Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Annual Wholesale Trade Survey, 34174-34175 [2020-11961]
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34174
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 107 / Wednesday, June 3, 2020 / Notices
development of the EIS. Public
participation will be especially
important at several points during the
analysis, beginning with the scoping
process (40 CFR 1501.7). The decision
and reasons for the decision will be
documented in a Record of Decision.
The decision will be subject to Forest
Service Project-Level Predecisional
Administrative Review Process
(Objection Process) (36 CFR part 218,
subparts A and B). It is important that
reviewers provide their comments at
such times and in such manner that
they are useful to the agency’s
preparation of the EIS.
Therefore, comments should be
provided prior to the close of the
comment period and should clearly
articulate the reviewer’s concerns and
contentions. Comments received in
response to this solicitation, including
names and addresses of those who
comment, will become part of the public
record for this proposed action.
Comments submitted anonymously will
be accepted and considered; however,
anonymous comments will not provide
the respondent eligibility to participate
in subsequent administrative or judicial
review.
Allen Rowley,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest
System.
[FR Doc. 2020–11928 Filed 6–2–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Notice of Funds Availability for the
Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive
Program (HBIIP) for Fiscal Year 2020
and Solicitation of Applications for the
Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive
Program (HBIIP) for Fiscal Year 2020;
Correction
Commodity Credit Corporation
and the Rural Business-Cooperative
Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice; correction.
AGENCY:
The Commodity Credit
Corporation and the Rural BusinessCooperative Service, USDA published a
notice in the Federal Register on May
5, 2020 regarding the Notice of Funds
Availability for the Higher Blends
Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP)
for Fiscal Year 2020 and a notice on
May 15, 2020, regarding the Solicitation
of Applications for the Higher Blends
Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP)
for Fiscal Year 2020 announcing the
lotter on DSK9F5VC42PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:35 Jun 02, 2020
Jkt 250001
opening date for the application
window. These documents referenced
an incorrect program name in the DATES
section of both notices.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Anthony Crooks: Telephone (202) 205–
9322, email: EnergyPrograms@usda.gov.
Persons with disabilities that require
alternative means for communication
should contact the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) Target Center at
(202) 720–2600 (voice).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Correction
(1) In the Federal Register of May 5,
2020, in FR Doc. 2020–09685, on page
26657, in the first column, correct the
DATES caption to read:
DATES: The Agency will finalize the
application window for enrollment in
the Higher Blends Infrastructure
Incentive Program by future notice in
the Federal Register and Grants.gov
subject to the opening of the electronic
application system.
(2) In the Federal Register of May 15,
2020, in FR Doc. 2020–10487, on page
29394, in the third column, correct the
DATES caption to read:
DATES: Applications for the Higher
Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program
will be accepted from May 15, 2020
through August 13, 2020. Applications
received after 11:59 p.m. Eastern
Daylight Time on August 13, 2020, will
not be considered. The grant period is
not to exceed 18-months, unless
otherwise specified in the Grant
Agreement or agreed to by CCC.
Robert Stephenson,
Executive Vice President, Commodity Credit
Corporation.
Mark Brodziski,
Acting Administrator, Rural BusinessCooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2020–11977 Filed 6–2–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
U.S. Census Bureau
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Annual Wholesale Trade
Survey
U.S. Census Bureau,
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of Information
Collection, request for comment.
AGENCY:
The Department of
Commerce, in accordance with the
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of
1995, invites the general public and
other Federal agencies to comment on
proposed, and continuing information
collections, which helps us assess the
impact of our information collection
requirements and minimize the public’s
reporting burden. The purpose of this
notice is to allow for 60 days of public
comment on the proposed revision of
the Annual Wholesale Trade Survey,
prior to the submission of the
information collection request (ICR) to
OMB for approval.
DATES: To ensure consideration,
comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received
on or before August 3, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are
invited to submit written comments by
email to Thomas.J.Smith@census.gov.
Please reference Annual Wholesale
Trade Survey in the subject line of your
comments. You may also submit
comments, identified by Docket Number
USBC–2020–0014, to the Federal
e-Rulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. All comments
received are part of the public record.
No comments will be posted to https://
www.regulations.gov for public viewing
until after the comment period has
closed. Comments will generally be
posted without change. All Personally
Identifiable Information (for example,
name and address) voluntarily
submitted by the commenter may be
publicly accessible. Do not submit
Confidential Business Information or
otherwise sensitive or protected
information. You may submit
attachments to electronic comments in
Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF
file formats.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
specific questions related to collection
activities should be directed to John
Dougherty, Chief, Wholesale Trade
Branch, Economy-Wide Statistics
Division, U.S. Census Bureau, 4600
Silver Hill Road, Washington, DC
20233; (301) 763–8936; or
john.dougherty@census.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The Annual Wholesale Trade Survey
(AWTS) covers employer firms with
establishments located in the United
States and classified in the wholesale
trade sector, as defined by the North
American Industry Classification
System (NAICS). This includes
distributors, manufacturers’ sales
branches and offices, and agents and
brokers.
E:\FR\FM\03JNN1.SGM
03JNN1
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 107 / Wednesday, June 3, 2020 / Notices
Firms are selected for this survey
using a stratified simple random
sample. For the AWTS, the strata are
defined by type of operation, industry,
and annual sales size. The sample is
drawn from the Business Register (BR),
which is the Census Bureau’s master
business list. The BR contains basic
economic information for more than 7.4
million employer businesses and over
22.5 million nonemployer businesses; it
is updated through direct data
collections and administrative records
from other federal agencies. In order to
account for new businesses (births) and
businesses that discontinue operations
(deaths), the AWTS sample is updated
quarterly. The sample is also updated to
reflect mergers, acquisitions,
divestitures, splits, and other changes to
the business universe.
Data are collected electronically using
Centurion, the Census Bureau’s secure
online reporting instrument. This
system is designed to make the
reporting process more flexible and
convenient for respondents. The
response-driven nature of the
instrument also reduces respondent
burden. Data are automatically stored,
and the results are available
immediately to the Census Bureau. If a
company does not have access to the
internet, the Census Bureau can arrange
for the business to provide its data to an
analyst via telephone.
The data items requested in the
AWTS include annual sales,
e-commerce sales, number of
establishments, inventories, purchases,
operating expenses, commissions, sales
on own account, and gross selling value.
In response to a request from the Bureau
of Economic Analysis (BEA), the 2022
AWTS will also collect detailed
operating expenses and sales tax
information. Respondents are only
asked to provide data for these two
items in years ending in 2 and 7, which
coincide with the Economic Census
collection. For survey year 2020, the
AWTS may include additional
questions related to the impact
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID–19)
had on firms. A final decision has not
been made yet on the inclusion of these
questions.
From survey year 2016 through
survey year 2019, there were five
electronic form types (SA–42, SA–42A,
SA–42A–MSBO, SA–42–AGBR, and
SA–42A–AGBR). Starting with survey
year 2020 (which will be collected in
2021), there will only be three electronic
form types (SA–42A, SA–42A–MSBO,
and SA–42A–AGBR). SA–42 and SA–
42–AGBR are being removed to
streamline data collection operations
and reduce respondent burden. Each of
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18:35 Jun 02, 2020
Jkt 250001
the three remaining form types will
continue to ask a different subset of the
data items previously mentioned. This
ensures businesses only see items that
are relevant to their type of operation.
Government agencies, private
businesses, and researchers often use
the estimates generated from the AWTS.
For example, the AWTS serves as a
benchmark for the estimates produced
from the Census Bureau’s Monthly
Wholesale Trade Survey (MWTS). BEA
utilizes the data when developing its
gross domestic product (GDP) estimates
and the national accounts’ input-output
tables. The Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS) uses the data as an input to its
producer price indices and in
developing productivity measurements.
Furthermore, business and industry
groups utilize the data to forecast future
demand.
Estimates generated from the AWTS
are released to the public approximately
14 months after the reference year has
concluded. These national-level
estimates are published (for the various
items collected) by NAICS code and
type of operation. Currently, the data are
disseminated through the AWTS
website. Beginning with survey year
2020, the Census Bureau also will
release the data via the Census Bureau’s
dissemination platform,
data.census.gov.
II. Method of Collection
The Census Bureau primarily collects
this information via the internet. In the
rare situation where a respondent does
not have access to the internet, the data
are collected by telephone.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0607–0195.
Form Number(s): SA–42A, SA–42A–
MSBO, SA–42A–AGBR.
Type of Review: Regular submission,
Revision of a currently approved
collection.
Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
7,743.
Estimated Time per Response: 31.2
minutes (2020 and 2021 survey years).
85.2 minutes (2022 survey year—
additional items collected).
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 4,026 hours (2020 and 2021
survey years). 10,995 hours (2022
survey year—additional items
collected).
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: $0 (This is not the cost of
respondents’ time, but the indirect costs
respondents may incur for such things
as purchases of specialized software or
hardware needed to report, or
PO 00000
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34175
expenditures for accounting or records
maintenance services required
specifically by the collection.)
Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C.
Sections 131 and 182.
IV. Request for Comments
We are soliciting public comments to
permit the Department/Bureau to: (a)
Evaluate whether the proposed
information collection is necessary for
the proper functions of the Department,
including whether the information will
have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the
accuracy of our estimate of the time and
cost burden for this proposed collection,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c)
Evaluate ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and (d) Minimize the
reporting burden on those who are to
respond, including the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
Comments that you submit in
response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include, or
summarize, each comment in our
request to OMB to approve this ICR.
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you may ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of
the Chief Information Officer, Commerce
Department.
[FR Doc. 2020–11961 Filed 6–2–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–07–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Generic Clearance for
Internet Panel Pretesting and
Qualitative Survey Methods Testing
U.S. Census Bureau,
Commerce.
AGENCY:
Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
ACTION:
E:\FR\FM\03JNN1.SGM
03JNN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 107 (Wednesday, June 3, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34174-34175]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-11961]
=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
U.S. Census Bureau
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Annual Wholesale Trade Survey
AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of Information Collection, request for comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, invites the general public and other
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment on the
proposed revision of the Annual Wholesale Trade Survey, prior to the
submission of the information collection request (ICR) to OMB for
approval.
DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received on or before August 3, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by
email to [email protected]. Please reference Annual Wholesale
Trade Survey in the subject line of your comments. You may also submit
comments, identified by Docket Number USBC-2020-0014, to the Federal e-
Rulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. All comments received
are part of the public record. No comments will be posted to https://www.regulations.gov for public viewing until after the comment period
has closed. Comments will generally be posted without change. All
Personally Identifiable Information (for example, name and address)
voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do
not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or
protected information. You may submit attachments to electronic
comments in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed
to John Dougherty, Chief, Wholesale Trade Branch, Economy-Wide
Statistics Division, U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road,
Washington, DC 20233; (301) 763-8936; or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The Annual Wholesale Trade Survey (AWTS) covers employer firms with
establishments located in the United States and classified in the
wholesale trade sector, as defined by the North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS). This includes distributors,
manufacturers' sales branches and offices, and agents and brokers.
[[Page 34175]]
Firms are selected for this survey using a stratified simple random
sample. For the AWTS, the strata are defined by type of operation,
industry, and annual sales size. The sample is drawn from the Business
Register (BR), which is the Census Bureau's master business list. The
BR contains basic economic information for more than 7.4 million
employer businesses and over 22.5 million nonemployer businesses; it is
updated through direct data collections and administrative records from
other federal agencies. In order to account for new businesses (births)
and businesses that discontinue operations (deaths), the AWTS sample is
updated quarterly. The sample is also updated to reflect mergers,
acquisitions, divestitures, splits, and other changes to the business
universe.
Data are collected electronically using Centurion, the Census
Bureau's secure online reporting instrument. This system is designed to
make the reporting process more flexible and convenient for
respondents. The response-driven nature of the instrument also reduces
respondent burden. Data are automatically stored, and the results are
available immediately to the Census Bureau. If a company does not have
access to the internet, the Census Bureau can arrange for the business
to provide its data to an analyst via telephone.
The data items requested in the AWTS include annual sales, e-
commerce sales, number of establishments, inventories, purchases,
operating expenses, commissions, sales on own account, and gross
selling value. In response to a request from the Bureau of Economic
Analysis (BEA), the 2022 AWTS will also collect detailed operating
expenses and sales tax information. Respondents are only asked to
provide data for these two items in years ending in 2 and 7, which
coincide with the Economic Census collection. For survey year 2020, the
AWTS may include additional questions related to the impact coronavirus
disease 2019 (COVID-19) had on firms. A final decision has not been
made yet on the inclusion of these questions.
From survey year 2016 through survey year 2019, there were five
electronic form types (SA-42, SA-42A, SA-42A-MSBO, SA-42-AGBR, and SA-
42A-AGBR). Starting with survey year 2020 (which will be collected in
2021), there will only be three electronic form types (SA-42A, SA-42A-
MSBO, and SA-42A-AGBR). SA-42 and SA-42-AGBR are being removed to
streamline data collection operations and reduce respondent burden.
Each of the three remaining form types will continue to ask a different
subset of the data items previously mentioned. This ensures businesses
only see items that are relevant to their type of operation.
Government agencies, private businesses, and researchers often use
the estimates generated from the AWTS. For example, the AWTS serves as
a benchmark for the estimates produced from the Census Bureau's Monthly
Wholesale Trade Survey (MWTS). BEA utilizes the data when developing
its gross domestic product (GDP) estimates and the national accounts'
input-output tables. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) uses the data
as an input to its producer price indices and in developing
productivity measurements. Furthermore, business and industry groups
utilize the data to forecast future demand.
Estimates generated from the AWTS are released to the public
approximately 14 months after the reference year has concluded. These
national-level estimates are published (for the various items
collected) by NAICS code and type of operation. Currently, the data are
disseminated through the AWTS website. Beginning with survey year 2020,
the Census Bureau also will release the data via the Census Bureau's
dissemination platform, data.census.gov.
II. Method of Collection
The Census Bureau primarily collects this information via the
internet. In the rare situation where a respondent does not have access
to the internet, the data are collected by telephone.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0607-0195.
Form Number(s): SA-42A, SA-42A-MSBO, SA-42A-AGBR.
Type of Review: Regular submission, Revision of a currently
approved collection.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 7,743.
Estimated Time per Response: 31.2 minutes (2020 and 2021 survey
years). 85.2 minutes (2022 survey year--additional items collected).
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 4,026 hours (2020 and 2021
survey years). 10,995 hours (2022 survey year--additional items
collected).
Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0 (This is not the cost of
respondents' time, but the indirect costs respondents may incur for
such things as purchases of specialized software or hardware needed to
report, or expenditures for accounting or records maintenance services
required specifically by the collection.)
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. Sections 131 and 182.
IV. Request for Comments
We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include, or summarize, each comment in our
request to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address,
phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information
in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--
including your personal identifying information--may be made publicly
available at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold
your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2020-11961 Filed 6-2-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P
