$//MO&O,Amateur Foreign Visitor,PR Dck No 92-167,FCC 94-274//$
$/1.425 Commission action/$
                                Before the
                     FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                         Washington, D. C.  20554
                                                   FCC 94-274

In the Matter of               )
                               )
Amendment of the Amateur Radio )    PR DOCKET NO. 92-167
Service Rules to Provide a     )     
Special Temporary Licensing    )    RM-7680
Procedure for Visiting Foreign )
Amateur Operators.             ) 


                       MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

                          (Proceeding Terminated)


Adopted:  October 24, 1994    Released:

     By the Commission:


                             I.  INTRODUCTION

     1.  In the Notice of Proposed Rule Making (Notice) in this
proceeding, we proposed to amend the amateur service rules to
provide a temporary licensing procedure for foreign amateur
operators, such as tourists and convention attendees, so that
they could operate their amateur stations during brief visits to
our country.  For the reasons given herein, this Order terminates
the proceeding. 


                              II.  BACKGROUND

     2.  There are two ways that a foreign amateur operator can
be authorized to operate an amateur station in the United States. 
Non-citizens who pass the necessary examinations can receive a
ten-year term amateur service license.  Citizens of countries
whose governments have signed reciprocal operating agreements
with the United States may, on the basis of the amateur service
licenses issued by their own countries, be issued one-year
permits to operate their amateur stations while they are in the
United States.

     3.  The Notice in this proceeding proposed a temporary
licensing procedure that would be administered under the existing
volunteer-examiner coordinator (VEC) system.  The volunteer
examiners (VEs) would accept the amateur service licenses of
visiting foreign amateur operators as proof of technical and
operational competence.  Under the proposal, the VEs would
administer a short examination on the unique rules governing the
amateur service in the United States.  Upon certification by the
VEs, the foreign amateur operators would have conditional
authority from the Commission to operate their stations for a
single, consecutive sixty-day period.


                             III.  DISCUSSION

     4.  The proposal in this proceeding addressed a need that
visiting foreign amateur operators have for a convenient
procedure by which they obtain authority to operate their amateur
stations while they are here in the United States on brief
visits.  The comments did not dispute the need for an expeditious
procedure.  They did, however, raise practical and other problems
in connection with such authorization.  Some commenters are 
concerned, for example, that language barriers may pose a problem
for VEs in verifying the foreign license.  The ARRL also sees 
the authorization procedure as burdensome for VEs and questions









whether the VEC system should be used for this purpose.  Other
commenters are concerned that authorizing operation by visitors
from countries that do not currently have reciprocal agreements
with the United States might reduce the incentive for those
countries to enter into such agreements.

     5.  The ARRL believes that the best way to satisfy the need
for a convenient licensing procedure is to establish an
international system for reciprocal licensing and suggests the
International Drivers License as a model.  Stephen R. Hutchins
recommends that the Commission allow amateur operators from
countries with whom the United States has reciprocal agreements,
and amateur operators whose licenses convey conditions authorized
by the Conference of Europeenne des Administrations de la Post et
Telecommunication (CEPT), to operate their amateur stations in
the United States.  Mutual recognition of the licenses of CEPT
member countries and non-member countries may be considered at
some future date.  Such recognition requires coordination with
the Department of State as well as international negotiations. 
Rather than retaining Mr. Hutchins' rule making petition in a
pending status while we pursue such international negotations, we
believe that it is advisable to dismiss it without prejudice.


                              IV.  CONCLUSION

     6.  In light of concerns expressed by the commenters, we
have decided not to amend the amateur service rules as proposed. 
We recognize, however, the need for a convenient licensing
procedure for visiting foreign amateur operators and have noted
the suggestions in the comments for alternative means of
licensing visiting foreign amateur operators.  We will,
therefore, continue to explore other ways by which the need can
be met.  In particular, we will work to ensure the reciprocal
treatment of United States amateur operators -- whether through
bilateral or multilateral arrangements.


                           V.  ORDERING CLAUSES

     7.  Accordingly, pursuant to the authority contained in 47
U.S.C.  154(i), IT IS ORDERED that this proceeding IS
TERMINATED. 

     8.  In addition, for the reasons discussed above, rule
making petition RM-7680, filed by Stephen R. Hutchins,
IS DISMISSED without prejudice.

                               FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION



                               William F. Caton
                               Acting Secretary