign ownership and petitions for section 310(b) foreign ownership rulings for broadcast, common carrier wireless, and common carrier satellite earth station licenses pursuant to §§ 1.767, 63.18 and 63.24 of this chapter, and 1.5000 through 1.5004.

(2) The Commission will generally exclude from referral to the executive branch certain applications set out in paragraph (a)(1) of this section when the applicant makes a specific showing in its application that it meets one or more of the following categories:

(i) Pro forma notifications and applications;

(ii) Applications filed pursuant to §§ 1.767 and 63.18 and 63.24 of this chapter if the applicant has reportable foreign ownership and petitions filed pursuant to §§ 1.5000 through 1.5004 where the only reportable foreign ownership is through wholly owned intermediate holding companies and the ultimate ownership and control is held by U.S. citizens or entities;

(iii) Applications filed pursuant to §§ 63.18 and 63.24 of this chapter where the applicant has an existing international section 214 authorization that is conditioned on compliance with an agreement with an executive branch agency concerning national security and/or law enforcement, there are no new reportable foreign owners of the applicant since the effective date of the agreement, and the applicant agrees to continue to comply with the terms of that agreement; and

(iv) Applications filed pursuant to §§ 63.18 and 63.24 of this chapter where the applicant was reviewed by the executive branch within 18 months of the filing of the application and the executive branch had not previously requested that the Commission condition the applicant's international section 214 authorization on compliance with an agreement with an executive branch agency concerning national security and/or law enforcement and there are no new reportable foreign owners of the applicant since that review.

(3) In circumstances where the Commission, in its discretion, refers to the executive branch an application, petition, or other filing not identified in this paragraph (a)(3) or determines to refer an application or petition identified in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, the Commission staff will instruct the applicant, petitioner, or filer to follow the requirements for a referred application or petition set out in this subpart, including submitting responses to the standard questions to the Committee and making the appropriate certifications.

(b) The Commission will consider any recommendations from the executive branch on pending application(s) for an international section 214 authorization or cable landing license(s) or petition(s) for foreign ownership ruling(s) pursuant to §§ 1.5000 through 1.5004 or on existing authorizations or licenses that may affect national security, law enforcement, foreign policy, and/or trade policy as part of its public interest analysis. The Commission will evaluate concerns raised by the executive branch and will make an independent decision concerning the pending matter.

(c) In any such referral pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section or when considering any recommendations pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section, the Commission may disclose to relevant executive branch agencies, subject to the provisions of 44 U.S.C. 3510,any,petitioner,licensee,or.457 or § 0.459 of this chapter. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 0.442 of this chapter, notice will be provided at the time of disclosure.

(d) As used in this subpart, “reportable foreign ownership” for applications filed pursuant to §§ 1.767 and 63.18 and 63.24 of this chapter means any foreign owner of the applicant that must be disclosed in the application pursuant to § 63.18(h); and for petitions filed pursuant to §§ 1.5000 through 1.5004 “reportable foreign ownership” means foreign disclosable interest holders pursuant to § 1.5001(e) and (f).

[85 FR 76383, Nov. 27, 2020, as amended at 85 FR 76385, Nov. 27, 2020]
§ 1.40002 - Referral of applications, petitions, and other filings with reportable foreign ownership to the executive branch agencies for review.

(a) The Commission will refer any applications, petitions, or other filings for which it determines to seek executive branch review by placing the application, petition, or other filing on an accepted for filing public notice that will provide a comment period for the executive branch to seek deferral for review for national security, law enforcement, foreign policy, and/or trade policy concerns.

(b)(1) The executive branch agency(ies) must electronically file in all applicable Commission file numbers and dockets associated with the application(s), petition(s), or other filing(s) a request that the Commission defer action until the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Services Sector (Committee) completes its review. In the request for deferral the executive branch agency must notify the Commission on or before the comment date and must state whether the executive branch:

(i) Sent tailored questions to the applicant(s), petitioner(s), and/or other filer(s);

(ii) Will send tailored questions to the applicant(s), petitioner(s), and/or other filer(s) by a specific date not to be later than thirty (30) days after the date on which the Commission referred the application to the executive branch in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section; or

(iii) Will not transmit tailored questions to the applicant(s), petitioner(s), and/or other filer(s).

(2) The executive branch agency(ies) must electronically file in all applicable Commission file numbers and dockets associated with the application(s), petition(s), or other filing(s) a request by the comment date if it needs additional time beyond the comment period set out in the accepted for filing public notice to determine whether it will seek deferral.

(c) If an executive branch agency(ies) does not notify the Commission that it seeks deferral of referred application(s), petition(s), and/or other filing(s) within the comment period established by an accepted for filing public notice, the Commission will deem that the executive branch does not have any national security, law enforcement, foreign policy, and/or trade policy concerns with the application(s), petition(s), and/or other filing(s) and may act on the application(s), petition(s), and/or other filing(s) as appropriate based on its determination of the public interest.

§ 1.40003 - Categories of information to be provided to the executive branch agencies.

(a) Each applicant, petitioner, and/or other filer subject to a referral to the executive branch pursuant to § 1.40001:

(1) Must submit detailed and comprehensive information in the following categories:

(i) Corporate structure and shareholder information;

(ii) Relationships with foreign entities;

(iii) Financial condition and circumstances;

(iv) Compliance with applicable laws and regulations; and

(v) Business and operational information, including services to be provided and network infrastructure, in responses to standard questions, prior to or at the same time the applicant files its application(s), petition(s), and/or other filing(s) with the Commission directly to the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Services Sector (Committee).

(2) Must submit a complete and unredacted copy of its FCC application(s), petition(s), and/or other filing(s) to the Committee, including the file number(s) and docket number(s), within three (3) business days of filing it with the Commission.

(b) The standard questions and instructions for submitting the responses and the FCC application(s), petition(s), and/or other filing(s) are available on the FCC website.

(c) The responses to the standard questions shall be submitted directly to the Committee.

[85 FR 76385, Nov. 27, 2020]
§ 1.40004 - Time frames for executive branch review of applications, petitions, and/or other filings with reportable foreign ownership.

(a) Tailored questions. For application(s), petition(s), and/or other filing(s) referred to the executive branch, in accordance with § 1.40002(b)(1), the executive branch agency(ies) shall notify the Commission:

(1) That the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Services Sector (Committee) has sent tailored questions to the applicant(s), petitioner(s), and/or other filer(s); and

(2) When the Chair of the Committee determines that the applicant's, petitioner's, and/or other filer's responses to any questions and information requests from the Committee are complete.

(b) Initial review—120-day time frame. The executive branch shall notify the Commission by filing in the public record, in all applicable Commission file numbers and dockets for the application(s), petition(s), or other filing(s), no later than 120 days, plus any additional days as needed for escalated review and for NTIA to notify the Commission of the Committee's final recommendation in accordance with Executive Order 13913 (or as it may be amended), from the date that the Chair of the Committee determines that the applicant's, petitioner's, or other filer's responses to the tailored questions are complete, provided that the Committee sent tailored questions within thirty (30) days of the date of the Commission's referral in accordance with § 1.40002(a), and subject to paragraphs (e) and (f) of this section, whether it:

(1) Has no recommendation and no objection to the FCC granting the application;

(2) Recommends that the FCC only grant the application contingent on the applicant's compliance with mitigation measures; or

(3) Needs additional time to review the application(s), petition(s), or other filing(s).

(c) Secondary assessment—additional 90-day time frame. When the executive branch notifies the Commission that it needs an additional 90-day period beyond the initial 120-day period for review of the application, petition, or other filing under paragraph (a) of this section, in accordance with the secondary assessment provisions of Executive Order 13913 (or as it may be amended), the executive branch must:

(1) Explain in a filing on the record why it was unable to complete its review within the initial 120-day review period and state when the secondary assessment began; and

(2) Notify the Commission by filing in the public record, in all applicable Commission file numbers and dockets for the application(s), petition(s), or other filing(s) no later than 210 days, plus any additional days as needed for escalated review and for NTIA to notify the Commission of the Committee's final recommendation in accordance with Executive Order 13913 (or as it may be amended), from the date that the Chair of the Committee determines that the applicant's, petitioner's, or other filer's responses to the tailored questions are complete, provided that the Committee sent tailored questions within thirty (30) days of the date of the Commission's referral in accordance with § 1.40002(a), and subject to paragraphs (e) and (f) of this section, whether it:

(i) Has no recommendation and no objection to the FCC granting the application;

(ii) Recommends that the FCC only grant the application contingent on the applicant's compliance with mitigation measures; or

(iii) Recommends that the FCC deny the application due to the risk to the national security or law enforcement interests of the United States.

(d) Executive branch notifications to the Commission. (1) The executive branch shall file its notifications as to the status of its review in the public record established in all applicable Commission file numbers and dockets for the application, petition, or other filing. Status notifications include notifications of the date on which the Committee sends the tailored questions to an applicant, petitioner, or other filer and the date on which the Chair accepts an applicant's, petitioner's, or other filer's responses to the tailored questions as complete. Status notifications also include extensions of the 120-day review period and 90-day extension period (to include the start and end day of the extension) and updates every thirty (30) days during the 90-day extension period. If the executive branch recommends dismissal of the application, petition, or other filing without prejudice because the applicant, petitioner, or other filer has failed to respond to requests for information, the executive branch shall file that recommendation in the public record established in all applicable Commission file numbers and dockets.

(2) In circumstances where the notification of the executive branch contains non-public information, the executive branch shall file a public version of the notification in the public record established in all applicable Commission file numbers and dockets for the application, petition, or other filing and shall file the non-public information with the Commission pursuant to § 0.457 of this chapter.

(e) Alternative start dates for the executive branch's initial 120-day review. (1) In the event that the executive branch has not transmitted the tailored questions to an applicant within thirty (30) days of the Commission's referral of an application, petition, or other filing, the executive branch may request additional time by filing a request in the public record established in all applicable Commission file numbers and dockets associated with the application, petition, or other filing. The Commission, in its discretion, may allow an extension or start the executive branch's 120-day review clock immediately. If the Commission allows an extension and the executive branch does transmit the tailored questions to the applicant, petitioner, or other filer within the authorized extension period, the initial 120-day review period will begin on the date that executive branch determines the applicant's, petitioner's, or other filer's responses to be complete. If the executive branch does not transmit the tailored questions to the applicant, petitioner, or other filer within the authorized extension period, the Commission, in its discretion, may start the initial 120-day review period.

(2) In the event that the executive branch's notification under § 1.40002(b) indicates that no tailored questions are necessary, the 120-day initial review period will begin on the date of that notification.

(f) Extension of executive branch review periods. In accordance with Executive Order 13913 (or as it may be amended), the executive branch may in its discretion extend the initial 120-day review period and 90-day secondary assessment period. The executive branch shall file notifications of all extensions in the public record.

authority: 47 U.S.C. chs. 2, 5, 9, 13; 28 U.S.C. 2461 note; 47 U.S.C. 1754,unless
cite as: 47 CFR 1.40001