Sec. 0.15  Functions of the Office.

    The Office of Public Affairs is directly responsible to the 
Commission. The Office has the following duties and responsibilities:
    (a) Develop, recommend, coordinate and administer Commission 
objectives, plans and programs to enhance public understanding of and 
compliance with the Commission's regulatory requirements. Evaluate 
public information dissemination practices and develop methods of 
improving these practices.
    (b) Act as the principal channel for communicating information to 
the news media, regulated industries, and the general public on 
Commission policies, programs, and activities. Make official 
announcements of Commission decisions and actions. Maintain liaison with 
the information media to facilitate the dissemination of news and 
information on FCC activities. Advise the Commission on public reaction 
to and comment on FCC policies and programs.
    (c) Develop, recommend, coordinate and administer objectives, plans 
and programs to encourage participation by the public in the 
Commission's decision-making processes. Promote increased awareness 
within the Commission of the impact of Commission policies on the 
ability of consumers of communications services to participate in 
decisions that affect them. Evaluate the effectiveness of mechanisms 
developed and used to facilitate public input and develop new 
initiatives as appropriate.
    (d) Serve as the Commission's primary point of contact with 
individual consumers of communications services and with organizations 
of such consumers. Maintain liaison with consumers to facilitate an 
interchange of information and cooperative efforts to improve the 
Commission's information-gathering, policy-making, and information 
dissemination functions.
    (e) Act as the principal point of public contact in disseminating 
information about Commission programs to promote equal employment 
opportunity and minority enterprise in Commission-regulated industries. 
Maintain liaison with industry representatives, women's and minority 
groups and other interested parties regarding public information about 
and public evaluation of these programs. Organize FCC seminars and serve 
as FCC spokesperson to outside organizations on these subjects.
    (f) Develop and implement programs to assist in providing 
information to minority entrepreneurs engaged in or seeking to 
participate in telecommunications industries regulated by the 
Commission.
    (g) Review Commission contract procurement policy to devise ways of 
increasing information about proposed Commission contracts received by 
minority contractors.
    (h) Advise the Commission on its information dissemination and 
public participation policies, as they affect liaison with the 
information media, the public and the Commission's regulatees. Provide 
policy and program guidance to the bureaus and offices on these subjects 
based on feedback received through the information dissemination 
functions of the Office.
    (i) Maintain liaison with the Compliance and Information Bureau 
regarding the press and news media, and consumer assistance and 
information activities of the Commission's field offices.

(Secs. 4, 5, 303, 48 Stat. 1066, 1082, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 154, 155, 
)
[44 303 FR 12425 , Mar. 7, 1979, as amended at  44 FR 70471 , Dec. 7, 1979;  50 FR 2985 , Jan. 23, 1985;  52 FR 42438 , Nov. 5, 1987;  61 FR 8477 , Mar. 5, 
1996]

                      Office of Legislative Affairs