Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request, 68018-68019 [2016-23781]

Agencies

• FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 191 (Monday, October 3, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68018-68019]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23781]



[[Page 68018]]

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FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

ACTION: Notice for comment regarding the Federal Reserve proposal to 
extend without revision, the clearance under the Paperwork Reduction 
Act for the following information collection activity.

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SUMMARY: The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board or 
Federal Reserve) invites comment on proposals to extend without 
revision, the Intermittent Survey of Businesses (FR 1374), and the 
Domestic Finance Company Report of Consolidated Assets and Liabilities 
(FR 2248).
    On June 15, 1984, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
delegated to the Board authority under the Paperwork Reduction Act 
(PRA) to approve of and assign OMB control numbers to collection of 
information requests and requirements conducted or sponsored by the 
Board. In exercising this delegated authority, the Board is directed to 
take every reasonable step to solicit comment. In determining whether 
to approve a collection of information, the Board will consider all 
comments received from the public and other agencies.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 2, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by FR 1374 or FR 2248, 
by any of the following methods:
     Agency Web site: https://www.federalreserve.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments at https://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/foia/proposedregs.aspx .
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Email: regs.comments@federalreserve.gov. Include OMB 
number in the subject line of the message.
     FAX: (202) 452-3819 or (202) 452-3102.
     Mail: Robert deV. Frierson, Secretary, Board of Governors 
of the Federal Reserve System, 20th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20551.
    All public comments are available from the Board's Web site at 
https://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/foia/proposedregs.aspx as submitted, 
unless modified for technical reasons. Accordingly, your comments will 
not be edited to remove any identifying or contact information. Public 
comments may also be viewed electronically or in paper form in Room 
3515, 1801 K Street (between 18th and 19th Streets NW.), Washington, DC 
20006 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays.
    Additionally, commenters may send a copy of their comments to the 
OMB Desk Officer--Shagufta Ahmed--Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive Office 
Building, Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503 or by 
fax to (202) 395-6974.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A copy of the PRA OMB submission, 
including the proposed reporting form and instructions, supporting 
statement, and other documentation will be placed into OMB's public 
docket files, once approved. These documents will also be made 
available on the Federal Reserve Board's public Web site at: https://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/reportforms/review.aspx or may be requested 
from the agency clearance officer, whose name appears below.
    Federal Reserve Board Clearance Officer--Nuha Elmaghrabi--Office of 
the Chief Data Officer, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 
System, Washington, DC 20551 (202) 452-3829. Telecommunications Device 
for the Deaf (TDD) users may contact (202) 263-4869, Board of Governors 
of the Federal Reserve System, Washington, DC 20551.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Request for Comment on Information Collection Proposals

    The Board invites public comment on the following information 
collection, which is being reviewed under authority delegated by the 
OMB under the PRA. Comments are invited on the following:
    a. Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the Federal Reserve's functions; including 
whether the information has practical utility;
    b. The accuracy of the Federal Reserve's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed information collection, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    c. Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected;
    d. Ways to minimize the burden of information collection on 
respondents, including through the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology; and
    e. Estimates of capital or startup costs and costs of operation, 
maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information.
    At the end of the comment period, the comments and recommendations 
received will be analyzed to determine the extent to which the Federal 
Reserve should modify the proposed revisions prior to giving final 
approval.

Proposal To Approve Under OMB Delegated Authority the Extension for 
Three Years, Without Revision, of the Following Reports

    1. Report title: Intermittent Survey of Business.
    Agency form number: FR 1374.
    OMB control number: 7100-0302.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondents: Businesses and state and local governments.
    Estimated number of respondents: 2,410.
    Estimated average hours per response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated annual burden hours: 1,825 hours.
    General Description of Report: The survey data are used by the 
Federal Reserve to gather information specifically tailored to the 
Federal Reserve's policy and operational responsibilities. There are 
two parts to this event-generated survey. First, under the guidance of 
Federal Reserve economists, the Federal Reserve Banks survey business 
contacts as economic developments warrant. Currently, there are 
approximately 2,400 business respondents for each survey (about 200 per 
Reserve Bank); occasionally state and local government officials are 
called, in which case there are far fewer respondents. It is necessary 
to conduct these surveys to provide timely information to the members 
of the Board and to the presidents of the Reserve Banks. Usually, these 
surveys are conducted by Reserve Bank economists telephoning or 
emailing purchasing managers, economists, or other knowledgeable 
individuals at selected, relevant businesses. Reserve Bank staff may 
also use online survey tools to collect responses to the survey. The 
frequency and content of the questions, as well as the entities 
contacted, vary depending on developments in the economy. Second, 
economists at the Board survey business contacts by telephone, 
inquiring about current business conditions. Board economists conduct 
these surveys as economic conditions require, with approximately ten 
respondents for each survey.
    Legal authorization and confidentiality: The Board's Legal Division 
has determined that the Board is authorized to collect this information 
under sections 2A and 12A of the Federal Reserve Act (12 U.S.C. 225a 
and 263) and that respondent participation

[[Page 68019]]

in the survey is voluntary. Although the names of the participating 
entities might be disclosed in the summary memo and the memo might 
contain information provided to the Board for internal use only, 
exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4)) may 
exempt this information from disclosure to the public. However, if the 
information collected on the FR 1374 does not meet these standards for 
confidentiality (for example if the information collected is already 
public), it would not be granted confidential treatment.
    2. Report title: Domestic Finance Company Report of Consolidated 
Assets and Liabilities.
    Agency form number: FR 2248.
    OMB control number: 7100-0005.
    Frequency: Monthly, quarterly, and semi-annually.
    Respondents: Domestic finance companies and mortgage companies.
    Estimated number of respondents: 450.
    Estimated average hours per response: Monthly, 20 minutes; 
Quarterly, 30 minutes; Addendum, 10 minutes.
    Estimated annual burden hours: 750 hours.
    General Description of Report: The FR 2248 is collected monthly as 
of the last calendar day of the month from a stratified sample of 
finance companies. Each monthly report collects balance sheet data on 
major categories of consumer and business credit receivables and on 
major short-term liabilities. For quarter-end months (March, June, 
September, and December), additional asset and liability items are 
collected to provide a full balance sheet. A supplemental section 
collects data on securitized assets. The data are used to construct 
universe estimates of finance company holdings, which are published in 
the monthly statistical releases Finance Companies (G.20) and Consumer 
Credit (G.19), in the quarterly statistical release Flow of Funds 
Accounts of the United States (Z.1), and in the Federal Reserve 
Bulletin (Tables 1.51, 1.52, and 1.55).
    Legal authorization and confidentiality: The Board's Legal Division 
has determined that the FR 2248 is authorized by law pursuant to 
Section 2A of the Federal Reserve Act, 12 U.S.C. 225a). The obligation 
to respond is voluntary. Individual respondent data are confidential 
under section (b)(4) of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 
552(b)(4)).

    Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, September 28, 
2016.
Robert deV. Frierson,
Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 2016-23781 Filed 9-30-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6210-01-P