Congress Can Give FCC Pandemic-Related Fees Flexibility, Pai Says

The FCC has little wiggle room to halt any increases to annual regulatory fees due in 2020 for broadcast licensees, Chairman Ajit Pai said in letters to Reps. Ann McLane Kuster, D-N.H., and Chris Stewart, R-Utah, posted Friday on docket 20-14. They wrote Pai in a letter dated June 15 urging a halt as a way of helping mitigate business disruption from the pandemic (see 2006150058). Pai said the agency is required to assess fees that equal the amount of funds appropriated, but can offer extended payment terms at nominal interest rates, or Congress could modify the existing statutory language to give the agency the ability to provide extension beyond the Sept. 30 fee-paying deadline.