47 CFR § 90.527 - Regional plan requirements.

§ 90.527 Regional plan requirements.

Each regional planning committee must submit a regional plan for approval by the Commission.

(a) Common elements. Regional plans must incorporate the following common elements:

(1) Identification of the document as the regional plan for the defined region with the names, business addresses, business telephone numbers, and organizational affiliations of the chairpersons and all members of the planning committee.

(2) A summary of the major elements of the plan and an explanation of how all eligible entities within the region were given an opportunity to participate in the planning process and to have their positions heard and considered fairly.

(3) A general description of how the spectrum would be allotted among the various eligible users within the region with an explanation of how the requirements of all eligible entities within the region were considered and, to the degree possible, met.

(4) An explanation as to how needs were assigned priorities in areas where not all eligible entities could receive licenses.

(5) An explanation of how the plan had been coordinated with adjacent regions.

(6) A detailed description of how the plan put the spectrum to the best possible use by requiring system design with minimum coverage areas, by assigning frequencies so that maximum frequency reuse and offset channel use may be made, by using trunking, and by requiring small entities with minimal requirements to join together in using a single system where possible.

(7) A detailed description of the future planning process, including, but not limited to, amendment process, meeting announcements, data base maintenance, and dispute resolution.

(8) A certification by the regional planning chairperson that all planning committee meetings, including subcommittee or executive committee meetings, were open to the public.

(b) Modification of regional plans. Regional plans may be modified by submitting a written request, signed by the regional planning committee, to the Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. The request must contain the full text of the modification. Modifications are considered either major or minor. Regional planning committees must certify that successful coordination with all adjacent regions has occurred for major modifications and that all such regions concur with the major modification. Unless requested otherwise by the regional planning committee, the Bureau will only place major modifications on public notice for comment.

(1) Except as noted below, modifications changing the way channels are allocated, allotted or coordinated are considered major modifications.

(2) Modifications changing how channels are allotted are considered minor modifications only if:

(i) The proposed channel change or channel addition involves a facility located more than seventy miles from the adjacent region border;

(ii) The co-channel or adjacent channel interference contour of the facility changing or adding the channel does not intersect the border of an adjacent region, or

(iii) The proposed channel change or channel addition has been coordinated in writing with any affected adjacent region.

(3) Changes in membership or leadership of regional planning committees are considered minor modifications.

[63 FR 58651, Nov. 2, 1998, as amended at 79 FR 39339, July 10, 2014]