Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-Evaluation of Fees on SBA's Surety Bond Guarantee Program, 51707-51708 [2019-21109]
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 189 / Monday, September 30, 2019 / Notices
those that may be withheld from the
public in accordance with the
provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be
available for website viewing and
printing in the Commission’s Public
Reference Room, 100 F Street NE,
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Persons submitting comments are
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submit only information that you wish
to make available publicly. All
submissions should refer to File
Number SR–Phlx–2019–37 and should
be submitted on or before October 21,
2019.
For the Commission, by the Division of
Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
authority.14
Jill M. Peterson,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019–21099 Filed 9–27–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request—Evaluation of Fees
on SBA’s Surety Bond Guarantee
Program
U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA).
ACTION: 60-Day Federal Register notice
and request for comments.
AGENCY:
SBA intends to request
approval from the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for the collection of
information described below. The
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995
requires federal agencies to publish a
notice in the Federal Register
concerning each proposed collection of
information before submission to OMB
and to allow 60 days for public
comment in response to the notice. This
notice complies with that requirement.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before November 29,
2019.
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SUMMARY:
14 17
CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
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19:16 Sep 27, 2019
Jkt 247001
Comments are invited on (a)
whether the collection of information is
necessary for the agency to properly
perform its functions; (b) whether the
burden estimates are accurate; (c)
whether there are ways to minimize the
burden, including through the use of
automated techniques or other forms of
information technology; and (d) whether
there are ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information.
Comments may be sent to Terrell
Lasane (Lead Program Evaluator), U.S.
Small Business Administration, 409 3rd
Street SW, Washington, DC 20416.
Comments will also be accepted through
the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to
https://www.regulations.gov, and follow
the online instructions for submitting
comments electronically.
All responses to this notice will be
summarized and included in the request
for OMB approval. All comments will
be a matter of public record.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
copies of this information collection
should be directed to Terrell Lasane at
202–205–7111.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Evaluation of Fees on SBA’s
Surety Bond Guarantee Program.
Form Number: N/A.
OMB Number: Not Yet Assigned.
Expiration Date: Not Yet Determined.
Type of Request: New Collection.
Abstract: Under the Surety Bond
Guarantee (SBG) Program, SBA
guarantees bid, payment, and
performance bonds for small and
emerging contractors who cannot obtain
surety bonds through regular
commercial channels. SBA’s guarantee
gives Sureties an incentive to provide
bonding for small businesses and,
thereby, assists small businesses in
obtaining greater access to contracting
opportunities. SBA’s guarantee is an
agreement between a surety and SBA
that SBA will assume a certain
percentage of the Surety’s loss should a
contractor default on the underlying
contract. On July 30, 2018, SBA
announced a change in the fee structure
for its SBG Program (83 FR 36658, page
36658–36659). The fee reductions were
implemented on October 1, 2018,
decreasing the surety fee from a 26
percent to a 20 percent bond premium
and decreasing the Principal fee from
$7.29 per thousand dollars of the
contract amount to $6.00 per thousand
ADDRESSES:
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
51707
dollars of the contract amount.
Originally scheduled for 1 year, SBA
extended the fee reduction until
September 30, 2020 in effort to collect
more data to fully evaluate the effect(s)
of lower fees on the SBG Program (83 FR
40466, page 40466–40467).
Given that the fee structure has not
changed for the last 12 years, SBA
would like to evaluate the quantitative
impacts of the change on the SBG
Program. To properly evaluate the
impacts of the fee changes, a multimethod approach will be applied
including two study components: (1)
Statistical modeling and (2) a web-based
survey. The statistical modeling portion
of the study will evaluate possible
impacts including changes in the
utilization of the SBG Program (e.g.,
principals, surety firms, surety agents)
and changes in the SBA’s portfolio of
guaranteed bonds (e.g., size, duration,
risk, cash flow, geographic location,
industrial classification) which may, in
turn, result in longer term outcomes
such as business formations,
employment, and opportunities for
small and disadvantaged businesses.
The web survey portion will evaluate
surety firms’ and agents’ perceptions of
the fee reductions and their
explanations of how these reductions
affected their bonding practices and
processes. Data collection efforts are
required for the survey portion of the
study, while administrative data will be
used for the statistical modeling
analysis.
Affected Public: Respondent groups
identified include (1) surety firms
participating in the SBG Program and
(2) surety agents participating in the
SBG Program. The universe of both
respondent types will be surveyed.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
The total estimated number of
respondents is 500. This includes 50
surety firms and 450 surety agents.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: Both participant types will
be asked to participate in one survey.
Estimated Total Annual Responses:
500.
Estimated Time per Response: The
estimated response time is 15 minutes
for both the surety firm and surety agent
populations.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 7,500 minutes (125
hours).
E:\FR\FM\30SEN1.SGM
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51708
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 189 / Monday, September 30, 2019 / Notices
Estimated
number of
respondents
Respondent
Total annual
responses
Estimated
average
number
of hours
per response
Estimated
total hours
Reporting Burden:
Surety firm ............................................................................
Surety agent .........................................................................
50
450
1.00
1.00
50
450
.25
.25
12.5
112.5
Total Reporting Burden ................................................
500
........................
500
........................
125
Curtis Rich,
Agency Clearance Office.
[FR Doc. 2019–21109 Filed 9–27–19; 8:45 a.m.]
BILLING CODE 8026–03–P
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Reporting and Recordkeeping
Requirements Under OMB Review
Small Business Administration.
ACTION: 30-Day notice.
AGENCY:
The Small Business
Administration (SBA) is publishing this
notice to comply with requirements of
the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
requires agencies to submit proposed
reporting and recordkeeping
requirements to OMB for review and
approval, and to publish a notice in the
Federal Register notifying the public
that the agency has made such a
submission. This notice also allows an
additional 30 days for public comments.
DATES: Submit comments on or before
October 30, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to
the information collection by name and/
or OMB Control Number and should be
sent to: Agency Clearance Officer, Curtis
Rich, Small Business Administration,
409 3rd Street SW, 5th Floor,
Washington, DC 20416; and SBA Desk
Officer, Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget, New
Executive Office Building, Washington,
DC 20503.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Curtis Rich, Agency Clearance Officer,
(202) 205–7030, curtis.rich@sba.gov.
Copies: A copy of the Form OMB 83–
1, supporting statement, and other
documents submitted to OMB for
review may be obtained from the
Agency Clearance Officer.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Federal
and State Technology Partnership
(FAST) Program is a competitive grants
program designed to strengthen the
technological competitiveness of small
businesses seeking funding from the
Small Business Innovation Research
(SBIR) and Small established the FAST
program under the Consolidated
SUMMARY:
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Responses
annually per
respondent
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:16 Sep 27, 2019
Jkt 247001
Appropriations Act of 2001, codified at
15 U.S.C. 657d(c). The program expired
on September 30, 2005 and was
reestablished under the Consolidated
Appropriations Act of 2010. FAST
provides funding to organizations to
execute state/regional programs that
increase the number of SBIR/STTR
proposals (through outreach and
financial support); increase the number
of SBIR/STTR awards (through
technical assistance and mentoring);
and better prepare SBIR/STTR awardees
for commercialization success (through
technical assistance and mentoring).
The FAST-Quarterly Reporting Form
will collect data from FAST award
recipients which will be used to
improve program performance. The
Quarterly Reports will collect ongoing
performance and outcome data from
FAST awardees on a required, quarterly
basis. As well as improving program
management, the data collected will
inform the Annual Reports to the Senate
Committee on Small Business &
Entrepreneurship; the Senate Committee
on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation; the House Committee
on Science, Space, and Technology; and
the House Committee on Small
Business, as required in the Small
Business Act 34 © (1)(2).
Solicitation of Public Comments
SBA is requesting comments on (a)
Whether the collection of information is
necessary for the agency to properly
perform its functions; (b) whether the
burden estimates are accurate; (c)
whether there are ways to minimize the
burden, including through the use of
automated techniques or other forms of
information technology; and (d) whether
there are ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information.
Title: FAST Program Quarterly
Reporting Form Description of
Respondents: FAST award recipients,
including Small Business and
Technology Development Centers
(SBTDC’s), state and local economic
development agencies, and other Fast
award recipients.
Form Number: N/A.
Estimated Annual Responses: 96.
PO 00000
Frm 00201
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Estimated Annual Hour Burden: 192.
Curtis Rich,
Management Analyst.
[FR Doc. 2019–21128 Filed 9–27–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8026–03–P
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice: 10909]
30-Day Notice of Proposed Information
Collection: Technology Security/
Clearance Plans, Screening Records,
and Non-Disclosure Agreements
Notice of request for public
comment and submission to OMB of
proposed collection of information.
ACTION:
The Department of State has
submitted the information collection
described below to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
approval. In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 we
are requesting comments on this
collection from all interested
individuals and organizations. The
purpose of this Notice is to allow 30
days for public comment.
DATES: Submit comments directly to the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) up to October 30, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Direct comments to the
Department of State Desk Officer in the
Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs at the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB). You may submit
comments by the following methods:
• Email: oira_submission@
omb.eop.gov. You must include the DS
form number, information collection
title, and the OMB control number in
the subject line of your message.
• Fax: 202–395–5806. Attention: Desk
Officer for Department of State.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Direct requests for additional
information regarding the collection
listed in this notice, including requests
for copies of the proposed collection
instrument and supporting documents,
to Andrea Battista, who may be reached
at battistaal@state.gov via email or 202–
663–3136 via phone.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\30SEN1.SGM
30SEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 189 (Monday, September 30, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51707-51708]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-21109]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request--Evaluation of Fees on SBA's Surety Bond Guarantee
Program
AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
ACTION: 60-Day Federal Register notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: SBA intends to request approval from the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for the collection of information described below. The
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 requires federal agencies to
publish a notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed
collection of information before submission to OMB and to allow 60 days
for public comment in response to the notice. This notice complies with
that requirement.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before November 29,
2019.
ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on (a) whether the collection of
information is necessary for the agency to properly perform its
functions; (b) whether the burden estimates are accurate; (c) whether
there are ways to minimize the burden, including through the use of
automated techniques or other forms of information technology; and (d)
whether there are ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information.
Comments may be sent to Terrell Lasane (Lead Program Evaluator),
U.S. Small Business Administration, 409 3rd Street SW, Washington, DC
20416. Comments will also be accepted through the Federal eRulemaking
Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov, and follow the online
instructions for submitting comments electronically.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for OMB approval. All comments will be a matter of public
record.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
copies of this information collection should be directed to Terrell
Lasane at 202-205-7111.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Evaluation of Fees on SBA's Surety Bond Guarantee Program.
Form Number: N/A.
OMB Number: Not Yet Assigned.
Expiration Date: Not Yet Determined.
Type of Request: New Collection.
Abstract: Under the Surety Bond Guarantee (SBG) Program, SBA
guarantees bid, payment, and performance bonds for small and emerging
contractors who cannot obtain surety bonds through regular commercial
channels. SBA's guarantee gives Sureties an incentive to provide
bonding for small businesses and, thereby, assists small businesses in
obtaining greater access to contracting opportunities. SBA's guarantee
is an agreement between a surety and SBA that SBA will assume a certain
percentage of the Surety's loss should a contractor default on the
underlying contract. On July 30, 2018, SBA announced a change in the
fee structure for its SBG Program (83 FR 36658, page 36658-36659). The
fee reductions were implemented on October 1, 2018, decreasing the
surety fee from a 26 percent to a 20 percent bond premium and
decreasing the Principal fee from $7.29 per thousand dollars of the
contract amount to $6.00 per thousand dollars of the contract amount.
Originally scheduled for 1 year, SBA extended the fee reduction until
September 30, 2020 in effort to collect more data to fully evaluate the
effect(s) of lower fees on the SBG Program (83 FR 40466, page 40466-
40467).
Given that the fee structure has not changed for the last 12 years,
SBA would like to evaluate the quantitative impacts of the change on
the SBG Program. To properly evaluate the impacts of the fee changes, a
multi-method approach will be applied including two study components:
(1) Statistical modeling and (2) a web-based survey. The statistical
modeling portion of the study will evaluate possible impacts including
changes in the utilization of the SBG Program (e.g., principals, surety
firms, surety agents) and changes in the SBA's portfolio of guaranteed
bonds (e.g., size, duration, risk, cash flow, geographic location,
industrial classification) which may, in turn, result in longer term
outcomes such as business formations, employment, and opportunities for
small and disadvantaged businesses. The web survey portion will
evaluate surety firms' and agents' perceptions of the fee reductions
and their explanations of how these reductions affected their bonding
practices and processes. Data collection efforts are required for the
survey portion of the study, while administrative data will be used for
the statistical modeling analysis.
Affected Public: Respondent groups identified include (1) surety
firms participating in the SBG Program and (2) surety agents
participating in the SBG Program. The universe of both respondent types
will be surveyed.
Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of
respondents is 500. This includes 50 surety firms and 450 surety
agents.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Both participant
types will be asked to participate in one survey.
Estimated Total Annual Responses: 500.
Estimated Time per Response: The estimated response time is 15
minutes for both the surety firm and surety agent populations.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 7,500 minutes (125
hours).
[[Page 51708]]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated
Estimated Responses Total annual average number Estimated
Respondent number of annually per responses of hours per total hours
respondents respondent response
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reporting Burden:
Surety firm..................... 50 1.00 50 .25 12.5
Surety agent.................... 450 1.00 450 .25 112.5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Reporting Burden...... 500 .............. 500 .............. 125
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Curtis Rich,
Agency Clearance Office.
[FR Doc. 2019-21109 Filed 9-27-19; 8:45 a.m.]
BILLING CODE 8026-03-P
