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LOBBYING REPORT |
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 5) - All Filers Are Required to Complete This Page
2. Address
| Address1 | 400 Seventh Street, NW |
Address2 | Suite 406 |
| City | WASHINGTON |
State | DC |
Zip Code | 20004 |
Country | USA |
3. Principal place of business (if different than line 2)
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5. Senate ID# 293836-12
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6. House ID# 373580000
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| TYPE OF REPORT | 8. Year | 2016 |
Q1 (1/1 - 3/31) | Q2 (4/1 - 6/30) | Q3 (7/1 - 9/30) | Q4 (10/1 - 12/31) |
9. Check if this filing amends a previously filed version of this report
| 10. Check if this is a Termination Report | Termination Date |
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11. No Lobbying Issue Activity |
| INCOME OR EXPENSES - YOU MUST complete either Line 12 or Line 13 | |||||||||
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| 12. Lobbying | 13. Organizations | ||||||||
| INCOME relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period was: | EXPENSE relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period were: | ||||||||
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| Provide a good faith estimate, rounded to the nearest $10,000, of all lobbying related income for the client (including all payments to the registrant by any other entity for lobbying activities on behalf of the client). | 14. REPORTING Check box to indicate expense accounting method. See instructions for description of options. | ||||||||
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Method A.
Reporting amounts using LDA definitions only
Method B. Reporting amounts under section 6033(b)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code Method C. Reporting amounts under section 162(e) of the Internal Revenue Code |
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| Signature | Digitally Signed By: DERRICK B. OWENS |
Date | 4/6/2016 3:58:56 PM |
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code TEC
16. Specific lobbying issues
Universal Service Reform: WTA continued to express support for Congress and the FCC to develop a Connect America Fund (CAF) for small rural local exchange carriers (RLECs). The association lobbied on USF distributions, specifically on the FCC's ACAM model and on an industry Plan that would allow rural customers to purchase broadband only from their local RLEC at a more reasonable rate than it must be offered today.
WTA staff continued expressing support for reforming the way Americans contribute into the Universal Service Fund to make it more equitable for everyone who must contribute while also lowering the actual rate at which individuals contribute.
The association also lobbied on reforms to the Lifeline program at the FCC. It also discussed with lawmakers, H.R. 4884, the CURB Lifeline Act.
Rural Call Completion: WTA lobbied in support of S. 827 and H.R. 2566, Improving Rural Call Quality & Reliability Act of 2015. The legislation addresses the issues of calls not being completed to rural areas and calls on the FCC to set standards for Least Cost Routers.
WTA also supported S. 2283, The Small Business Broadband Deployment Act of 2015, which exempts for 5 years any small business broadband Internet provider with no more than 250,000 subscribers from the Open Internet Order's enhanced transparency measures. H.R. 4596, the Small Business Broadband Deployment Act is House companion.
H.R. 2666, No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act, which prohibits the FCC from regulating rates charged for broadband Internet access service.
Lobbied in support of the Rural Utilities Service's Telecommunications 2017 Budget.
WTA lobbied policymakers in support the National Tribal Telecommunications Association's (NTTA) tribal broadband factor, which seeks to provide additional USF support to Tribally-owned telecommunications companies and other telecommunications companies providing telecommunications and broadband Internet access service on Tribal lands.
FCC Reauthorization Legislation, S. 2644 would reauthorize the FCC.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Agriculture - Dept of (USDA)
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Derrick |
Owens |
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Eric |
Keber |
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Patricia |
Cave |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code HOM
16. Specific lobbying issues
Cybersecurity Issues: WTA lobbied on a number of cybersecurity bills that are currently working their way through Congress (e.g., H.R. 1560, Protecting Cyber Networks Act of 2015; H.R. 1731, National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015; H.R. 1770, Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2015; H.R. 2205, Data Security Act of 2015, S. 961, Data Security Act of 2015, and S. 754, Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015). In general WTA's advocacy focused on ensuring strong liability protections be in place for small companies that share or receive cyber threat information with other entities and the government and that such protections can serve as an incentive for more small companies to participate in the information sharing process. WTA also stressed the importance of legislation not placing any additional burdens on small telecommunications providers beyond those already established in the Communications Act and applicable FCC rules (i.e., CPNI rules and other customer-related information).
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Derrick |
Owens |
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Patricia |
Cave |
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Eric |
Keber |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code COM
16. Specific lobbying issues
Broadcast and Retransmission Consent Issues: WTA staff met with FCC and Congressional staff to discuss WTA's views on what's needed to encourage more video distribution in rural areas and what are some of the current problems facing rural video providers (e.g., large increases in retransmission consent fees, limited access to affordable video content, small MVPDs inability to receive adequate broadcast signals and problems with the current designation of designated marketing areas (DMAs)).
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Derrick |
Owens |
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Patricia |
Cave |
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Eric |
Keber |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code BUD
16. Specific lobbying issues
WTA lobbied in support of the Rural Utilities Service's 2017 Budget regarding its Telecommunications Loan Program and it Broadband Loan Program.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Derrick |
Owens |
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Eric |
Keber |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code IND
16. Specific lobbying issues
WTA lobbied policymakers in support the National Tribal Telecommunications Association's (NTTA) tribal broadband factor, which seeks to provide additional USF support to Tribally-owned telecommunications companies and other telecommunications companies providing telecommunications and broadband Internet access service on Tribal lands.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Derrick |
Owens |
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Eric |
Keber |
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Patricia |
Cave |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
Information Update Page - Complete ONLY where registration information has changed.
20. Client new address
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21. Client new principal place of business (if different than line 20)
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22. New General description of client’s business or activities
LOBBYIST UPDATE
23. Name of each previously reported individual who is no longer expected to act as a lobbyist for the client
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ISSUE UPDATE
24. General lobbying issue that no longer pertains
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AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS
25. Add the following affiliated organization(s)
Internet Address:
| Name | Address |
Principal Place of Business (city and state or country) |
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26. Name of each previously reported organization that is no longer affiliated with the registrant or client
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
FOREIGN ENTITIES
27. Add the following foreign entities:
| Name | Address |
Principal place of business (city and state or country) |
Amount of contribution for lobbying activities | Ownership percentage in client | ||||||||||
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28. Name of each previously reported foreign entity that no longer owns, or controls, or is affiliated with the registrant, client or affiliated organization
| 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 2 | 4 | 6 |