Information Collection Activities; Comment Request, 63977-63978 [2023-20095]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 179 / Monday, September 18, 2023 / Notices www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/dinap/ council. (Authority: Pursuant to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, 29 U.S.C. 3221(i)(4); Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended) Brent Parton, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor. [FR Doc. 2023–20096 Filed 9–15–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510–FN–P DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Bureau of Labor Statistics Information Collection Activities; Comment Request Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor. ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment. AGENCY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed revision of the ‘‘The Consumer Expenditure Surveys: The Quarterly Interview and the Diary.’’ A copy of the proposed information collection request can be obtained by contacting the individual listed below in the Addresses section of this notice. DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the Addresses section of this notice on or before November 17, 2023. ADDRESSES: Send comments to Nora Kincaid, BLS Clearance Officer, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room G225, 2 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20212. Written comments also may be transmitted by email to BLS_PRA_Public@bls.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nora Kincaid, BLS Clearance Officer, at 202–691–7628 (this is not a toll-free number). (See ADDRESSES section.) SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:29 Sep 15, 2023 Jkt 259001 63977 I. Background II. Current Action The Consumer Expenditure (CE) Surveys collect data on consumer expenditures, demographic information, and related data needed by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and other public and private data users. The continuing surveys provide a constant measurement of changes in consumer expenditure patterns for economic analysis and to obtain data for future CPI revisions. The CE Surveys have been ongoing since 1979. The data from the CE Surveys are used (1) for CPI revisions, (2) to provide a continuous flow of data on income and expenditure patterns for use in economic analysis and policy formulation, and (3) to provide a flexible consumer survey vehicle that is available for use by other Federal Government agencies. Public and private users of price statistics, including Congress and the economic policymaking agencies of the Executive branch, rely on data collected in the CPI in their day-to-day activities. Hence, data users and policymakers widely accept the need to improve the process used for revising the CPI. If the CE Surveys were not conducted on a continuing basis, current information necessary for more timely, as well as more accurate, updating of the CPI would not be available. In addition, data would not be available to respond to the continuing demand from the public and private sectors for current information on consumer spending. In the Quarterly Interview Survey, each consumer unit (CU) in the sample is interviewed every three months over four calendar quarters. The sample for each quarter is divided into three panels, with CUs being interviewed every three months in the same panel of every quarter. The Quarterly Interview Survey is designed to collect data on the types of expenditures that respondents can be expected to recall for a period of three months or longer. In general the expenses reported in the Interview Survey are either relatively large, such as property, automobiles, or major appliances, or are expenses which occur on a fairly regular basis, such as rent, utility bills, or insurance premiums. The Diary (or recordkeeping) Survey is completed at home by the respondent family for two consecutive one-week periods. The primary objective of the Diary Survey is to obtain expenditure data on small, frequently purchased items which normally are difficult to recall over longer periods of time. Office of Management and Budget clearance is being sought to continue the Consumer Expenditure Surveys: The Quarterly Interview (CEQ) and the Diary (CED) and to make modifications to both. In the CEQ, as part of CE’s ongoing effort to streamline the questionnaire, CE requests clearance to make the following modifications to the Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) instrument: rewording items to make collection easier cognitively, grouping similar items together, aggregating collection of items previously collected separately, and eliminating several questions. Specifically, the changes will include the following: A new ‘Household Services’ section groups question on the items that were asked across the interview survey including termite/pest control, gardening/lawn care, water softening, septic tank cleaning, housekeeping, home security system fees, moving/ storage/freight, heating or air conditioning contracts, home warranties/maintenance/service contracts on household appliances, and other home services or repair jobs. For the ‘Owned Properties’ section, the list of items included in payments was simplified, and questions regarding why a payment amount changed were added, including related questions for additional principal/interest, and late/ other fees. For the ‘Utilities’ section, the list of phone/cable/internet expenses was consolidated, and questions about breaking out cable/internet fees from a bundled bill are no longer asked. The ‘Medical expenditures’ section was also consolidated, reworded, and reordered. The CE also requests clearance for minor changes to both the CED CAPI Instrument and the Diary form. Changes to the CAPI instrument include consolidating the grocery questions to one question and adding a question to give respondents the option of reporting online or by paper diary. Changes to the Diary form include adding instructions to include delivery fees for ‘Meals Away from Home’ in addition to tax and tip. We also request approval for adding help videos for respondents who choose to use the online diary to report their diary expenditures. PO 00000 Frm 00049 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 III. Desired Focus of Comments The Bureau of Labor Statistics is particularly interested in comments that: • Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the E:\FR\FM\18SEN1.SGM 18SEN1 63978 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 179 / Monday, September 18, 2023 / Notices • Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected. • Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility. • Evaluate the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used. Total respondents Form Total responses Frequency Average time per response Estimated total burden CEQ—Interview ................................................................... CEQ—Reinterview ............................................................... CED—Diary Record-keeping ............................................... CED—Diary Interview .......................................................... CED Diary Reinterview ........................................................ 4,600 2,208 6,200 6,200 1,240 4 1 2 2 1 18,400 2,208 12,400 12,400 1,240 63 10 60 19 10 19,320 368 12,400 3,927 207 Totals ............................................................................ 10,800 ........................ 46,648 ........................ 36,222 Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget approval of the information collection request; they also will become a matter of public record. Signed at Washington, DC, on this 12th day of September 2023. Eric Molina, Acting Chief, Division of Management Systems. [FR Doc. 2023–20095 Filed 9–15–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510–24–P DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Mine Safety and Health Administration [OMB Control No. 1219–0009] Proposed Extension of Information Collection; Training Plans and Records of Training, for Underground Miners and Miners Working at Surface Mines and Surface Areas of Underground Mines Mine Safety and Health Administration, Labor. ACTION: Request for public comments. AGENCY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be SUMMARY: lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses. Title of Collection: The Consumer Expenditure Surveys: The Quarterly Interview and the Diary. OMB Number: 1220–0050. Type of Review: Revision. Affected Public: Individuals or Households. VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:29 Sep 15, 2023 Jkt 259001 properly assessed. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is soliciting comments on the information collection regarding Training Plans and Records of Training, for Underground Miners and Miners Working at Surface Mines and Surface Areas of Underground Mines. All comments must be received on or before November 17, 2023. DATES: Comments concerning the information collection requirements of this notice may be sent by any of the methods listed below. Please note that late, untimely filed comments will not be considered. • Federal E-Rulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments for docket number MSHA– 2023–0045. • Mail/Hand Delivery: DOL–MSHA, Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances, 201 12th Street South, Suite 4E401, Arlington, VA 22202–5452. Before visiting MSHA in person, call 202–693–9455 to make an appointment, in keeping with the Department of Labor’s COVID–19 policy. Special health precautions may be required. • MSHA will post all comments as well as any attachments, except for information submitted and marked as confidential, in the docket at https:// www.regulations.gov. ADDRESSES: S. Aromie Noe, Director, Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances, MSHA, at MSHA.information .collections@dol.gov (email); (202) 693– 9440 (voice); or (202) 693–9441 (facsimile). These are not toll-free numbers. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PO 00000 Frm 00050 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 I. Background Section 103(h) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act), Public Law 95–164 as amended, 30 U.S.C. 813(h), authorizes MSHA to collect information necessary to carry out its duty in protecting the safety and health of miners. Further, section 101(a) of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. 811(a), authorizes the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to develop, promulgate, and revise as may be appropriate, improved mandatory health or safety standards for the protection of life and prevention of injuries in coal and metal and nonmetal mines. The Mine Act recognizes that education and training is an important element of efforts to make the nation’s mines safe. Section 115(a) of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. 825(a), states that ‘‘each operator of a coal and other mine shall have a health and safety training program which shall be approved by the Secretary.’’ These standards are intended to ensure that miners will be effectively trained in matters affecting their health and safety, with the ultimate goal of reducing the occurrence of injury and illness in the nation’s mines. A. Training Plan Approvals and Revisions 30 CFR 48.3 and 48.23 require training plans, respectively, for miners at underground mines, and for miners at surface mines and surface areas of underground mines. Specifically, 30 CFR 48.3(a) and 48.23(a) require each mine operator to have an MSHAapproved plan containing programs for training new miners, training experienced miners, training miners for new task, annual refresher training, and hazard training for miners. E:\FR\FM\18SEN1.SGM 18SEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 179 (Monday, September 18, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63977-63978]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-20095]


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

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Bureau of Labor Statistics


Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

AGENCY: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be 
provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial 
resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, 
and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be 
properly assessed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting 
comments concerning the proposed revision of the ``The Consumer 
Expenditure Surveys: The Quarterly Interview and the Diary.'' A copy of 
the proposed information collection request can be obtained by 
contacting the individual listed below in the Addresses section of this 
notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
Addresses section of this notice on or before November 17, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Nora Kincaid, BLS Clearance Officer, 
Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room G225, 
2 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20212. Written comments also 
may be transmitted by email to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nora Kincaid, BLS Clearance Officer, 
at 202-691-7628 (this is not a toll-free number). (See ADDRESSES 
section.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Consumer Expenditure (CE) Surveys collect data on consumer 
expenditures, demographic information, and related data needed by the 
Consumer Price Index (CPI) and other public and private data users. The 
continuing surveys provide a constant measurement of changes in 
consumer expenditure patterns for economic analysis and to obtain data 
for future CPI revisions. The CE Surveys have been ongoing since 1979.
    The data from the CE Surveys are used (1) for CPI revisions, (2) to 
provide a continuous flow of data on income and expenditure patterns 
for use in economic analysis and policy formulation, and (3) to provide 
a flexible consumer survey vehicle that is available for use by other 
Federal Government agencies. Public and private users of price 
statistics, including Congress and the economic policymaking agencies 
of the Executive branch, rely on data collected in the CPI in their 
day-to-day activities. Hence, data users and policymakers widely accept 
the need to improve the process used for revising the CPI. If the CE 
Surveys were not conducted on a continuing basis, current information 
necessary for more timely, as well as more accurate, updating of the 
CPI would not be available. In addition, data would not be available to 
respond to the continuing demand from the public and private sectors 
for current information on consumer spending.
    In the Quarterly Interview Survey, each consumer unit (CU) in the 
sample is interviewed every three months over four calendar quarters. 
The sample for each quarter is divided into three panels, with CUs 
being interviewed every three months in the same panel of every 
quarter. The Quarterly Interview Survey is designed to collect data on 
the types of expenditures that respondents can be expected to recall 
for a period of three months or longer. In general the expenses 
reported in the Interview Survey are either relatively large, such as 
property, automobiles, or major appliances, or are expenses which occur 
on a fairly regular basis, such as rent, utility bills, or insurance 
premiums.
    The Diary (or recordkeeping) Survey is completed at home by the 
respondent family for two consecutive one-week periods. The primary 
objective of the Diary Survey is to obtain expenditure data on small, 
frequently purchased items which normally are difficult to recall over 
longer periods of time.

II. Current Action

    Office of Management and Budget clearance is being sought to 
continue the Consumer Expenditure Surveys: The Quarterly Interview 
(CEQ) and the Diary (CED) and to make modifications to both.
    In the CEQ, as part of CE's ongoing effort to streamline the 
questionnaire, CE requests clearance to make the following 
modifications to the Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) 
instrument: rewording items to make collection easier cognitively, 
grouping similar items together, aggregating collection of items 
previously collected separately, and eliminating several questions. 
Specifically, the changes will include the following:
    A new `Household Services' section groups question on the items 
that were asked across the interview survey including termite/pest 
control, gardening/lawn care, water softening, septic tank cleaning, 
housekeeping, home security system fees, moving/storage/freight, 
heating or air conditioning contracts, home warranties/maintenance/
service contracts on household appliances, and other home services or 
repair jobs.
    For the `Owned Properties' section, the list of items included in 
payments was simplified, and questions regarding why a payment amount 
changed were added, including related questions for additional 
principal/interest, and late/other fees. For the `Utilities' section, 
the list of phone/cable/internet expenses was consolidated, and 
questions about breaking out cable/internet fees from a bundled bill 
are no longer asked. The `Medical expenditures' section was also 
consolidated, reworded, and reordered.
    The CE also requests clearance for minor changes to both the CED 
CAPI Instrument and the Diary form. Changes to the CAPI instrument 
include consolidating the grocery questions to one question and adding 
a question to give respondents the option of reporting online or by 
paper diary. Changes to the Diary form include adding instructions to 
include delivery fees for `Meals Away from Home' in addition to tax and 
tip. We also request approval for adding help videos for respondents 
who choose to use the online diary to report their diary expenditures.

III. Desired Focus of Comments

    The Bureau of Labor Statistics is particularly interested in 
comments that:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the

[[Page 63978]]

functions of the agency, including whether the information will have 
practical utility.
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used.
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected.
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.
    Title of Collection: The Consumer Expenditure Surveys: The 
Quarterly Interview and the Diary.
    OMB Number: 1220-0050.
    Type of Review: Revision.
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                       Total                           Total       Average time      Estimated
              Form                  respondents      Frequency       responses     per response    total burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CEQ--Interview..................           4,600               4          18,400              63          19,320
CEQ--Reinterview................           2,208               1           2,208              10             368
CED--Diary Record-keeping.......           6,200               2          12,400              60          12,400
CED--Diary Interview............           6,200               2          12,400              19           3,927
CED Diary Reinterview...........           1,240               1           1,240              10             207
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................          10,800  ..............          46,648  ..............          36,222
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the information collection request; they also will become a 
matter of public record.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on this 12th day of September 2023.
Eric Molina,
Acting Chief, Division of Management Systems.
[FR Doc. 2023-20095 Filed 9-15-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P


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