Form 479 Reminder for Consortia Leads

June 22, 2020

Attached: 479 Fill In

Before a consortium lead can file the Form 486 each year, it is required to collect from each consortium member a signed Form 479 to provide notification of the consortium member’s status of compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA).  After the consortium leader has collected all the FCC Forms 479 from the consortium members, the consortium leader can then file the Form 486 in EPC.

The Form 479 is not completed in EPC; it is a PDF document that is available on the USAC website, along with the form’s instructions, at https://www.usac.org/e-rate/applicant-process/before-you-begin/consortia/fcc-form-479-filing/.  The Form 479 is a very easy form to complete (note, the Name of Administrative Authority should be the consortia member’s name and address, not that of the consortia lead.  Also be sure that the Funding Year says 2020.)  I’ve attached a version that has fillable fields if you prefer to use this one instead.  I took the liberty of checking 6A which says the consortia member is CIPA compliant.

The signed Form 479s are not submitted to USAC unless requested during a pre-commitment or post-commitment audit.  The signed forms must, however, be retained by the consortia lead for a period of ten years after the last date to receive service.  If USAC discovers that the FCC Form 486 is filed before the consortium lead collects all of the signed Form 479s, USAC may reduce funding.

Unlike a Letter of Agency (LOA), a signed Form 479 must be collected annually from consortium members.  An LOA, on the other hand, may cover multi-years.

In PA, we have 41 different consortia (listed below).  If your entity is a consortium lead and you have not yet collected the FY 2020 Form 479s, please have your members sign them as soon as possible.  Electronic signatures are acceptable.

If you have any questions related to the Form 479, please don’t hesitate to contact me at jtschell@comcast.net.

— Julie

Consortia in PA:

Julie Tritt Schell

Pennsylvania E-rate Coordinator
717-730-7133 – o
jtschell@comcast.net
www.e-ratepa.org