Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request, 13398-13400 [E6-3700]

Download as PDF sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES 13398 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 50 / Wednesday, March 15, 2006 / Notices contracts with an outside firm, no issue of confidentiality would arise because names and any other characteristics that would permit personal identification of respondents would not be reported to the Federal Reserve Board. However, if there is no contractual agreement between the Federal Reserve and the outside firm regarding the reporting of respondent identifying data, or if the Federal Reserve conducts the survey itself, then the information would likely be considered an agency record subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Nevertheless, confidential treatment for consumer identifying data would be warranted under subsection (b)(6) of the FOIA. The confidentiality of the information obtained from financial institutions will be determined on a case-by-case basis when the specific questions to be asked on each particular survey are formulated, but before respondents are contacted. Depending upon the survey questions, confidential treatment could be warranted under subsection (b)(4) of the FOIA. 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4) and (6). Abstract: Congress has assigned the Federal Reserve Board the duty of implementing a number of federal laws intended to protect consumers in credit and other financial transactions and to ensure that consumers receive comprehensive information and fair treatment. The Federal Reserve is responsible for drafting regulations and interpretations to carry out the purposes of these consumer protection laws. The Federal Reserve seeks to develop and implement regulatory policies based on information garnered from both consumers and industry entities that would enable consumers to make better financial decisions based on sound information and a clear understanding of how to use that information to meet their personal needs. Accordingly, the Federal Reserve periodically surveys consumers and financial institutions to identify key issues and review and evaluate consumer disclosures for effectiveness. Direct information about consumer knowledge and use of disclosure statements would best be obtained through studies of individuals and financial institutions that engage in consumer lending and provide other financial products. In order to better understand consumer attitudes and knowledge of the Federal Reserve’s consumer regulations and to make disclosure statements more comprehensible and usable, the Federal Reserve proposes to conduct studies of consumers and financial institutions. These studies could take the format of focus group VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:27 Mar 14, 2006 Jkt 208001 discussions, face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, mall intercept testing, written questionnaires (paper or Web based), or controlled experiments. The size of consumer focus groups would vary depending on the topics being discussed and the format of the sessions. Experience has shown that focused discussions of not more than twelve to fifteen participants are most productive. Written surveys or questionnaires could include categorical questions, yesno questions, ordinal scale (such as Likert scale) or ranking scale questions (which ascertain respondent’s views on the degree to which something fits a particular criterion; for example, on a scale of 1, ‘‘strongly agree’’ to 5, ‘‘strongly disagree’’), and open-ended questions. The studies could be conducted through a private firm, which would be chosen in a competitive bidding process.1 The research instruments could be developed by the Federal Reserve alone or jointly with the firm selected by the Federal Reserve. The firm would be responsible for following the sampling protocol established by the Federal Reserve, conducting the study, preparing a data file containing the responses, computing analysis weights, and documenting all study procedures. Data editing and analysis of survey results would be conducted solely by the Federal Reserve or jointly with the firm. In the subject areas covered by the studies, much of the information needs to be obtained via surveys of consumers, either because (1) personal attitudes, opinions or evidence of understanding are sought, or (2) the desired information is not compiled by financial institutions, or the information is compiled and is proprietary. In addition, the studies could survey financial institutions to obtain information about their consumer product offerings and disclosure and marketing practices with respect to those products. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, March 10, 2006. Jennifer J. Johnson, Secretary of the Board. [FR Doc. E6–3741 Filed 3–14–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6210–01–P 1 Some survey firms used by the Federal Reserve to conduct past surveys include the University of Michigan’s Survey Research Center (SRC), NORC (a social science and survey research organization at the University of Chicago), and the Research Triangle Institute in Charlotte, NC. PO 00000 Frm 00067 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM Change in Bank Control Notices; Acquisition of Shares of Bank or Bank Holding Companies The notificants listed below have applied under the Change in Bank Control Act (12 U.S.C. 1817(j)) and § 225.41 of the Board’s Regulation Y (12 CFR 225.41) to acquire a bank or bank holding company. The factors that are considered in acting on the notices are set forth in paragraph 7 of the Act (12 U.S.C. 1817(j)(7)). The notices are available for immediate inspection at the Federal Reserve Bank indicated. The notices also will be available for inspection at the office of the Board of Governors. Interested persons may express their views in writing to the Reserve Bank indicated for that notice or to the offices of the Board of Governors. Comments must be received not later than March 30, 2006. A. Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (Tracy Basinger, Director, Regional and Community Bank Group) 101 Market Street, San Francisco, California 94105-1579: 1. Bruce Hsiu-I Shen family, Rancho Palos Verdes, California; to retain voting shares of American Premier Bancorp, Arcadia, California, and thereby indirectly control shares of American Premier Bank, Arcadia, California. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, March 10, 2006. Robert deV. Frierson, Deputy Secretary of the Board. [FR Doc. E6–3708 Filed 3–14–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6210–01–S FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request Federal Trade Commission (Commission or FTC). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The FTC intends to conduct consumer research to examine the effectiveness of the FTC’s current energy labeling requirements for consumer products and obtain information about alternatives to those labels. This activity is part of the Commission’s efforts to examine the current labeling program, as required by section 137 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109–58). Before gathering this information, the FTC is seeking public comments on its proposed consumer research. Comments will be considered before the FTC E:\FR\FM\15MRN1.SGM 15MRN1 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 50 / Wednesday, March 15, 2006 / Notices sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES submits a request for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520. DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 15, 2006. ADDRESSES: Interested parties are invited to submit written comments. Comments should refer to ‘‘Appliance Labeling Survey: No. P064200’’ to facilitate the organization of comments. A comment filed in paper form should include this reference both in the text and on the envelope and should be mailed or delivered, with two complete copies, to the following address: Federal Trade Commission/Office of the Secretary, Room H–135 (Annex K), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20580. Because paper mail in the Washington area and at the Commission is subject to delay, please consider submitting your comments in electronic form, as prescribed below. However, if the comment contains any material for which confidential treatment is requested, the comment must be filed in paper form, and the first page of the document must be clearly labeled ‘‘Confidential.’’ 1 The FTC is requesting that any comment filed in paper form be sent by courier or overnight service, if possible. Comments filed in electronic form should be submitted by clicking on the following weblink: https:// secure.commentworks.com/FTCApplianceSurvey and following the instructions on the Web-based form. To ensure that the Commission considers an electronic comment, you must file it on the web-based form at the https:// secure.commentworks.com/FTCApplianceSurvey Web link. If this notice appears at https:// www.regulations.gov, you may also file an electronic comment through that Web site. The Commission will consider all comments that regulations.gov forwards to it. The FTC Act and other laws the Commission administers permit the collection of public comments to consider and use in this proceeding as appropriate. All timely and responsive public comments will be considered by the Commission and will be available to the public on the FTC Web site, to the extent practicable, at https://www.ftc.gov. 1 Commission Rule 4.2(d), 16 CFR 4.2(d). The comment must be accompanied by an explicit request for confidential treatment, including the factual and legal basis for the request, and must identify the specific portions of the comment to be withheld from the public record. The request will be granted or denied by the Commission’s General Counsel, consistent with applicable law and the public interest. See Commission Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c). VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:27 Mar 14, 2006 Jkt 208001 As a matter of discretion, the FTC makes every effort to remove home contact information for individuals from the public comments it receives before placing those comments on the FTC Web site. More information, including routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, may be found in the FTC’s privacy policy at https://www.ftc.gov/ftc/ privacy.htm. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information should be addressed to Hampton Newsome, Attorney, Division of Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20580, (202) 326–3228. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA, Federal agencies must obtain approval from OMB for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. ‘‘Collection of information’’ means agency requests or requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party. 44 U.S.C. 3502(3), 5 CFR 1320.3(c). Section 324 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), 42 U.S.C. 6291–6309, requires the FTC to prescribe labeling rules for the disclosure of estimated annual energy cost or alternative energy consumption information for a variety of products covered by the statute, including home appliances (e.g., refrigerators, dishwashers, air conditioners, and furnaces), lighting, and plumbing products. The Commission’s Appliance Labeling Rule (Rule), 16 CFR part 305, implements these requirements by directing manufacturers to disclose energy information about major household appliances. This information enables consumers to compare the energy use or efficiency of competing models. When initially published in 1979, the Rule applied to eight appliance categories: refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, freezers, dishwashers, water heaters, clothes washers, room air conditioners, and furnaces. Since then, the Commission has expanded the Rule’s coverage to include central air conditioners, heat pumps, fluorescent lamp ballasts, plumbing products, lighting products, pool heaters, and some other types of water heaters. Section 137 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 amends the EPCA (42 U.S.C. 6294(a)(2)) to require the Commission to initiate a rulemaking to consider ‘‘the effectiveness of the consumer products labeling program in assisting consumers in making purchasing decisions and improving energy efficiency.’’ As part of PO 00000 Frm 00068 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 13399 this effort, EPCA directs the Commission to consider ‘‘changes to the labeling rules (including categorical labeling) that would improve the effectiveness of consumer product labels.’’ On November 2, 2005, the Commission published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) seeking comments on the effectiveness of the FTC’s energy labeling regulations for consumer products. 70 FR 66307 (November 2, 2005). In that Notice, the Commission stated that the American Council for an Energy Efficient Environment (ACEEE) released a report in 2002 summarizing its research on the EnergyGuide label’s efficacy and on alternative formats and graphical elements for the label.2 More recently, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) conducted a study that also examined the current label and alternatives. AHAM submitted the study as part of its comments on the ANPR.3 The conclusions reached by AHAM and ACEEE are not in accord. As part of the ongoing rulemaking on the label’s effectiveness, the Commission is considering conducting its own consumer research related to the existing label requirements and possible alternatives. As required by the PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A), the FTC is providing this opportunity for public comment before requesting that OMB grant the clearance for the survey. The FTC invites comments on: (1) Whether the proposed collections of information are necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the FTC, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the FTC’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collections of information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of collecting information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses. All comments should be filed as prescribed in the ADDRESSES section above, and must be received on or before May 15, 2006. 2 Thorne, Jennifer and Egan, Christine, ‘‘An Evaluation of the Federal Trade Commission’s EnergyGuide Label: Final Report and Recommendations,’’ ACEEE, August 2002. The report is available online at https://aceee.org/pubs/ a021full.pdf. 3 See AHAM Comments in FTC Matter No. R511994, (January 13, 2006) (https://www.ftc.gov/os/ comments/energylabeling/519870–00016.htm). E:\FR\FM\15MRN1.SGM 15MRN1 13400 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 50 / Wednesday, March 15, 2006 / Notices 1. Description of the Collection of Information and Proposed Use minutes on average per person and approximately 33 hours as a whole (100 respondents × 20 minutes each). Once the pretest is completed, the FTC plans to seek information from approximately 3000 respondents. Answering the FTC’s information requests will require approximately 1000 hours as a whole (3000 respondents × 20 minutes each). Thus, cumulative total burden hours for the survey will be approximately 1,000 hours (rounded to the nearest thousand). The FTC proposes to collect information from up to 3000 consumers in order to gather data on the effectiveness of current energy labels required by the Rule and possible alternatives to those current requirements. All information will be collected on a voluntary basis. Subject to OMB approval for the collection of information, the FTC plans to contract with a consumer research firm to identify consumers and conduct the survey. The results will assist the FTC in determining the effectiveness of the consumer products labeling program in assisting consumers in their purchasing decisions and improving energy efficiency. The results also should aid the Commission in considering changes to the labeling rules that would improve the effectiveness of consumer product labels. By direction of the Commission. Donald S. Clark, Secretary. [FR Doc. E6–3700 Filed 3–14–06; 8:45 am] 2. Estimated Hours Burden BILLING CODE 6750–01–P 3. Estimated Cost Burden The cost per respondent should be negligible. Participation is voluntary and will not require start-up, capital, or labor expenditures by respondents. The FTC is considering pretesting the consumer questionnaires on approximately 100 respondents to ensure that all questions are easily understood. The FTC expects that the pretest would take approximately 20 Trans No. Acquiring FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION Granting of Request for Early Termination of the Waiting Period Under the Premerger Notification Rules Section 7A of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. 18a, as added by Title II of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, requires persons contemplating certain mergers or acquisitions to give the Federal Trade Commission and the Assistant Attorney General advance notice and to wait designated periods before consummation of such plans. Section 7A(b)(2) of the Act permits the agencies, in individual cases, to terminate this waiting period prior to its expiration and requires that notice of this action be published in the Federal Register. The following transactions were granted early termination of the waiting period provided by law and the premerger notification rules. The grants were made by the Federal Trade Commission and the Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. Neither agency intends to take any action with respect to these proposed acquisitions during the applicable waiting period. Acquired Entities TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—02/21/2006 20060637 ......................... SI International, Inc. .......................... Donald E. Reed and Barbara M. Reed. Zen Technology, Inc. TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—02/22/2006 20060512 ......................... BBA Group PLC ................................ Teresa Allred ..................................... 20060596 20060607 20060610 20060621 ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... Stork N.V ........................................... Ventiv Health, Inc .............................. Carlyle Venture Partners II, L.P ........ H.B. Fuller Company ......................... Ray Theodore Townsend, Jr ............. Adheris, Inc ....................................... Brazos Equity Fund, L.P ................... William J. Kyte ................................... 20060630 ......................... 20060641 ......................... AmeriCredit Corp ............................... Permira Europe III L.P. 2 .................. 20060642 ......................... Warburg Pincus Private Equity X, L.P. Carlyle Europe Partners II, L.P ......... Bay View Capital Corporation ........... Bear Stearns Merchant Banking Partners II, L.P. JLL Partners Fund II, L.P .................. 20060652 ......................... Water Pik Technologies, Inc ............. Ontic Engineering & Manufacturing, Inc. Townsend Engineering Company. Adheris, Inc. Comark Building Systems, Inc. Chicago Adhesive Products Co., Roanoke Companies Group, Inc. Bay View Acceptance Corporation. Aearo Technologies Inc. JLL Building Products, LLC. Water Pik Technologies Inc. TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—02/23/2006 Panolam Holding Co ......................... Crunch Equity Holding, LLC .............. Grifols, S,A ........................................ 20060638 ......................... 20060650 ......................... sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES 20060544 ......................... 20060603 ......................... 20060614 ......................... Canfor Corporation ............................ TETRA Technologies, Inc ................. Nevamar Holdco, LLC ....................... Henkel KGaA ..................................... Michael H. Stough and Barbara O. Stough. New South Companies, Inc .............. Julie R. Rodriguez and Roger Rodriguez. Nevamar Holdco, LLC. The Dial Corporation. Plasmacare, Inc. New South Companies, Inc. Epic Divers, Inc.; Epic Marine, LLC; Epic Oilfield Services LLC; Seahorse Services, Inc. TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—02/27/2006 20060575 ......................... 20060584 ......................... 20060598 ......................... VerDate Aug<31>2005 HIP Foundation, Inc .......................... Deutsche Post AG ............................. Goldman Sachs Group, Inc ............... 17:27 Mar 14, 2006 Jkt 208001 PO 00000 Frm 00069 Group Health Incorporated ................ Williams Lea Group Limited .............. Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd ..................... Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\15MRN1.SGM Group Health Incorporated. Williams Lea Group Limited. Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. 15MRN1

Agencies

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 15, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13398-13400]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-3700]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission (Commission or FTC).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The FTC intends to conduct consumer research to examine the 
effectiveness of the FTC's current energy labeling requirements for 
consumer products and obtain information about alternatives to those 
labels. This activity is part of the Commission's efforts to examine 
the current labeling program, as required by section 137 of the Energy 
Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-58). Before gathering this information, 
the FTC is seeking public comments on its proposed consumer research. 
Comments will be considered before the FTC

[[Page 13399]]

submits a request for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 15, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties are invited to submit written comments. 
Comments should refer to ``Appliance Labeling Survey: No. P064200'' to 
facilitate the organization of comments. A comment filed in paper form 
should include this reference both in the text and on the envelope and 
should be mailed or delivered, with two complete copies, to the 
following address: Federal Trade Commission/Office of the Secretary, 
Room H-135 (Annex K), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20580. Because paper mail in the Washington area and at the Commission 
is subject to delay, please consider submitting your comments in 
electronic form, as prescribed below. However, if the comment contains 
any material for which confidential treatment is requested, the comment 
must be filed in paper form, and the first page of the document must be 
clearly labeled ``Confidential.'' \1\ The FTC is requesting that any 
comment filed in paper form be sent by courier or overnight service, if 
possible.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Commission Rule 4.2(d), 16 CFR 4.2(d). The comment must be 
accompanied by an explicit request for confidential treatment, 
including the factual and legal basis for the request, and must 
identify the specific portions of the comment to be withheld from 
the public record. The request will be granted or denied by the 
Commission's General Counsel, consistent with applicable law and the 
public interest. See Commission Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Comments filed in electronic form should be submitted by clicking 
on the following weblink: https://secure.commentworks.com/FTC-
ApplianceSurvey and following the instructions on the Web-based form. 
To ensure that the Commission considers an electronic comment, you must 
file it on the web-based form at the https://secure.commentworks.com/
FTC-ApplianceSurvey Web link. If this notice appears at https://
www.regulations.gov, you may also file an electronic comment through 
that Web site. The Commission will consider all comments that 
regulations.gov forwards to it.
    The FTC Act and other laws the Commission administers permit the 
collection of public comments to consider and use in this proceeding as 
appropriate. All timely and responsive public comments will be 
considered by the Commission and will be available to the public on the 
FTC Web site, to the extent practicable, at https://www.ftc.gov. As a 
matter of discretion, the FTC makes every effort to remove home contact 
information for individuals from the public comments it receives before 
placing those comments on the FTC Web site. More information, including 
routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, may be found in the FTC's 
privacy policy at https://www.ftc.gov/ftc/privacy.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be addressed to Hampton Newsome, Attorney, Division of 
Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, 
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20580, (202) 326-3228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA, Federal agencies must obtain 
approval from OMB for each collection of information they conduct or 
sponsor. ``Collection of information'' means agency requests or 
requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, 
or provide information to a third party. 44 U.S.C. 3502(3), 5 CFR 
1320.3(c).
    Section 324 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 
(EPCA), 42 U.S.C. 6291-6309, requires the FTC to prescribe labeling 
rules for the disclosure of estimated annual energy cost or alternative 
energy consumption information for a variety of products covered by the 
statute, including home appliances (e.g., refrigerators, dishwashers, 
air conditioners, and furnaces), lighting, and plumbing products. The 
Commission's Appliance Labeling Rule (Rule), 16 CFR part 305, 
implements these requirements by directing manufacturers to disclose 
energy information about major household appliances. This information 
enables consumers to compare the energy use or efficiency of competing 
models. When initially published in 1979, the Rule applied to eight 
appliance categories: refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, freezers, 
dishwashers, water heaters, clothes washers, room air conditioners, and 
furnaces. Since then, the Commission has expanded the Rule's coverage 
to include central air conditioners, heat pumps, fluorescent lamp 
ballasts, plumbing products, lighting products, pool heaters, and some 
other types of water heaters.
    Section 137 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 amends the EPCA (42 
U.S.C. 6294(a)(2)) to require the Commission to initiate a rulemaking 
to consider ``the effectiveness of the consumer products labeling 
program in assisting consumers in making purchasing decisions and 
improving energy efficiency.'' As part of this effort, EPCA directs the 
Commission to consider ``changes to the labeling rules (including 
categorical labeling) that would improve the effectiveness of consumer 
product labels.''
    On November 2, 2005, the Commission published an Advance Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) seeking comments on the effectiveness of the 
FTC's energy labeling regulations for consumer products. 70 FR 66307 
(November 2, 2005). In that Notice, the Commission stated that the 
American Council for an Energy Efficient Environment (ACEEE) released a 
report in 2002 summarizing its research on the EnergyGuide label's 
efficacy and on alternative formats and graphical elements for the 
label.\2\ More recently, the Association of Home Appliance 
Manufacturers (AHAM) conducted a study that also examined the current 
label and alternatives. AHAM submitted the study as part of its 
comments on the ANPR.\3\ The conclusions reached by AHAM and ACEEE are 
not in accord. As part of the ongoing rulemaking on the label's 
effectiveness, the Commission is considering conducting its own 
consumer research related to the existing label requirements and 
possible alternatives. As required by the PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A), 
the FTC is providing this opportunity for public comment before 
requesting that OMB grant the clearance for the survey.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ Thorne, Jennifer and Egan, Christine, ``An Evaluation of the 
Federal Trade Commission's EnergyGuide Label: Final Report and 
Recommendations,'' ACEEE, August 2002. The report is available 
online at https://aceee.org/pubs/a021full.pdf.
    \3\ See AHAM Comments in FTC Matter No. R511994, (January 13, 
2006) (https://www.ftc.gov/os/comments/energylabeling/519870-
00016.htm).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FTC invites comments on: (1) Whether the proposed collections 
of information are necessary for the proper performance of the 
functions of the FTC, including whether the information will have 
practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the FTC's estimate of the burden 
of the proposed collections of information; (3) ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
(4) ways to minimize the burden of collecting information on those who 
are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses. All comments should be filed as prescribed in 
the ADDRESSES section above, and must be received on or before May 15, 
2006.

[[Page 13400]]

1. Description of the Collection of Information and Proposed Use

    The FTC proposes to collect information from up to 3000 consumers 
in order to gather data on the effectiveness of current energy labels 
required by the Rule and possible alternatives to those current 
requirements. All information will be collected on a voluntary basis. 
Subject to OMB approval for the collection of information, the FTC 
plans to contract with a consumer research firm to identify consumers 
and conduct the survey. The results will assist the FTC in determining 
the effectiveness of the consumer products labeling program in 
assisting consumers in their purchasing decisions and improving energy 
efficiency. The results also should aid the Commission in considering 
changes to the labeling rules that would improve the effectiveness of 
consumer product labels.

2. Estimated Hours Burden

    The FTC is considering pretesting the consumer questionnaires on 
approximately 100 respondents to ensure that all questions are easily 
understood. The FTC expects that the pretest would take approximately 
20 minutes on average per person and approximately 33 hours as a whole 
(100 respondents x 20 minutes each). Once the pretest is completed, the 
FTC plans to seek information from approximately 3000 respondents. 
Answering the FTC's information requests will require approximately 
1000 hours as a whole (3000 respondents x 20 minutes each). Thus, 
cumulative total burden hours for the survey will be approximately 
1,000 hours (rounded to the nearest thousand).

3. Estimated Cost Burden

    The cost per respondent should be negligible. Participation is 
voluntary and will not require start-up, capital, or labor expenditures 
by respondents.

    By direction of the Commission.
Donald S. Clark,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-3700 Filed 3-14-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6750-01-P

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.