Sec.  1.1166   Waivers, reductions and deferrals of regulatory fees.

   The fees established by sections 1.1152 through 1.1156 may be waived,
   reduced or deferred in specific instances, on a case-by-case basis, where
   good cause is shown and where waiver, reduction or deferral of the fee would
   promote the public interest. Requests for waivers, reductions or deferrals
   of regulatory fees for entire categories of payors will not be considered.

   (a) Requests for waivers, reductions or deferrals will be acted upon by the
   Managing Director with the concurrence of the General Counsel. All such
   filings within the scope of the fee rules shall be filed as a separate
   pleading and clearly marked to the attention of the Managing Director. Any
   such request that is not filed as a separate pleading will not be considered
   by the Commission.

   (1) If the request for waiver, reduction or deferral is accompanied by a fee
   payment, the request must be submitted to the Commission's lockbox bank at
   the address for the appropriate service set forth in  Sec.  Sec. 1.1152 through 1.1156
   of this subpart.

   (2) If no fee payment is submitted, the request should be filed with the
   Commission's Secretary.

   (b) Deferrals of fees will be granted for a period of six months following
   the date that the fee is initially due.

   (c) Petitions for waiver of a regulatory fee must be accompanied by the
   required fee and FCC Form 159. Submitted fees will be returned if a waiver
   is granted. Waiver requests that do not include the required fees or forms
   will be dismissed unless accompanied by a petition to defer payment due to
   financial hardship, supported by documentation of the financial hardship.

   (d) Petitions for reduction of a fee must be accompanied by the full fee
   payment and Form 159. Petitions for reduction accompanied by a fee payment
   must be addressed to the Federal Communications Commission, Attention:
   Petitions, Post Office Box 358835, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15251–5835.
   Petitions for reduction that do not include the required fees or forms will
   be dismissed unless accompanied by a petition to defer payment due to
   financial hardship, supported by documentation of the financial hardship.

   (e) Petitions for waiver of a fee based on financial hardship, including
   bankruptcy, will not be granted, even if otherwise consistent with
   Commission policy, to the extent that the total regulatory and application
   fees for which waiver is sought exceeds $500,000 in any fiscal year,
   including regulatory fees due in any fiscal year, but paid prior to the due
   date. In computing this amount, the amounts owed by an entity and its
   subsidiaries and other affiliated entities will be aggregated. In cases
   where the claim of financial hardship is not based on bankruptcy, waiver,
   partial waiver, or deferral of fees above the $500,000 cap may be considered
   on a case-by-case basis.

   [ 60 FR 34034 , June 29, 1995, as amended at  65 FR 78989 , Dec. 18, 2000;  66 FR 36206 , July 11, 2001;  68 FR 48469 , Aug. 13, 2003]