47 U.S.C. § 159 — Regulatory fees

(a) General authority: The Commission must charge and collect regulatory fees to pay for its regulatory work described in section 156(a). It can only collect the amount Congress approves each year in Appropriations Acts. (b) Establishment of schedule: The Commission sets these fees in a schedule. It picks rates designed to collect, each fiscal year, roughly the amount Congress approved for that year. (c) Adjustment of schedule: (1) In general: Each fiscal year, the Commission must adjust the fee schedule by rule to: (A) account for unexpected changes in how many entities owe the fee; and (B) still collect the amount required under subsection (b). (2) Rounding: When making these adjustments, the Commission may round fees to the nearest $5. (d) Amendments to schedule: Beyond the yearly adjustments, the Commission can amend the fee schedule by rule if it decides fees no longer reflect the number of full-time staff working across its bureaus and offices — adjusted for factors related to how much each fee-payer benefits from the Commission's work. But even when amending the schedule this way, the Commission cannot change the total amount of fees subsection (b) requires it to collect in a year. (e) Exceptions: (1) Parties to which fees are not applicable: These fees don't apply to: (A) government entities or nonprofits; (B) amateur radio operators licensed under the Commission's part 97 rules; or (C) noncommercial radio or television stations. (2) Cost of collection: If collecting a fee from a party would cost the Commission more than the fee brings in, the Commission may exempt that party from paying it. (f) Deposit of collections: (1) In general: Money from these fees gets deposited as an offsetting collection into the account that funds the activities described in section 156(a). (2) Deposit of excess collections: If the Commission collects more in fees than Congress approved for a year, the extra money goes into the Treasury's general fund, solely to reduce the federal deficit.