Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, 61535-61536 [2017-28021]
Download as PDF
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 248 / Thursday, December 28, 2017 / Notices
Form Number(s): ABS–1 Worksheet,
ABS–2 Worksheet.
Type of Request: New collection.
Number of Respondents: 850,000.
Average Hours per Response: 52
minutes.
Burden Hours: 735,934.
Needs and Uses: In an effort to
improve the measurement of business
dynamics in the United States, the
Census Bureau plans to conduct the
Annual Business Survey (ABS). The
ABS is a new survey designed to
combine Census Bureau firm-level
collections to reduce respondent
burden, increase data quality, reduce
operational costs, and operate more
efficiently. The ABS replaces the fiveyear Survey of Business Owners (SBO)
for employer businesses, the Annual
Survey of Entrepreneurs (ASE), and the
Business R&D and Innovation for
Microbusinesses (BRDI–M) surveys.
ABS estimates will include the number
of firms, sales/receipts, annual payroll,
and employment by gender, ethnicity,
race, and veteran status as well as R&D
and Innovation and various other
relevant topics. The ABS will be
conducted jointly by the National
Center for Science and Engineering
Statistics (NCSES) within the National
Science Foundation (NSF) and the
Census Bureau for five reference years
(2017–2021).
The ABS universe includes all
nonfarm employer businesses filing
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax forms
as individual proprietorships,
partnerships, or any type of corporation,
and with receipts of $1,000 or more. The
ABS will sample approximately 850,000
employer businesses in 2017 and
approximately 300,000 employer
businesses in years 2018–2021. The
sample is stratified by state, frame, and
industry. The Census Bureau selects
certain companies with certainty based
on volume of sales, payroll, number of
paid employees or NAICS. All certainty
cases are sure to be selected and
represent only themselves.
The ABS is designed to incorporate
new content each survey year based on
topics of relevance. Each year a new
module of questions is submitted to the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for approval. Topics for the 2017
ABS include: Owner & Business
Characteristics; R&D from
microbusiness; Innovation; and
Technology.
The ABS collection is electronic only.
Those selected for the survey receive an
initial letter informing the respondents
of their requirement to complete the
survey as well as instructions on
accessing the survey. The 2017 ABS
initial mailout is scheduled for June
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:14 Dec 27, 2017
Jkt 244001
2018. Responses will be due
approximately 40 days from initial
mailout. Select respondents will receive
a due date reminder approximately one
week before responses are due.
Additionally, there will be two followup letter mailings to nonrespondents
after the due date. Select
nonrespondents may receive a certified
mailing for the second follow-up if
needed. Closeout of mail operations is
scheduled for December 2018. Upon the
close of the collection period, the
response data will be processed, edited,
reviewed, tabulated, and released
publicly.
Statistics from the ABS will be used
by government program officials,
industry organization leaders, economic
and social analysts, business
entrepreneurs, and domestic and foreign
researchers in academia, business, and
government. Estimates produced on
owner demographic data may be used to
assess business assistance needs,
allocate available program resources,
and create a framework for planning,
directing, and assessing programs that
promote the activities of disadvantaged
groups; to assess minority-owned
businesses by industry and area and to
educate industry associations,
corporations, and government entities;
to analyze business operations in
comparison to similar firms, compute
market share, and assess business
growth and future prospects. Estimates
produced on research and development
and innovation may be used to compare
R&D costs across industries, determine
where R&D activity is conducted
geographically, and identify the types of
businesses with R&D; to contribute to
the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
system of national accounts; to increase
investments in research and
development, strengthen education, and
encourage entrepreneurship; and to
compare business innovation in the
United States to that of other countries,
including those in the European Union.
Additionally, the data will help
provide insight into the technology
sector based on how businesses respond
to questions about technology usage and
approximate costs of technology usage.
Historical ASE and SBO data have
been widely used by private firms and
individuals to evaluate their own
businesses and markets. The ABS will
be able to provide most of the same
continuity as previous statistics, with
enhanced content, to provide a more
comprehensive view of domestic
employer businesses, their owners and
corresponding characteristics and
activities. Additional examples of data
use include:
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
61535
• The Small Business Administration
(SBA) and the Minority Business
Development Agency (MBDA) to assess
business assistance needs and allocate
available program resources.
• Local government commissions on
small and disadvantaged businesses to
establish and evaluate contract
procurement practices.
• Federal, state and local government
agencies as a framework for planning,
directing and assessing programs that
promote the activities of disadvantaged
groups.
• The National Women’s Business
Council to assess the state of women’s
business ownership for policymakers,
researchers, and the public at large.
• Consultants and researchers to
analyze long-term economic and
demographic shifts, and differences in
ownership and performance among
geographic areas.
• Individual business owners to
analyze their operations in comparison
to similar firms, compute their market
share, and assess their growth and
future prospects.
Affected Public: Business or other forprofit.
Frequency: Annually.
Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Title 13 United States
Code, Sections 8(b), 131, and 182, Title
42 United States Code, Section 1861–76
(National Science Foundation Act of
1950, as amended), and Section 505
within the America COMPETES
Reauthorization Act of 2010 authorize
this collection. Sections 224 and 225 of
Title 13 United States Code requires
response from sampled firms.
This information collection request
may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov.
Follow the instructions to view
Department of Commerce collections
currently under review by OMB.
Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to OIRA_Submission@
omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395–5806.
Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Lead, Office of the Chief
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017–28012 Filed 12–27–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–07–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
The Department of Commerce will
submit to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for clearance the
following proposal for collection of
E:\FR\FM\28DEN1.SGM
28DEN1
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
61536
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 248 / Thursday, December 28, 2017 / Notices
information under the provisions of the
Paperwork Reduction Act.
Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
Title: Survey of Housing Starts, Sales
& Completions.
OMB Control Number: 0607–0110.
Form Number(s): SOC–Q1/SF.1, SCO–
Q1/MF.1.
Type of Request: Revision of a
currently approved collection.
Number of Respondents: 19,440.
Average Hours per Response: 5
minutes.
Burden Hours: 150,066.
Needs and Uses: The U.S. Census
Bureau is requesting a revision and
extension of the currently approved
collection for the Survey of Housing
Starts, Sales, and Completions,
otherwise known as the Survey of
Construction (SOC). Government
agencies and private companies use
statistics from SOC to monitor and
evaluate the large and dynamic housing
construction industry. Data for two
Principal Federal Economic Indicators
are produced from the SOC: New
Residential Construction (housing starts
and housing completions) and New
Residential Sales. In addition, a number
of other statistical series are produced,
including extensive information on the
physical characteristics of new
residential buildings, and indexes
measuring rates of inflation in the price
of new buildings. The collection of data
on housing units sold and completed
and physical characteristics is funded
by the Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD) via a
reimbursable agreement with the Census
Bureau. HUD uses data on housing
market conditions to inform its policies.
These statistics are based on a sample of
residential buildings in permit-issuing
places and a road canvass in a sample
of land areas not covered by building
permit systems.
The respondents are homebuilders,
real estate agents, rental agents, or new
homeowners of sampled residential
buildings. Field Representatives contact
respondents multiple times based on the
number of projects in the sample and
the number of months required to
complete the project (usually about 8
months).
After discussions with HUD and other
key data users, we identified one new
data item on ceiling height to be added
to the single-family questionnaire.
The Census Bureau uses the
information collected in the SOC to
publish estimates of the number of new
residential housing units started, under
construction, completed, and the
number of new houses sold and for sale.
The Census Bureau also publishes many
financial and physical characteristics of
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:14 Dec 27, 2017
Jkt 244001
new housing units. Government
agencies use these statistics to evaluate
economic policy, measure progress
towards the national housing goal, make
policy decisions, and formulate
legislation. For example, the Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve
System uses data from this survey to
evaluate the effect of interest rates in
this interest-rate sensitive area of the
economy. The Bureau of Economic
Analysis uses the data in developing the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The
private sector uses the information for
estimating the demand for building
materials and the many products used
in new housing and to schedule
production, distribution, and sales
efforts. The financial community uses
the data to estimate the demand for
short-term (construction loans) and
long-term (mortgages) borrowing.
Affected Public: Individuals;
Businesses.
Frequency: Monthly.
Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.
Legal Authority: Title 13, United
States Code, Sections 131 and 182.
This information collection request
may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov.
Follow the instructions to view
Department of Commerce collections
currently under review by OMB.
Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to OIRA_Submission@
omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395–5806.
Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Lead, Office of the Chief
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017–28021 Filed 12–27–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–07–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Bureau of Industry and Security
In the Matter of: Joseph EsequielGonzalez, Inmate Number: 04655–479,
FCI Bastrop Federal Correctional
Institution, P.O. Box 1010, Bastrop, TX
78602; Order Denying Export
Privileges
On August 30, 2016, in the U.S.
District Court for the Southern District
of Texas, Joseph Esequiel-Gonzalez
(‘‘Esequiel-Gonzalez’’) was convicted of
violating Section 38 of the Arms Export
Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2778 (2012))
(‘‘AECA’’). Specifically, EsequielGonzalez was convicted of knowingly
and willfully exporting, attempting to
export, and causing to be exported from
the United States to Mexico a .380
caliber pistol, which was designated as
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
a defense article on the United States
Munitions List, without the required
U.S. Department of State license.
Esequiel-Gonzalez was sentenced to 55
months in prison, three years of
supervised release, and a special
assessment of $100.
Section 766.25 of the Export
Administration Regulations (‘‘EAR’’ or
‘‘Regulations’’) 1 provides, in pertinent
part, that ‘‘[t]he Director of the Office of
Exporter Services, in consultation with
the Director of the Office of Export
Enforcement, may deny the export
privileges of any person who has been
convicted of a violation of the EAA
[Export Administration Act], the EAR,
or any order, license, or authorization
issued thereunder; any regulation,
license or order issued under the
International Emergency Economic
Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701–1706); 18
U.S.C. 793, 794 or 798; section 4(b) of
the Internal Security Act of 1950 (50
U.S.C. 783(b)); or section 38 of the Arms
Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2778).’’ 15
CFR 766.25(a); see also Section 11(h) of
the EAA, 50 U.S.C. 4610(h). The denial
of export privileges under this provision
may be for a period of up to 10 years
from the date of the conviction. 15 CFR
766.25(d); see also 50 U.S.C. 4610(h). In
addition, Section 750.8 of the
Regulations states that the Bureau of
Industry and Security’s Office of
Exporter Services may revoke any
Bureau of Industry and Security (‘‘BIS’’)
licenses previously issued pursuant to
the Export Administration Act (‘‘EAA’’
or ‘‘the Act’’) or the Regulations in
which the person had an interest at the
time of his/her conviction.
BIS has received notice of EsequielGonzalez’s conviction for violating
Section 38 of the AECA, and has
provided notice and an opportunity for
Esequiel-Gonzalez to make a written
submission to BIS, as provided in
Section 766.25 of the Regulations. BIS
has not received a submission from
Esequiel-Gonzalez.
Based upon my review and
consultations with BIS’s Office of
Export Enforcement, including its
Director, and the facts available to BIS,
I have decided to deny Esequiel1 The Regulations are currently codified in the
Code of Federal Regulations at 15 CFR parts 730–
774 (2017). The Regulations issued pursuant to the
Export Administration Act (50 U.S.C. 4601–4623
(Supp. III 2015) (available at https://
uscode.house.gov)) (‘‘EAA’’ or ‘‘the Act’’). Since
August 21, 2001, the Act has been in lapse and the
President, through Executive Order 13222 of August
17, 2001 (3 CFR, 2001 Comp. 783 (2002)), which
has been extended by successive Presidential
Notices, the most recent being that of August 15,
2017 (82 FR 39005 (Aug. 16, 2017)), has continued
the Regulations in effect under the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701,
et seq. (2012)).
E:\FR\FM\28DEN1.SGM
28DEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 248 (Thursday, December 28, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61535-61536]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-28021]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of
[[Page 61536]]
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act.
Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
Title: Survey of Housing Starts, Sales & Completions.
OMB Control Number: 0607-0110.
Form Number(s): SOC-Q1/SF.1, SCO-Q1/MF.1.
Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Number of Respondents: 19,440.
Average Hours per Response: 5 minutes.
Burden Hours: 150,066.
Needs and Uses: The U.S. Census Bureau is requesting a revision and
extension of the currently approved collection for the Survey of
Housing Starts, Sales, and Completions, otherwise known as the Survey
of Construction (SOC). Government agencies and private companies use
statistics from SOC to monitor and evaluate the large and dynamic
housing construction industry. Data for two Principal Federal Economic
Indicators are produced from the SOC: New Residential Construction
(housing starts and housing completions) and New Residential Sales. In
addition, a number of other statistical series are produced, including
extensive information on the physical characteristics of new
residential buildings, and indexes measuring rates of inflation in the
price of new buildings. The collection of data on housing units sold
and completed and physical characteristics is funded by the Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) via a reimbursable agreement
with the Census Bureau. HUD uses data on housing market conditions to
inform its policies. These statistics are based on a sample of
residential buildings in permit-issuing places and a road canvass in a
sample of land areas not covered by building permit systems.
The respondents are homebuilders, real estate agents, rental
agents, or new homeowners of sampled residential buildings. Field
Representatives contact respondents multiple times based on the number
of projects in the sample and the number of months required to complete
the project (usually about 8 months).
After discussions with HUD and other key data users, we identified
one new data item on ceiling height to be added to the single-family
questionnaire.
The Census Bureau uses the information collected in the SOC to
publish estimates of the number of new residential housing units
started, under construction, completed, and the number of new houses
sold and for sale. The Census Bureau also publishes many financial and
physical characteristics of new housing units. Government agencies use
these statistics to evaluate economic policy, measure progress towards
the national housing goal, make policy decisions, and formulate
legislation. For example, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System uses data from this survey to evaluate the effect of interest
rates in this interest-rate sensitive area of the economy. The Bureau
of Economic Analysis uses the data in developing the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP). The private sector uses the information for estimating
the demand for building materials and the many products used in new
housing and to schedule production, distribution, and sales efforts.
The financial community uses the data to estimate the demand for short-
term (construction loans) and long-term (mortgages) borrowing.
Affected Public: Individuals; Businesses.
Frequency: Monthly.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Sections 131 and
182.
This information collection request may be viewed at
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce
collections currently under review by OMB.
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice
to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.
Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Lead, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-28021 Filed 12-27-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P