FCC Looks to Close Dormant Dockets

The Federal Communications Commission's Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau (“CGB”) seeks comment on whether certain docketed FCC proceedings should be terminated as dormant.

By Report and Order released on February 4, 2011, the FCC revised portions of its Part 1 practice and procedural rules and its Part 0 organizational rules to increase the efficiency of FCC decision-making, modernize the agency’s processes in the digital age and enhance the openness and transparency of Commission proceedings for practitioners and the public. The revised rules delegate authority to the Chief, CGB to periodically review all open dockets and, in consultation with the responsible Bureaus or Offices, to identify those dockets that appear to be candidates for termination. The FCC stated that these candidates may include dockets in which no further action is required or contemplated as well as those in which no pleadings or other documents have been filed for several years, but it specified that proceedings in which petitions addressing the merits are pending should not be terminated, absent the parties’ consent. The termination of a dormant proceeding also includes dismissal as moot of any pending petition, motion, or other request for relief that is procedural in nature or otherwise does not address the merits of the proceeding. The FCC directed that a public notice identifying dockets under consideration for termination and affording interested parties an opportunity to comment should be issued before any particular proceeding is terminated. To that end, CGB, in coordination with the responsible Bureaus and
Offices, has identified the dockets for possible termination