Summary: Regulatory decisions made by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) affect everything from network and cable television programs to telephone services and rates. Once a vote has been taken by the five-member Commission, a decision document, such as a rulemaking published in the Federal Register or a letter in response to a petition, is released to the public. In response to congressional concerns that FCC has been taking an excessively long time to release decision documents after the FCC Commissioners have voted, this report examines (1) the timeliness of public releases of FCC decisions, (2) whether FCC's procedures for releasing documents contribute to delays in these releases and how FCC's procedures compare to those of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission, and (3) FCC's controls to ensure that revisions are not made to decisions voted on by the Commissioners without their approval. GAO also provides information on FCC's circulation voting process and on ex parte contacts.
