Public Roundtable Analyzing Proposed Changes to the Trade Regulation Rule on Care Labeling of Textile Wearing Apparel and Certain Piece Goods as Amended, 9442-9444 [2014-03531]

Download as PDF 9442 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 33 / Wednesday, February 19, 2014 / Proposed Rules who must report to and be supervised by their Director of Public Affairs or the Head of the Public Affairs Office. (c) When denying records in whole or in part, the FOIA Officer at the Center will consult with the Chief Counsel or the Counsel charged with providing legal advice to that FOIA office before releasing an initial determination under § 1206.308. ehiers on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS-1 § 1206.805 Inspector General. (a) The Inspector General or designee is responsible for making final determinations under § 1206.701, within the time limits specified in Subpart 7 of this part, concerning audit inspection and investigative records originating in the Office of the Inspector General records from outside the Government related to an audit inspection or investigation, records prepared in response to a request from or addressed to the Office of the Inspector General, or other records originating within the Office of the Inspector General, after consultation with the General Counsel or designee on an appeal of an initial determination to the Inspector General. (b) The Assistant Inspectors General or their designees are responsible for making initial determinations under Subpart 4 concerning Office of Inspector General records originating in the Office of the Inspector General, records from outside the Government related to Office of Inspector General records prepared in response to a request from or addressed to the Office of the Inspector General, or other records originating with the Office of the Inspector General, after consultation with the Counsel to the Inspector General or designee. (c) The Inspector General or designee is responsible for ensuring that requests for Agency records as specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section are processed and initial determinations are made within the time limits specified in Subpart 4 of this part. (d) The Inspector General or designee is responsible for determining whether unusual circumstances exist under § 1206.403 that would justify extending the time limit for an initial or final determination, for records as specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section. (e) Records as specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section include any records located at Regional and field Inspector General Offices, as well as records located at the Headquarters Office of the Inspector General. VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:29 Feb 18, 2014 Jkt 232001 Subpart 9—Location for Inspection and Request of Agency Records § 1206.900 libraries. 16 CFR Part 423 FOIA offices and electronic (a) NASA Headquarters and each NASA Center have a FOIA Electronic Library on the Internet. The Electronic library addresses are located on the NASA FOIA homepage https:// www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/FOIA/ agency/ (b) In addition a requester may submit a FOIA request electronically. The addresses are located on the NASA FOIA homepage under each Center link. Appendix A NASA FOIA Requester Service Center Addresses NASA Ames Research Center, FOIA Requester Service Center, Mail Stop 943– 4, Moffett Field, CA 94035 NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, FOIA Requester Service Center, Post Office Box 273, Edwards, CA 93523 NASA Glenn Research Center, FOIA Requester Service Center, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, OH 44135 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, FOIA Requester Service Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 NASA Headquarters, FOIA Requester Service Center, Mail Stop 5–L19, 300 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20546 NASA Office of the Inspector General, FOIA Requester Service Center, Mail Stop, 300 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20546 NASA Management Office—Jet Propulsion Laboratory, FOIA Requester Service Center, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 NASA Johnson Space Center, FOIA Requester Service Center, Houston, TX 77058 NASA Kennedy Space Center, FOIA Requester Service Center, Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899 NASA Langley Research Center, FOIA Requester Service Center, Hampton, VA 23681 NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, FOIA Requester Service Center, Huntsville, AL 35812 NASA Stennis Space Center, FOIA Requester Service Center, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 NASA Shared Services Center, FOIA Requester Service Center, Bldg 5100, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 Charles F. Bolden, Jr., Administrator. [FR Doc. 2014–03450 Filed 2–18–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE P PO 00000 FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION Frm 00013 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 Public Roundtable Analyzing Proposed Changes to the Trade Regulation Rule on Care Labeling of Textile Wearing Apparel and Certain Piece Goods as Amended Federal Trade Commission. Notice announcing public roundtable and request for public comment. AGENCY: ACTION: The Federal Trade Commission (‘‘FTC’’ or ‘‘Commission’’) is holding a public roundtable relating to its September 20, 2012 proposed changes to the Care Labeling Rule. The roundtable will explore issues relating to professional wetcleaning, care symbols, the Rule’s reasonable basis requirements, and other issues raised in comments received in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (‘‘NPRM’’). The roundtable originally scheduled on October 1, 2013 was cancelled due to the government shutdown. DATES: The public roundtable will be held on March 28, 2014, from 9:15 a.m. until 3:45 p.m., at the FTC’s Satellite Building Conference Center, located at 601 New Jersey Avenue NW., Washington, DC. Requests to participate as a panelist must be received by February 28, 2014. Any written comments related to the agenda topics, the issues discussed by the panelists at the roundtable, or the issues raised in comments received in response to the NPRM must be received by April 11, 2014. ADDRESSES: Interested parties may file a comment or a request to participate as a panelist electronically or on paper by following the instructions in the Filing Comments and Requests to Participate as a Panelist part of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below. Write ‘‘Care Labeling Rule, 16 CFR part 423, Comment, Project No. R511915’’ on your comment and ‘‘Care Labeling Rule, 16 CFR part 423, Request to Participate, Project No. R511915’’ on your request to participate as a panelist. File your comment online at https:// ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/ carelabelingruleroundtable by following the instructions on the web-based form. File your request to participate as a panelist by email to: carelabelingroundtable@ftc.gov. If you prefer to file your comment or request on paper, mail or deliver it to the following address: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, Room H–113 (Annex M), 600 SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\19FEP1.SGM 19FEP1 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 33 / Wednesday, February 19, 2014 / Proposed Rules Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20580. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert M. Frisby, Attorney, 202–326– 2098, or Amanda B. Kostner, Attorney, 202–326–2880, Federal Trade Commission, Division of Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20580. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction The Rule prohibits manufacturers and importers from selling textile wearing apparel and certain piece goods without attaching labels stating the care needed for their ordinary use.1 Manufacturers and importers must possess, prior to sale, a reasonable basis for these care instructions 2 and can use approved care symbols to disclose those instructions.3 As part of its ongoing regulatory review program, the Commission published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (‘‘ANPR’’) in July 2011 seeking comment on: The economic impact of, and the continuing need for, the Rule; the benefits of the Rule to consumers; and the burdens the Rule places on businesses.4 The ANPR also sought comment on whether and how the Rule should address professional wetcleaning and updated industry standards regarding the use of care symbols. The Commission received 120 comments in response.5 After reviewing these comments, the Commission published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (‘‘NPRM’’) proposing four amendments.6 The Commission proposed to: (1) Permit manufacturers and importers to provide a care instruction for professional wetcleaning on labels if the garment can be professionally wetcleaned; (2) Permit manufacturers and importers to use the symbol system set forth in either ASTM Standard D5489–07, ‘‘Standard Guide for Care Symbols for Care Instructions on Textile Products,’’ or ISO 3758:2005(E), ‘‘Textiles—Care labelling code using symbols’’; (3) Clarify what constitutes a reasonable basis for care instructions; and (4) Update the 1 16 CFR 423.5 and 423.6(a) and (b). CFR 423.6(c). 3 The Rule provides that the symbol system developed by ASTM International, formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials, and designated as ASTM Standard D5489–96c ‘‘Guide to Care Symbols for Care Instructions on Consumer Textile Products’’ may be used on care labels or care instructions in lieu of terms so long as the symbols fulfill the requirements of Part 423. 16 CFR 423.8(g). 4 76 FR 41148 (July 13, 2011). 5 The comments are posted at https://www.ftc.gov/ policy/public-comments/initiative-384. 6 77 FR 58338 (September 20, 2012). ehiers on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS-1 2 16 VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:29 Feb 18, 2014 Jkt 232001 definition of ‘‘dryclean’’ to reflect current practices and technology. The Commission received 87 comments in response,7 including one requesting an opportunity to present views orally at a workshop or hearing 8 and several urging the Commission to hold a hearing or workshop 9 or requesting more time to file comments on the proposed amendments.10 Most of the comments favoring a workshop or hearing or more time to comment also urged the Commission to amend the Rule to require a wetcleaning instruction rather than merely permit one. Accordingly, the Commission will conduct a roundtable 11 to provide interested parties with an opportunity to present their views orally pursuant to the procedures set forth in the NPRM.12 The Commission originally scheduled this roundtable on October 1, 2013; 13 however, it was cancelled due to the government shutdown. Persons selected to participate as panelists in the cancelled roundtable should submit a new request if they wish to participate in the March 28 roundtable. Similarly, the Commission requests that persons who preregistered for the cancelled roundtable register or the March 28 roundtable if they plan to attend. You van find more information about the roundtable at https://www.ftc.gov/newsevents/event-calendar/2014/03/carelabeling-rule-ftc-roundtable. II. Issues for Discussion at the Roundtable The roundtable will focus on the proposed amendment permitting a wetcleaning instruction and comments urging the Commission to require a wetcleaning instruction. The wetcleaning discussion also will address: (1) The cost of substantiating wetcleaning instructions; (2) The availability of wetcleaning services; (3) Consumer awareness of wetcleaning; and (4) The content of labels providing 7 The comments are posted at https://www.ftc.gov/ policy/public-comments/initiative-451. The Commission has assigned each comment a number appearing after the name of the commenter and the date of submission. This notice cites comments using the last name of the individual submitter or the name of the organization, followed by the number assigned by the Commission. 8 Sinsheimer, UCLA Sustainable Technology & Policy Program (87). 9 Huie (80); Miele (72 and 76); Professional Wet Cleaners Association (59); Sung (74); and Toxic Use Reduction Institute (54). 10 European Union (67); Huie (80); and Professional Wet Cleaners Association (59). 11 The NPRM noted the possibility of holding a workshop; however, the Commission has decided to describe this event as a roundtable to encourage discussion. 12 77 FR at 58338–339. 13 78 FR 45901 (July 30, 2013). PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 9443 a wetcleaning instruction (e.g., instructing ‘‘professionally wetclean’’ versus ‘‘wetclean’’). The roundtable also will explore issues relating to the use of care symbols and the Commission’s proposal to clarify the Rule’s reasonable basis requirements. These discussions will address: (1) The differences between ASTM and ISO symbols and between the 2005 and 2012 ISO symbols; (2) Whether to require that labels identify ISO symbols if used to comply with the Rule; (3) The change in the meaning of the circle P symbol in the ASTM system; (4) The absence of ASTM and ISO symbols for solvents other than perchloroethylene (‘‘perc’’) and petroleum; (5) Consumer understanding of symbols; and (6) How to clarify the Rule’s reasonable basis requirements.14 In addition, the roundtable will provide participants with an opportunity to discuss other issues raised by comments. A more detailed agenda will be published at a later date, in advance of the scheduled roundtable. In the interim, the Commission is particularly interested in receiving relevant consumer perception evidence. III. Public Participation Information A. Registration Information The roundtable is open to the public, and there is no fee for attendance. For admittance to the Conference Center, all attendees must show valid governmentissued photo identification, such as a driver’s license. Pre-registration is not necessary to attend, but is encouraged so that staff may better plan this event. To pre-register, please email your name and affiliation to carelabelingroundtable@ftc.gov. When you pre-register, the FTC collects your name, affiliation, and email address. We will use this information to estimate how many people will attend and better understand the likely audience for the roundtable, and will dispose of it following the roundtable. We may use your email address to contact you with information about the roundtable. The FTC Act and other laws the Commission administers permit the collection of this contact information to consider and use for the above purposes. Under the Freedom of Information Act or other laws, we may be required to disclose the information you provide to outside organizations. For additional information, including routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, see the Commission’s privacy policy at https:// www.ftc.gov/site-information/privacypolicy. 14 See, E:\FR\FM\19FEP1.SGM e.g., GreenEarth Cleaning (41). 19FEP1 9444 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 33 / Wednesday, February 19, 2014 / Proposed Rules B. Requests To Participate as a Panelist The roundtable will consist of roundtable discussions by panelists selected by the FTC staff. Other attendees will have an opportunity to comment and ask questions. The Commission will place a transcript of the proceeding on the public record. Requests to participate as a panelist must be received on or before February 28, 2014, as explained in Section IV below. Persons selected as panelists will be notified on or before March 14, 2014. C. Electronic and Paper Comments The submission of comments is not required for participation in the roundtable. If a person wishes to submit paper or electronic comments about the topics to be discussed at the roundtable or issues raised in the comments filed in response to the NPRM, such comments should be filed as prescribed in Section IV, and must be received on or before April 11, 2014. ehiers on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS-1 IV. Filing Comments and Requests To Participate as a Panelist You can file a comment or request to participate in the roundtable as a panelist online or on paper. For the Commission to consider your comment, we must receive it on or before April 11, 2014. Write ‘‘Care Labeling Rule, 16 CFR part 423, Comment, Project No. R511915’’ on your comment and ‘‘Care Labeling Rule, 16 CFR part 423, Request to Participate, Project No. R511915’’ on your request to participate. Your comment—including your name and your state—will be placed on the public record of this proceeding, including, to the extent practicable, on the public Commission Web site, at https:// www.ftc.gov/os/publiccomments.shtm. As a matter of discretion, the Commission tries to remove individuals’ home contact information from comments before placing them on the Commission Web site. Because your comment will be made public, you are solely responsible for making sure that your comment does not include any sensitive personal information, such as anyone’s Social Security number, date of birth, driver’s license number or other state identification number or foreign country equivalent, passport number, financial account number, or credit or debit card number. You are also solely responsible for making sure that your comment does not include any sensitive health information, such as medical records or other individually identifiable health information. In addition, do not include any ‘‘[t]rade secret or any commercial or financial information which is . . . is VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:29 Feb 18, 2014 Jkt 232001 privileged or confidential,’’ as discussed in Section 6(f) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 46(f), and FTC Rule 4.10(a)(2), 16 CFR 4.10(a)(2). In particular, do not include competitively sensitive information such as costs, sales statistics, inventories, formulas, patterns, devices, manufacturing processes, or customer names. If you want the Commission to give your comment confidential treatment, you must file it in paper form, with a request for confidential treatment, and you have to follow the procedure explained in FTC Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c).15 Your comment will be kept confidential only if the FTC General Counsel, in his or her sole discretion, grants your request in accordance with the law and the public interest. Postal mail addressed to the Commission is subject to delay due to heightened security screening. As a result, we encourage you to submit your comments online. To make sure that the Commission considers your online comment, you must file it at https:// ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/ carelabelingruleroundtable, by following the instruction on the webbased form. If this Notice appears at https://www.regulations.gov/#!home, you also may file a comment through that Web site. Requests to participate as a panelist at the roundtable should be submitted electronically to carelabelingroundtable@ftc.gov, or, if mailed, should be submitted in the manner detailed below. Parties are asked to include in their requests a brief statement setting forth their expertise in or knowledge of the issues on which the roundtable will focus as well as their contact information, including a phone number, facsimile number, and email address (if available), to enable the FTC to notify them if they are selected. If you file your comment or request on paper, write ‘‘Care Labeling Rule, 16 CFR part 423, Comment, Project No. R511915’’ on your comment and on the envelope and ‘‘Care Labeling Rule, 16 CFR part 423, Request to Participate, Project No. R511915,’’ on your request and on the envelope, and mail or deliver it to the following address: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, Room H–113 (Annex M), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20580. If possible, submit your paper comment or request to the 15 In particular, the written request for confidential treatment that accompanies the comment must include the factual and legal basis for the request, and must identify the specific portions of the comment to be withheld from the public record. See FTC Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c). PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 9990 Commission by courier or overnight service. Visit the Commission Web site at https://www.ftc.gov to read this Notice and the news release describing it. The FTC Act and other laws that the Commission administers permit the collection of public comments to consider and use in this proceeding as appropriate. The Commission will consider all timely and responsive public comments that it receives on or before April 11, 2014. The Commission will consider all timely requests to participate as a panelist in the roundtable that it receives by February 28, 2014. You can find more information, including routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, in the Commission’s privacy policy, at https:// www.ftc.gov/site-information/privacypolicy. The Commission invites members of the public to comment on any issues or concerns they believe are relevant or appropriate to the Commission’s consideration of proposed amendments to the Care Labeling Rule or the roundtable agenda. The Commission requests that comments provide factual data, such as consumer perception evidence, upon which the commenters’ proposals or views are based. V. Communications to Commissioners and Commissioner Advisors by Outside Parties Pursuant to Commission Rule 1.18(c)(1), the Commission has determined that communications with respect to the merits of this proceeding from any outside party to any Commissioner or Commissioner advisor shall be subject to the following treatment. Written communications and summaries or transcripts of oral communications shall be placed on the rulemaking record if the communication is received before the end of the staff report comment period. They shall be placed on the public record if the communication is received later. Unless the outside party making an oral communication is a member of Congress, such communications are permitted only if advance notice is published in the Weekly Calendar and Notice of ‘‘Sunshine’’ Meetings.16 By direction of the Commission. Donald S. Clark, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2014–03531 Filed 2–18–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6750–01–P 16 See E:\FR\FM\19FEP1.SGM 15 U.S.C. 57a(i)(2)(A); 16 CFR 1.18(c). 19FEP1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 19, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 9442-9444]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-03531]


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FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

16 CFR Part 423


Public Roundtable Analyzing Proposed Changes to the Trade 
Regulation Rule on Care Labeling of Textile Wearing Apparel and Certain 
Piece Goods as Amended

AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission.

ACTION: Notice announcing public roundtable and request for public 
comment.

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

SUMMARY: The Federal Trade Commission (``FTC'' or ``Commission'') is 
holding a public roundtable relating to its September 20, 2012 proposed 
changes to the Care Labeling Rule. The roundtable will explore issues 
relating to professional wetcleaning, care symbols, the Rule's 
reasonable basis requirements, and other issues raised in comments 
received in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (``NPRM''). 
The roundtable originally scheduled on October 1, 2013 was cancelled 
due to the government shutdown.

DATES: The public roundtable will be held on March 28, 2014, from 9:15 
a.m. until 3:45 p.m., at the FTC's Satellite Building Conference 
Center, located at 601 New Jersey Avenue NW., Washington, DC. Requests 
to participate as a panelist must be received by February 28, 2014. Any 
written comments related to the agenda topics, the issues discussed by 
the panelists at the roundtable, or the issues raised in comments 
received in response to the NPRM must be received by April 11, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may file a comment or a request to 
participate as a panelist electronically or on paper by following the 
instructions in the Filing Comments and Requests to Participate as a 
Panelist part of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below. Write 
``Care Labeling Rule, 16 CFR part 423, Comment, Project No. R511915'' 
on your comment and ``Care Labeling Rule, 16 CFR part 423, Request to 
Participate, Project No. R511915'' on your request to participate as a 
panelist. File your comment online at https://ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/carelabelingruleroundtable by following 
the instructions on the web-based form. File your request to 
participate as a panelist by email to: carelabelingroundtable@ftc.gov. 
If you prefer to file your comment or request on paper, mail or deliver 
it to the following address: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the 
Secretary, Room H-113 (Annex M), 600

[[Page 9443]]

Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20580.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert M. Frisby, Attorney, 202-326-
2098, or Amanda B. Kostner, Attorney, 202-326-2880, Federal Trade 
Commission, Division of Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 600 
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20580.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    The Rule prohibits manufacturers and importers from selling textile 
wearing apparel and certain piece goods without attaching labels 
stating the care needed for their ordinary use.\1\ Manufacturers and 
importers must possess, prior to sale, a reasonable basis for these 
care instructions \2\ and can use approved care symbols to disclose 
those instructions.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ 16 CFR 423.5 and 423.6(a) and (b).
    \2\ 16 CFR 423.6(c).
    \3\ The Rule provides that the symbol system developed by ASTM 
International, formerly the American Society for Testing and 
Materials, and designated as ASTM Standard D5489-96c ``Guide to Care 
Symbols for Care Instructions on Consumer Textile Products'' may be 
used on care labels or care instructions in lieu of terms so long as 
the symbols fulfill the requirements of Part 423. 16 CFR 423.8(g).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As part of its ongoing regulatory review program, the Commission 
published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (``ANPR'') in July 
2011 seeking comment on: The economic impact of, and the continuing 
need for, the Rule; the benefits of the Rule to consumers; and the 
burdens the Rule places on businesses.\4\ The ANPR also sought comment 
on whether and how the Rule should address professional wetcleaning and 
updated industry standards regarding the use of care symbols. The 
Commission received 120 comments in response.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ 76 FR 41148 (July 13, 2011).
    \5\ The comments are posted at https://www.ftc.gov/policy/public-comments/initiative-384.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    After reviewing these comments, the Commission published a Notice 
of Proposed Rulemaking (``NPRM'') proposing four amendments.\6\ The 
Commission proposed to: (1) Permit manufacturers and importers to 
provide a care instruction for professional wetcleaning on labels if 
the garment can be professionally wetcleaned; (2) Permit manufacturers 
and importers to use the symbol system set forth in either ASTM 
Standard D5489-07, ``Standard Guide for Care Symbols for Care 
Instructions on Textile Products,'' or ISO 3758:2005(E), ``Textiles--
Care labelling code using symbols''; (3) Clarify what constitutes a 
reasonable basis for care instructions; and (4) Update the definition 
of ``dryclean'' to reflect current practices and technology. The 
Commission received 87 comments in response,\7\ including one 
requesting an opportunity to present views orally at a workshop or 
hearing \8\ and several urging the Commission to hold a hearing or 
workshop \9\ or requesting more time to file comments on the proposed 
amendments.\10\ Most of the comments favoring a workshop or hearing or 
more time to comment also urged the Commission to amend the Rule to 
require a wetcleaning instruction rather than merely permit one. 
Accordingly, the Commission will conduct a roundtable \11\ to provide 
interested parties with an opportunity to present their views orally 
pursuant to the procedures set forth in the NPRM.\12\
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    \6\ 77 FR 58338 (September 20, 2012).
    \7\ The comments are posted at https://www.ftc.gov/policy/public-comments/initiative-451. The Commission has assigned each comment a 
number appearing after the name of the commenter and the date of 
submission. This notice cites comments using the last name of the 
individual submitter or the name of the organization, followed by 
the number assigned by the Commission.
    \8\ Sinsheimer, UCLA Sustainable Technology & Policy Program 
(87).
    \9\ Huie (80); Miele (72 and 76); Professional Wet Cleaners 
Association (59); Sung (74); and Toxic Use Reduction Institute (54).
    \10\ European Union (67); Huie (80); and Professional Wet 
Cleaners Association (59).
    \11\ The NPRM noted the possibility of holding a workshop; 
however, the Commission has decided to describe this event as a 
roundtable to encourage discussion.
    \12\ 77 FR at 58338-339.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Commission originally scheduled this roundtable on October 1, 
2013; \13\ however, it was cancelled due to the government shutdown. 
Persons selected to participate as panelists in the cancelled 
roundtable should submit a new request if they wish to participate in 
the March 28 roundtable. Similarly, the Commission requests that 
persons who preregistered for the cancelled roundtable register or the 
March 28 roundtable if they plan to attend. You van find more 
information about the roundtable at https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/event-calendar/2014/03/care-labeling-rule-ftc-roundtable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \13\ 78 FR 45901 (July 30, 2013).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

II. Issues for Discussion at the Roundtable

    The roundtable will focus on the proposed amendment permitting a 
wetcleaning instruction and comments urging the Commission to require a 
wetcleaning instruction. The wetcleaning discussion also will address: 
(1) The cost of substantiating wetcleaning instructions; (2) The 
availability of wetcleaning services; (3) Consumer awareness of 
wetcleaning; and (4) The content of labels providing a wetcleaning 
instruction (e.g., instructing ``professionally wetclean'' versus 
``wetclean'').
    The roundtable also will explore issues relating to the use of care 
symbols and the Commission's proposal to clarify the Rule's reasonable 
basis requirements. These discussions will address: (1) The differences 
between ASTM and ISO symbols and between the 2005 and 2012 ISO symbols; 
(2) Whether to require that labels identify ISO symbols if used to 
comply with the Rule; (3) The change in the meaning of the circle P 
symbol in the ASTM system; (4) The absence of ASTM and ISO symbols for 
solvents other than perchloroethylene (``perc'') and petroleum; (5) 
Consumer understanding of symbols; and (6) How to clarify the Rule's 
reasonable basis requirements.\14\ In addition, the roundtable will 
provide participants with an opportunity to discuss other issues raised 
by comments. A more detailed agenda will be published at a later date, 
in advance of the scheduled roundtable. In the interim, the Commission 
is particularly interested in receiving relevant consumer perception 
evidence.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \14\ See, e.g., GreenEarth Cleaning (41).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

III. Public Participation Information

A. Registration Information

    The roundtable is open to the public, and there is no fee for 
attendance. For admittance to the Conference Center, all attendees must 
show valid government-issued photo identification, such as a driver's 
license. Pre-registration is not necessary to attend, but is encouraged 
so that staff may better plan this event. To pre-register, please email 
your name and affiliation to carelabelingroundtable@ftc.gov. When you 
pre-register, the FTC collects your name, affiliation, and email 
address. We will use this information to estimate how many people will 
attend and better understand the likely audience for the roundtable, 
and will dispose of it following the roundtable. We may use your email 
address to contact you with information about the roundtable. The FTC 
Act and other laws the Commission administers permit the collection of 
this contact information to consider and use for the above purposes. 
Under the Freedom of Information Act or other laws, we may be required 
to disclose the information you provide to outside organizations. For 
additional information, including routine uses permitted by the Privacy 
Act, see the Commission's privacy policy at https://www.ftc.gov/site-information/privacy-policy.

[[Page 9444]]

B. Requests To Participate as a Panelist

    The roundtable will consist of roundtable discussions by panelists 
selected by the FTC staff. Other attendees will have an opportunity to 
comment and ask questions. The Commission will place a transcript of 
the proceeding on the public record. Requests to participate as a 
panelist must be received on or before February 28, 2014, as explained 
in Section IV below. Persons selected as panelists will be notified on 
or before March 14, 2014.

C. Electronic and Paper Comments

    The submission of comments is not required for participation in the 
roundtable. If a person wishes to submit paper or electronic comments 
about the topics to be discussed at the roundtable or issues raised in 
the comments filed in response to the NPRM, such comments should be 
filed as prescribed in Section IV, and must be received on or before 
April 11, 2014.

IV. Filing Comments and Requests To Participate as a Panelist

    You can file a comment or request to participate in the roundtable 
as a panelist online or on paper. For the Commission to consider your 
comment, we must receive it on or before April 11, 2014. Write ``Care 
Labeling Rule, 16 CFR part 423, Comment, Project No. R511915'' on your 
comment and ``Care Labeling Rule, 16 CFR part 423, Request to 
Participate, Project No. R511915'' on your request to participate. Your 
comment--including your name and your state--will be placed on the 
public record of this proceeding, including, to the extent practicable, 
on the public Commission Web site, at https://www.ftc.gov/os/publiccomments.shtm. As a matter of discretion, the Commission tries to 
remove individuals' home contact information from comments before 
placing them on the Commission Web site.
    Because your comment will be made public, you are solely 
responsible for making sure that your comment does not include any 
sensitive personal information, such as anyone's Social Security 
number, date of birth, driver's license number or other state 
identification number or foreign country equivalent, passport number, 
financial account number, or credit or debit card number. You are also 
solely responsible for making sure that your comment does not include 
any sensitive health information, such as medical records or other 
individually identifiable health information. In addition, do not 
include any ``[t]rade secret or any commercial or financial information 
which is . . . is privileged or confidential,'' as discussed in Section 
6(f) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 46(f), and FTC Rule 4.10(a)(2), 16 CFR 
4.10(a)(2). In particular, do not include competitively sensitive 
information such as costs, sales statistics, inventories, formulas, 
patterns, devices, manufacturing processes, or customer names.
    If you want the Commission to give your comment confidential 
treatment, you must file it in paper form, with a request for 
confidential treatment, and you have to follow the procedure explained 
in FTC Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c).\15\ Your comment will be kept 
confidential only if the FTC General Counsel, in his or her sole 
discretion, grants your request in accordance with the law and the 
public interest.
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    \15\ In particular, the written request for confidential 
treatment that accompanies the comment must include the factual and 
legal basis for the request, and must identify the specific portions 
of the comment to be withheld from the public record. See FTC Rule 
4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c).
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    Postal mail addressed to the Commission is subject to delay due to 
heightened security screening. As a result, we encourage you to submit 
your comments online. To make sure that the Commission considers your 
online comment, you must file it at https://ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/carelabelingruleroundtable, by following the instruction on the 
web-based form. If this Notice appears at https://www.regulations.gov/#!home, you also may file a comment through that Web site.
    Requests to participate as a panelist at the roundtable should be 
submitted electronically to carelabelingroundtable@ftc.gov, or, if 
mailed, should be submitted in the manner detailed below. Parties are 
asked to include in their requests a brief statement setting forth 
their expertise in or knowledge of the issues on which the roundtable 
will focus as well as their contact information, including a phone 
number, facsimile number, and email address (if available), to enable 
the FTC to notify them if they are selected.
    If you file your comment or request on paper, write ``Care Labeling 
Rule, 16 CFR part 423, Comment, Project No. R511915'' on your comment 
and on the envelope and ``Care Labeling Rule, 16 CFR part 423, Request 
to Participate, Project No. R511915,'' on your request and on the 
envelope, and mail or deliver it to the following address: Federal 
Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, Room H-113 (Annex M), 600 
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20580. If possible, submit your 
paper comment or request to the Commission by courier or overnight 
service.
    Visit the Commission Web site at https://www.ftc.gov to read this 
Notice and the news release describing it. The FTC Act and other laws 
that the Commission administers permit the collection of public 
comments to consider and use in this proceeding as appropriate. The 
Commission will consider all timely and responsive public comments that 
it receives on or before April 11, 2014. The Commission will consider 
all timely requests to participate as a panelist in the roundtable that 
it receives by February 28, 2014. You can find more information, 
including routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, in the 
Commission's privacy policy, at https://www.ftc.gov/site-information/privacy-policy. The Commission invites members of the public to comment 
on any issues or concerns they believe are relevant or appropriate to 
the Commission's consideration of proposed amendments to the Care 
Labeling Rule or the roundtable agenda. The Commission requests that 
comments provide factual data, such as consumer perception evidence, 
upon which the commenters' proposals or views are based.

V. Communications to Commissioners and Commissioner Advisors by Outside 
Parties

    Pursuant to Commission Rule 1.18(c)(1), the Commission has 
determined that communications with respect to the merits of this 
proceeding from any outside party to any Commissioner or Commissioner 
advisor shall be subject to the following treatment. Written 
communications and summaries or transcripts of oral communications 
shall be placed on the rulemaking record if the communication is 
received before the end of the staff report comment period. They shall 
be placed on the public record if the communication is received later. 
Unless the outside party making an oral communication is a member of 
Congress, such communications are permitted only if advance notice is 
published in the Weekly Calendar and Notice of ``Sunshine'' 
Meetings.\16\
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    \16\ See 15 U.S.C. 57a(i)(2)(A); 16 CFR 1.18(c).

    By direction of the Commission.
Donald S. Clark,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-03531 Filed 2-18-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6750-01-P
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