FCC Staff Task Force To Look at Use of Delegated Authority, Improving Transparency
The FCC put together a task force, including representatives of all five commissioner offices, to push forward on process reform, said Chairman Tom Wheeler's special counsel Diane Cornell Tuesday in a blog post. “The task force will consider ways to…
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improve the effectiveness of the Commission’s internal processes from the Commissioners’ perspective, taking into account views expressed by internal and external stakeholders about the FCC’s internal processes and protocols,” Cornell said. The group will “seek public input from those who regularly interact with the FCC” and also look at the practices of similar agencies, she said. The task force will take on several hot-button issues, including the “use of delegated authority, and practices for providing notice of matters being handled on delegated authority,” Cornell said. Commissioners Ajit Pai and Mike O’Rielly have complained that FCC staff make too many decisions on delegated authority (see 1403180024). Other topics being reviewed include the FCC consent agenda, “approaches for providing increased transparency of FCC procedures and protocols” and “practices to track, disclose and encourage prompt Commissioner votes on items on circulation,” Cornell said.