§ 0.101   Functions of the office.

   (a) The Office of Communications Business Opportunities (OCBO), as a
   staff office to the Commission, develops, coordinates, evaluates, and
   recommends to the Commission, policies, programs, and practices that
   promote participation by small entities, women, and minorities in the
   communications industry. A principal function of the Office is to lead,
   advise, and assist the Commission, including all of its component
   Bureau/Office managers, supervisors, and staff, at all levels, on ways
   to ensure that the competitive concerns of small entities, women, and
   minorities, are fully considered by the agency in notice and comment
   rulemakings. In accordance with this function, the Office:

   (1) Conducts independent analyses of the Commission's policies and
   practices to ensure that those policies and practices fully consider
   the interests of small entities, women, and minorities.

   (2) Advises the Commission, Bureaus, and Offices of their
   responsibilities under the Congressional Review Act provisions
   regarding small businesses; the Report to Congress regarding Market
   Entry Barriers for Small Telecommunications Businesses (47 U.S.C. 257);
   and the Telecommunications Development Fund (47 U.S.C. 614).

   (b) The Office has the following duties and responsibilities:

   (1) Through its director, serves as the principal small business policy
   advisor to the Commission;

   (2) Develops, implements, and evaluates programs and policies that
   promote participation by small entities, women and minorities in the
   communications industry;

   (3) Manages the Regulatory Flexibility Analysis process pursuant to the
   Regulatory Flexibility Act and the Small Business Regulatory
   Enforcement Fairness Act to ensure that small business interests are
   fully considered in agency actions;

   (4) Develops and recommends Commission-wide goals and objectives for
   addressing the concerns of small entities, women, and minorities and
   reports of achievement;

   (5) Acts as the principal channel for disseminating information
   regarding the Commission's activities and programs affecting small
   entities, women, and minorities;

   (6) Develops, recommends, coordinates, and administers objectives,
   plans and programs to encourage participation by small entities, women,
   and minorities in the decision-making process;

   (7) Promotes increased awareness within the Commission of the impact of
   policies on small entities, women, and minorities;

   (8) Acts as the Commission's liaison to other federal agencies on
   matters relating to small business.

   [ 69 FR 7376 , Feb. 17, 2003]

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