Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Investigation of Smart Toys and Additional Toys Through Child Observations, 83533-83536 [2023-26364]
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 229 / Thursday, November 30, 2023 / Notices
separate pieces. Folding gift boxes are
generally packaged in shrink-wrap,
cellophane, or other packaging
materials, in single or multi-box packs
for sale to the retail customer. The scope
excludes folding gift boxes that have a
retailer’s name, logo, trademark or
similar company information printed
prominently on the box’s top exterior
(such folding gift boxes are often known
as ‘‘not-for-resale’’ gift boxes or ‘‘giveaway’’ gift boxes and may be provided
by department and specialty stores at no
charge to their retail customers). The
scope of the Order also excludes folding
gift boxes where both the outside of the
box is a single color and the box is not
packaged in shrink-wrap, cellophane,
other resin-based packaging films, or
paperboard.
Imports of the subject merchandise
are classified under Harmonized Tariff
Schedules of the United States (HTSUS)
subheadings 4819.20.0040 and
4819.50.4060. These subheadings also
cover products that are outside the
scope of the Order. Furthermore,
although the HTSUS subheadings are
provided for convenience and customs
purposes, our written description of the
scope of the Order is dispositive.
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Continuation of the Order
As a result of the determinations by
Commerce and the ITC that revocation
of the Order would likely lead to a
continuation or recurrence of dumping
and material injury to an industry in the
United States, pursuant to section
751(d)(2) of the Act and 19 CFR
351.218(a), Commerce hereby orders the
continuation of the Order. U.S. Customs
and Border Protection will continue to
collect AD cash deposits at the rates in
effect at the time of entry for all imports
of subject merchandise.
The effective date of the continuation
of the Order will be November 8, 2023.6
Pursuant to section 751(c)(2) of the Act,
Commerce intends to initiate the next
five-year review of this order not later
than 30 days prior to the fifth
anniversary of the effective date of the
last determination by the ITC.
Administrative Protective Order (APO)
This notice also serves as a final
reminder to parties subject to an APO of
their responsibility concerning the
return or destruction of proprietary
information disclosed under APO in
accordance with 19 CFR 351.305(a)(3),
which continues to govern business
proprietary information in this segment
of the proceeding. Timely written
notification of the return or destruction
of APO materials, or conversion to
6 See
ITC Final Determination.
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judicial protective order, is hereby
requested. Failure to comply with the
regulations and terms of an APO is a
violation which is subject to sanction.
Notification to Interested Parties
This five-year (sunset) review and this
notice are in accordance with sections
751(c) and 751(d)(2) of the Act and
published pursuant to section 777(i)(1)
of the Act and 19 CFR 351.218(f)(4).
Dated: November 24, 2023.
Abdelali Elouaradia,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement
and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2023–26336 Filed 11–29–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P
CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY
COMMISSION
Sunshine Act Meeting
Tuesday, December 5,
2023—10:00 a.m.
PLACE: Room 420, Bethesda Towers,
4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD.
STATUS: Commission Meeting—Closed
to the Public.
MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:
TIME AND DATE:
Meeting Matter
Briefing Matter
CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Alberta E. Mills, Office of the Secretary,
U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission, 4330 East-West Highway,
Bethesda, MD 20814, 301–504–7479
(Office) or 240–863–8938 (Cell).
Dated: November 28, 2023.
Sarah Bock,
Paralegal Specialist.
[FR Doc. 2023–26485 Filed 11–28–23; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 6355–01–P
CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY
COMMISSION
[CPSC Docket No. 2023–0031]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Investigation of
Smart Toys and Additional Toys
Through Child Observations
Consumer Product Safety
Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Pursuant to the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this is the
Consumer Product Safety Commission’s
(CPSC or Commission) second notice
inviting public comment about a request
for approval from the Office of
SUMMARY:
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Management and Budget (OMB) for a
new information collection. The
proposed collection is associated with
CPSC’s investigation, through child
observations and caregiver
questionnaires, of smart toys and
additional toys (take-apart vehicles,
musical instruments, figurines, plush
toys with electronic components, and
manipulatives) to consider children’s
ability to interact with toys as the
manufacturer intended and assist in
updating CPSC’s age determination
guidelines. We received one comment
on the first notice, which we address in
this notice, and again describe the
proposed collection of information. By
publication of this notice, the
Commission announces that CPSC has
submitted to the OMB a request for
approval of the collection of
information, as proposed.
DATES: Submit written or electronic
comments on the collection of
information by January 2, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments about
this request by email: OIRA_
submission@omb.eop.gov or fax: 202–
395–6881. Comments by mail should be
sent to the Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk
Officer for the CPSC, Office of
Management and Budget, Room 10235,
725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC
20503. In addition, written comments
that are sent to OMB, also should be
submitted electronically at: https://
www.regulations.gov, under Docket No.
CPSC–2023–0031, by any of the
following methods:
Electronic Submissions: CPSC
encourages you to submit electronic
comments to the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at: https://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting
comments. CPSC typically does not
accept comments submitted by
electronic mail (email), except as
described below.
Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier/
Confidential Written Submissions:
Submit comments by mail, hand
delivery, or courier to: Office of the
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety
Commission, 4330 East West Highway,
Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone: (301)
504–7479. If you wish to submit
confidential business information, trade
secret information, or other sensitive or
protected information that you do not
want to be available to the public, you
may submit such comments by mail,
hand delivery, or courier, or you may
email them to: cpsc-os@cpsc.gov.
Instructions: All submissions must
include the agency name and docket
number. CPSC may post all comments
without change, including any personal
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identifiers, contact information, or other
personal information provided, to:
https://www.regulations.gov. Do not
submit through this website:
confidential business information, trade
secret information, or other sensitive or
protected information that you do not
want to be available to the public. If you
wish to submit such information, please
submit it according to the instructions
for mail/hand delivery/courier/
confidential written submissions.
Docket: For access to the docket to
read background documents or
comments received, go to: https://
www.regulations.gov; insert the docket
number, CPSC–2023–0031, into the
‘‘Search’’ box; and follow the prompts.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Cynthia Gillham, Consumer Product
Safety Commission, 4330 East-West
Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814;
(301)504–7791, or by email to:
CGillham@cpsc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501–3521), before an agency
submits a proposed collection of
information to OMB for approval, it
must first publish a document in the
Federal Register providing a 60-day
comment period and otherwise consult
with members of the public and affected
agencies concerning the proposed
collection of information. CPSC
published notice of this collection on
August 7, 2023, and received one
comment. 88 FR 52142. CPSC has not
made any changes in the study based on
that comment.
I. Burden Description
Under the PRA, CPSC is publishing
the following information: 1
D A title for the collection of
information;
D A summary of the collection of
information;
D A brief description of the need for
the information and the proposed use of
the information;
D A description of the likely
respondents and proposed frequency of
response to the collection of
information;
D An estimate of the burden that will
result from the collection of
information; and
D Notice that comments may be
submitted to the agency and OMB.
44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D). Specifically,
the Commission provides the following
information:
Title: Investigation of Smart Toys and
Additional Toys Through Child
Observations.
1 On November 21, 2023, the Commission voted
(4–0) to publish this notice.
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OMB Control Number: New.
Type of Request: New information
collection requirement.
Type of Review Requested: Regular.
Requested Expiration Date of
Approval: 1 year from date of approval.
Summary of the Collection of
Information: CPSC proposes to conduct
individual in-person data collection
sessions with up to 60 children aged 2
to 4 years old and their caregivers, for
a total of 120 participants. Caregivers
will answer a series of screening
questions to determine if the caregiver
and child meet the criteria for
enrollment in the study. CPSC will
enroll in the data collection study
children and caregivers who meet the
screening criteria and are willing to
participate.
Over 2 in-person sessions, researchers
will collect data primarily through
direct human observations of children’s
interactions with toys and caregivers’
responses to questionnaires. In each
session, researchers will introduce
children to 4 or 5 toys chosen from 6 toy
categories (smart toys, take-apart
vehicles, musical instruments, figurines,
plush toys with electronic components,
and manipulatives). The researcher will
demonstrate for the child how to use
each toy and then document the child’s
play patterns with the toy, noting the
child’s ability to interact with each toy
consistent with the manufacturer’s
instructions. Researchers will use
coding checklists to document real-time
observations of the child’s interactions
with the toys, in the form of concrete
behaviors across different modalities,
such as gross motor (e.g., turns figurines
head), fine motor (e.g., slides switch on/
off), and behavioral (e.g., feeds an
animal, engages in pretend play with
one or multiple figurines), which
demonstrate the child’s ability to use
the toy as intended.
Caregivers will respond to researcher
questions about the caregiver’s
perception of their child’s ability to
interact with the selected toys as
intended, potential purchasing
decisions for the specific toys, and
whether the caregiver would
demonstrate how to play with the toys
or some of the components as the
manufacturer intends. Researchers will
record on paper forms their observations
of children’s interactions and caregiver’s
responses to questions about the toys.
Researchers will randomize the
presentation order of the toys for each
caregiver/child pair to preclude any
effects of sequence and control for
learning or fatigue that might take place.
Also, researchers will use video cameras
to record each child’s interaction with a
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toy. Researchers will use the video as a
backup reference for real time coding.
Researchers will separate out all
personally identifiable information from
data collected. Also, researchers will
separate out from collected information
all identifying information from the
initial screening, as well as scheduling.
This information will be kept on a
secure server in password protected
files and discarded by researchers when
no longer needed. At the end of each
session, researchers will save the video
data onto a secure server. Researchers
will enter data recorded on the paper
forms into a secure database, which also
will be kept on a secure server.
Researchers will limit access to this
information and will summarize all
information collected during the
sessions using generic categories and
summary statistics.
Description of the Need for the
Information and Proposed Use of the
Information: Created in 1972, the CPSC
is an independent federal regulatory
agency with a public health and safety
mission to protect the public from
unreasonable risks of injury and death
from consumer products used in and
around the home, in recreation, and in
schools. As part of this statutory
mandate, CPSC is authorized to conduct
research on consumer products and
behavior to identify and address
product safety hazards, as well as to
develop efficient and effective means of
bringing about safety improvements.
This information collection supports the
Commission’s strategic goal of safety.
Age-appropriate toys are important for
the physical, intellectual, and
socioemotional development of
children. Age-appropriate toys can help
children learn, develop imaginative
capacities, and refine motor
coordination. However, interacting with
toys intended for older children poses a
potential risk for a child to be seriously
or fatally injured. In 2021, an estimated
206,400 toy-related injuries were treated
in U.S. hospital emergency rooms.2 Of
the 206,400 toy-related injuries, an
estimated 74% happened to children 14
years of age or younger; 69% occurred
to children 12 years of age or younger;
and 37% happened to children 4 years
of age or younger.
To identify a toy’s safety hazards, the
CPSC Division of Human Factors first
determines the intended age group of
potential users. CPSC considers age
determinations for toys to be of
2 Consumer Product Safety Commission: ToyRelated Deaths and Injuries, Calendar Year 2021.
November, 2022: Toy-Related Deaths and Injuries,
Calendar Year 2021; available at: https://
www.cpsc.gov/Research--Statistics/Toys-andChildrens-Products.
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paramount importance because agegrading and labeling can be used to
assist consumers in making purchasing
decisions, and also serve as the basis for
the toy’s regulatory requirements and
the associated testing parameters. For
example, toys intended for children
under 8 years of age are required to
undergo use and abuse tests based on
actual use and misuse by children of
that age. Test specifications vary for
different age groups (i.e., children 18
months and younger, 19–36 months,
and 37–95 months). Toys intended for
children younger than 3 years old
cannot contain small parts.
Additionally, since 2008, CPSC
regulations establish lead and
phthalates limitations for many
products intended for children 12 years
of age.
CPSC staff consider numerous toy
characteristics when determining the
intended age, including the physical
characteristics of the toy (e.g., size and
weight of the toy and its components),
the cognitive requirements for using the
toy as intended, the fine motor or other
physical skills required to use the toy as
the manufacturer intended, and the
toy’s theme and appearance. The CPSC’s
Age Determination Guidelines: Relating
Consumer Product Characteristics to the
Skills, Play Behaviors, and Interests of
Children (Guidelines), available at
https://www.cpsc.gov/content/2020Age-Determination-Guidelines, provide
details and examples for each of these
characteristics for different age groups.
Manufacturers can use the Guidelines to
generate an intended age during a toy’s
design phase. Manufacturers can also
use the Guidelines to accurately age
label a product, which promotes safety
by informing consumer purchasing and
toy-safety decisions (meaning which
toys are appropriate to allow a child to
play with).
Although the Guidelines include
extensive information about a large
variety of toys, some toy categories are
not well covered in the Guidelines
because they include toys that are new
to the U.S. market since the research
that went into the 2020 version of the
Guidelines. While smart toys are
discussed in the Guidelines, this
category of toys evolves rapidly, so the
Guidelines may not represent what is
currently in the market. Other toys such
as figurines, interlocking building sets,
and musical toys are discussed in the
Guidelines, though not extensively. This
data collection will add to the
information about selected toys in six
toy categories (smart toys, take-apart
vehicles, musical instruments, figurines,
plush toys with electronic components,
and manipulatives), and enrich CPSC’s
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understanding regarding the ages of
children who are interested in these
toys and who possess the skills and
cognitive ability to use them as
intended. This data collection will
provide information to help CPSC
determine the developmentally
appropriate ages for selected toys.
Ultimately, the data collection will
inform the various stakeholders who use
the information contained in the
Guidelines.
Affected Public: Children between 2
and 4 years of age and their caregivers.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 60
children and 60 caregivers, totaling 120
individuals.
Frequency: One-time data collection
that will take place over 2 in-person
sessions. The first session will last up to
80 minutes, and the second session will
last up to 80 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: CPSC plans to pilot test the
study with 4 participants (2 caregivers
and 2 children) with a maximum time
burden of 2.67 hours per person (10.68
hours). CPSC also assumes a 15-minute
completion time for the recruitment
screener questionnaire to be filled out
by a maximum of 100 people, to select
60 adult participants (25 hours).
CPSC estimates that the total time for
each selected respondent pair
(caregiver/child) to participate in the
data collection will likely not be more
than 160 minutes. Therefore, each
participant has a maximum time burden
of 2.67 hours. Data collection duration
for each respondent will be 2.67 hours,
or a total of 160 hours for 60 respondent
pairs. Respondent pairs will not incur
any reporting costs from the information
collection. The pairs also will not incur
a record keeping burden or record
keeping costs from this information
collection. We will assume an hourly
wage rate of $31.54 for each respondent
pair (caregiver and child).3
Accordingly, the total burden hours to
recruit participants and for selected
respondents to participate is 356 hours
(recruitment screening time (25 hours),
pilot study (10.68 hours), and the main
study (2.67 hours × 120 participants)).
The total cost of this collection to the
federal government is $93,345 annually.
This represents 6 months of staff time.
This amount includes federal employee
salaries and benefits. No travel costs are
associated with the collection. This
estimate uses an annual salary of
$126,949 (the equivalent of a GS–13,
Step 5 employee, in the Washington DC
area in 2023) 4 which represents 68.0
percent of the employer costs for
employee compensation. The remaining
32.0 percent of employer costs are
added for benefits (U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, ‘‘Employer Costs for
Employee Compensation,’’ March 2023,
percentage of wages and salaries for all
civilian management, professional, and
related employees),5 for a total annual
compensation per FTE of $186,690.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost:
$104,573.24 (Respondents: $11,228.24
(31.54/hr. × 356 hours) + Federal
Government: $93,345).
3 Average hourly wage across all occupations
from https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_
va.htm#00-0000. CPSC uses occupational wage
estimates for Virginia because the study will be
conducted in the area.
4 https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/payleave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2023/
DCB.pdf.
5 https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/
ecec_06162023.pdf.
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II. Comment Response
Comment Summary: The National
Center for Health Research submitted a
comment on the proposal, supporting
CPSC’s research but concerned that the
study design will not provide the
needed information. The commenter
suggests that CPSC may need at least
twice as many as the 60 children and 60
caregivers in the study to determine
products appropriate for children ages 2
to 4. The commenter believes that the
study should include more children to
represent the diversity of U.S. children
in the 3-year age group for cognitive and
social development, socio-economic
status, and social and cultural
differences, because these differences
could influence the ability to use toys
safely and effectively. The commenter
states that even 120 children may not be
an adequate sample size because each
child would only be evaluated regarding
4 of the 6 different toy categories,
opining that more children are
necessary to study appropriate labeling
for children under 3 years old, and that
increasing the number and diversity of
children and caregivers that engage with
each toy category is essential to provide
information that will be reliable and
generalizable for families across the
country.
CPSC’s Response: The proposed data
collection is not intended to provide
nationally representative data; this
research is exploratory. Further, as this
is largely a descriptive study, CPSC does
not plan on conducting inferential
statistics and doing hypothesis testing.
Researchers will gather information by
documenting children’s play patterns
with selected toys from each of six toy
categories that are not addressed in
CPSC’s Guidelines (i.e., smart toys, takeapart vehicles, musical instruments,
figurines, plush toys with electronic
components, and manipulatives). Given
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that children’s play behaviors with
these toy categories have not been
thoroughly examined, this research is an
initial exploration of the types of play
behaviors children of different age
groups exhibit when interacting with
the selected toys. Researchers will
gather information by observing
children’s play patterns in a laboratory
setting and noting how they interact
with selected toys. The controlled
laboratory setting will allow researchers
to explore developmental differences in
play patterns among the age groups.
Additionally, the duration of each
session provides the researchers an
opportunity to observe naturalistic play
behaviors without rushing the child
through interacting with the toy.
Researchers will code and summarize
observation data while the child is
interacting with the toy. Researchers
will tabulate descriptive statistics to
identify the universe of behaviors for
each age group and toy, and, when
possible, compare children’s play with
toys that are intended for their age,
versus toys that are intended for
children either older or younger.
Collecting this data will add to the
available information about toys in six
toy categories and inform potential next
steps in the age-grading process.
Because pilot testing per pair could be
up to a maximum of 80 minutes for each
session, CPSC is calculating the overall
possible information collection
participant burden based upon a 160minute maximum burden. Researchers
determined the duration of sessions to
balance adequate time for observation,
needed breaks for the child, and not
overburdening the child.
The commenter expressed concern
that ‘‘Each child would only be
evaluated regarding 4 of the 6 different
toy categories.’’ In fact, the researchers
will introduce children to selected toys
from 6 toy categories (smart toys, takeapart vehicles, musical instruments,
figurines, plush toys with electronic
components, and manipulatives) in each
of the sessions. During the first session
they will be introduced to 4 toys and
during the second session they will be
introduced to 5 toys, for a total of 9 toys.
The order in which the toys are
presented will be randomized to
preclude the effects of fatigue and
learning from one toy to the next.
Elina Lingappa,
Paralegal Specialist, Consumer Product
Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 2023–26364 Filed 11–29–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355–01–P
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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Comment Request; Disaster
Response Cooperative Agreement
Application
Corporation for National and
Community Service.
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Corporation for National and
Community Service (operating as
AmeriCorps) is proposing to renew an
information collection.
DATES: Written comments must be
submitted to the individual and office
listed in the ADDRESSES section by
January 29, 2024.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,
identified by the title of the information
collection activity, by any of the
following methods:
(1) Electronically through
www.regulations.gov (preferred
method).
(2) By mail sent to: AmeriCorps,
Attention: Rita Pratte, 250 E Street SW,
Washington, DC 20525.
(3) By hand delivery or by courier to
the AmeriCorps mailroom at the mail
address given in paragraph (2) above,
between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Time,
Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.
Comments submitted in response to
this notice may be made available to the
public through regulations.gov. For this
reason, please do not include in your
comments information of a confidential
nature, such as sensitive personal
information or proprietary information.
If you send an email comment, your
email address will be automatically
captured and included as part of the
comment that is placed in the public
docket and made available on the
internet. Please note that responses to
this public comment request containing
any routine notice about the
confidentiality of the communication
will be treated as public comment that
may be made available to the public,
notwithstanding the inclusion of the
routine notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rita
Pratte, 202–815–5719, or by email at
rpratte@americorps.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title of Collection: Disaster Response
Cooperative Agreement Application.
OMB Control Number: 3045–0133.
Type of Review: Renewal.
Respondents/Affected Public:
Businesses and Organizations.
SUMMARY:
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Total Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 100.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 3,960.
Abstract: AmeriCorps seeks renewal
of the current information collection
pursuant to the Domestic Volunteer
Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4950 et
seq.) and the National and Community
Service Act of 1990, (42 U.S.C. 12501 et
seq.) The information collected is used
to help AmeriCorps more effectively use
its deployable resources to meet the
needs of communities affected by
disaster. An understanding of the
participating programs allows
AmeriCorps to match the capabilities of
the programs to the needs of the
communities and will allow better asset
mapping and resource typing.
Additionally, the information collected
will allow AmeriCorps to conduct better
outreach to interested programs by
providing them with more information
about the Agency’s disaster procedures,
reimbursement requirements, and
support services offered. This
information collection ensures
interested programs meet the
appropriate programmatic and fiscal
requirements to successfully execute
disaster response activities. It also helps
AmeriCorps identify and deploy
programs effectively and efficiently,
matching the capabilities of the
programs to the needs of the
communities asking for assistance. The
forms under the DRCA allow for
effective information collection during a
disaster event as well as assess the
capacity of all DRCA programs
throughout the year. Information is
collected electronically through
completion of the forms and emailed to
AmeriCorps. The current application is
due to expire on March 31, 2024.
Comments submitted in response to
this notice will be summarized and/or
included in the request for OMB
approval. Comments are invited on: (a)
Whether the collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the agency, including
whether the information shall have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
collection of information; (c) ways to
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the information to be collected; (d)
ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on
respondents, including through the use
of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology;
and (e) estimates of capital or start-up
costs and costs of operation,
maintenance, and purchase of services
to provide information. Burden means
the total time, effort, or financial
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 229 (Thursday, November 30, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83533-83536]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26364]
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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
[CPSC Docket No. 2023-0031]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Investigation of Smart Toys and Additional Toys
Through Child Observations
AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this is
the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC or Commission) second
notice inviting public comment about a request for approval from the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a new information collection.
The proposed collection is associated with CPSC's investigation,
through child observations and caregiver questionnaires, of smart toys
and additional toys (take-apart vehicles, musical instruments,
figurines, plush toys with electronic components, and manipulatives) to
consider children's ability to interact with toys as the manufacturer
intended and assist in updating CPSC's age determination guidelines. We
received one comment on the first notice, which we address in this
notice, and again describe the proposed collection of information. By
publication of this notice, the Commission announces that CPSC has
submitted to the OMB a request for approval of the collection of
information, as proposed.
DATES: Submit written or electronic comments on the collection of
information by January 2, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments about this request by email:
[email protected] or fax: 202-395-6881. Comments by mail
should be sent to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Attn: OMB Desk Officer for the CPSC, Office of Management and Budget,
Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503. In addition,
written comments that are sent to OMB, also should be submitted
electronically at: https://www.regulations.gov, under Docket No. CPSC-
2023-0031, by any of the following methods:
Electronic Submissions: CPSC encourages you to submit electronic
comments to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
CPSC typically does not accept comments submitted by electronic mail
(email), except as described below.
Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier/Confidential Written Submissions: Submit
comments by mail, hand delivery, or courier to: Office of the
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway,
Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone: (301) 504-7479. If you wish to submit
confidential business information, trade secret information, or other
sensitive or protected information that you do not want to be available
to the public, you may submit such comments by mail, hand delivery, or
courier, or you may email them to: [email protected].
Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and
docket number. CPSC may post all comments without change, including any
personal
[[Page 83534]]
identifiers, contact information, or other personal information
provided, to: https://www.regulations.gov. Do not submit through this
website: confidential business information, trade secret information,
or other sensitive or protected information that you do not want to be
available to the public. If you wish to submit such information, please
submit it according to the instructions for mail/hand delivery/courier/
confidential written submissions.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to: https://www.regulations.gov; insert the
docket number, CPSC-2023-0031, into the ``Search'' box; and follow the
prompts.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia Gillham, Consumer Product
Safety Commission, 4330 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814;
(301)504-7791, or by email to: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), before an agency submits a proposed collection
of information to OMB for approval, it must first publish a document in
the Federal Register providing a 60-day comment period and otherwise
consult with members of the public and affected agencies concerning the
proposed collection of information. CPSC published notice of this
collection on August 7, 2023, and received one comment. 88 FR 52142.
CPSC has not made any changes in the study based on that comment.
I. Burden Description
Under the PRA, CPSC is publishing the following information: \1\
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\1\ On November 21, 2023, the Commission voted (4-0) to publish
this notice.
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[ssquf] A title for the collection of information;
[ssquf] A summary of the collection of information;
[ssquf] A brief description of the need for the information and the
proposed use of the information;
[ssquf] A description of the likely respondents and proposed
frequency of response to the collection of information;
[ssquf] An estimate of the burden that will result from the
collection of information; and
[ssquf] Notice that comments may be submitted to the agency and
OMB.
44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D). Specifically, the Commission provides the
following information:
Title: Investigation of Smart Toys and Additional Toys Through
Child Observations.
OMB Control Number: New.
Type of Request: New information collection requirement.
Type of Review Requested: Regular.
Requested Expiration Date of Approval: 1 year from date of
approval.
Summary of the Collection of Information: CPSC proposes to conduct
individual in-person data collection sessions with up to 60 children
aged 2 to 4 years old and their caregivers, for a total of 120
participants. Caregivers will answer a series of screening questions to
determine if the caregiver and child meet the criteria for enrollment
in the study. CPSC will enroll in the data collection study children
and caregivers who meet the screening criteria and are willing to
participate.
Over 2 in-person sessions, researchers will collect data primarily
through direct human observations of children's interactions with toys
and caregivers' responses to questionnaires. In each session,
researchers will introduce children to 4 or 5 toys chosen from 6 toy
categories (smart toys, take-apart vehicles, musical instruments,
figurines, plush toys with electronic components, and manipulatives).
The researcher will demonstrate for the child how to use each toy and
then document the child's play patterns with the toy, noting the
child's ability to interact with each toy consistent with the
manufacturer's instructions. Researchers will use coding checklists to
document real-time observations of the child's interactions with the
toys, in the form of concrete behaviors across different modalities,
such as gross motor (e.g., turns figurines head), fine motor (e.g.,
slides switch on/off), and behavioral (e.g., feeds an animal, engages
in pretend play with one or multiple figurines), which demonstrate the
child's ability to use the toy as intended.
Caregivers will respond to researcher questions about the
caregiver's perception of their child's ability to interact with the
selected toys as intended, potential purchasing decisions for the
specific toys, and whether the caregiver would demonstrate how to play
with the toys or some of the components as the manufacturer intends.
Researchers will record on paper forms their observations of children's
interactions and caregiver's responses to questions about the toys.
Researchers will randomize the presentation order of the toys for
each caregiver/child pair to preclude any effects of sequence and
control for learning or fatigue that might take place. Also,
researchers will use video cameras to record each child's interaction
with a toy. Researchers will use the video as a backup reference for
real time coding.
Researchers will separate out all personally identifiable
information from data collected. Also, researchers will separate out
from collected information all identifying information from the initial
screening, as well as scheduling. This information will be kept on a
secure server in password protected files and discarded by researchers
when no longer needed. At the end of each session, researchers will
save the video data onto a secure server. Researchers will enter data
recorded on the paper forms into a secure database, which also will be
kept on a secure server. Researchers will limit access to this
information and will summarize all information collected during the
sessions using generic categories and summary statistics.
Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the
Information: Created in 1972, the CPSC is an independent federal
regulatory agency with a public health and safety mission to protect
the public from unreasonable risks of injury and death from consumer
products used in and around the home, in recreation, and in schools. As
part of this statutory mandate, CPSC is authorized to conduct research
on consumer products and behavior to identify and address product
safety hazards, as well as to develop efficient and effective means of
bringing about safety improvements. This information collection
supports the Commission's strategic goal of safety.
Age-appropriate toys are important for the physical, intellectual,
and socioemotional development of children. Age-appropriate toys can
help children learn, develop imaginative capacities, and refine motor
coordination. However, interacting with toys intended for older
children poses a potential risk for a child to be seriously or fatally
injured. In 2021, an estimated 206,400 toy-related injuries were
treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms.\2\ Of the 206,400 toy-related
injuries, an estimated 74% happened to children 14 years of age or
younger; 69% occurred to children 12 years of age or younger; and 37%
happened to children 4 years of age or younger.
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\2\ Consumer Product Safety Commission: Toy-Related Deaths and
Injuries, Calendar Year 2021. November, 2022: Toy-Related Deaths and
Injuries, Calendar Year 2021; available at: https://www.cpsc.gov/Research--Statistics/Toys-and-Childrens-Products.
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To identify a toy's safety hazards, the CPSC Division of Human
Factors first determines the intended age group of potential users.
CPSC considers age determinations for toys to be of
[[Page 83535]]
paramount importance because age-grading and labeling can be used to
assist consumers in making purchasing decisions, and also serve as the
basis for the toy's regulatory requirements and the associated testing
parameters. For example, toys intended for children under 8 years of
age are required to undergo use and abuse tests based on actual use and
misuse by children of that age. Test specifications vary for different
age groups (i.e., children 18 months and younger, 19-36 months, and 37-
95 months). Toys intended for children younger than 3 years old cannot
contain small parts. Additionally, since 2008, CPSC regulations
establish lead and phthalates limitations for many products intended
for children 12 years of age.
CPSC staff consider numerous toy characteristics when determining
the intended age, including the physical characteristics of the toy
(e.g., size and weight of the toy and its components), the cognitive
requirements for using the toy as intended, the fine motor or other
physical skills required to use the toy as the manufacturer intended,
and the toy's theme and appearance. The CPSC's Age Determination
Guidelines: Relating Consumer Product Characteristics to the Skills,
Play Behaviors, and Interests of Children (Guidelines), available at
https://www.cpsc.gov/content/2020-Age-Determination-Guidelines, provide
details and examples for each of these characteristics for different
age groups. Manufacturers can use the Guidelines to generate an
intended age during a toy's design phase. Manufacturers can also use
the Guidelines to accurately age label a product, which promotes safety
by informing consumer purchasing and toy-safety decisions (meaning
which toys are appropriate to allow a child to play with).
Although the Guidelines include extensive information about a large
variety of toys, some toy categories are not well covered in the
Guidelines because they include toys that are new to the U.S. market
since the research that went into the 2020 version of the Guidelines.
While smart toys are discussed in the Guidelines, this category of toys
evolves rapidly, so the Guidelines may not represent what is currently
in the market. Other toys such as figurines, interlocking building
sets, and musical toys are discussed in the Guidelines, though not
extensively. This data collection will add to the information about
selected toys in six toy categories (smart toys, take-apart vehicles,
musical instruments, figurines, plush toys with electronic components,
and manipulatives), and enrich CPSC's understanding regarding the ages
of children who are interested in these toys and who possess the skills
and cognitive ability to use them as intended. This data collection
will provide information to help CPSC determine the developmentally
appropriate ages for selected toys. Ultimately, the data collection
will inform the various stakeholders who use the information contained
in the Guidelines.
Affected Public: Children between 2 and 4 years of age and their
caregivers.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 60 children and 60 caregivers,
totaling 120 individuals.
Frequency: One-time data collection that will take place over 2 in-
person sessions. The first session will last up to 80 minutes, and the
second session will last up to 80 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: CPSC plans to pilot test the
study with 4 participants (2 caregivers and 2 children) with a maximum
time burden of 2.67 hours per person (10.68 hours). CPSC also assumes a
15-minute completion time for the recruitment screener questionnaire to
be filled out by a maximum of 100 people, to select 60 adult
participants (25 hours).
CPSC estimates that the total time for each selected respondent
pair (caregiver/child) to participate in the data collection will
likely not be more than 160 minutes. Therefore, each participant has a
maximum time burden of 2.67 hours. Data collection duration for each
respondent will be 2.67 hours, or a total of 160 hours for 60
respondent pairs. Respondent pairs will not incur any reporting costs
from the information collection. The pairs also will not incur a record
keeping burden or record keeping costs from this information
collection. We will assume an hourly wage rate of $31.54 for each
respondent pair (caregiver and child).\3\
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\3\ Average hourly wage across all occupations from https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_va.htm#00-0000. CPSC uses occupational
wage estimates for Virginia because the study will be conducted in
the area.
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Accordingly, the total burden hours to recruit participants and for
selected respondents to participate is 356 hours (recruitment screening
time (25 hours), pilot study (10.68 hours), and the main study (2.67
hours x 120 participants)).
The total cost of this collection to the federal government is
$93,345 annually. This represents 6 months of staff time. This amount
includes federal employee salaries and benefits. No travel costs are
associated with the collection. This estimate uses an annual salary of
$126,949 (the equivalent of a GS-13, Step 5 employee, in the Washington
DC area in 2023) \4\ which represents 68.0 percent of the employer
costs for employee compensation. The remaining 32.0 percent of employer
costs are added for benefits (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
``Employer Costs for Employee Compensation,'' March 2023, percentage of
wages and salaries for all civilian management, professional, and
related employees),\5\ for a total annual compensation per FTE of
$186,690.
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\4\ https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2023/DCB.pdf.
\5\ https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ecec_06162023.pdf.
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Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: $104,573.24 (Respondents:
$11,228.24 (31.54/hr. x 356 hours) + Federal Government: $93,345).
II. Comment Response
Comment Summary: The National Center for Health Research submitted
a comment on the proposal, supporting CPSC's research but concerned
that the study design will not provide the needed information. The
commenter suggests that CPSC may need at least twice as many as the 60
children and 60 caregivers in the study to determine products
appropriate for children ages 2 to 4. The commenter believes that the
study should include more children to represent the diversity of U.S.
children in the 3-year age group for cognitive and social development,
socio-economic status, and social and cultural differences, because
these differences could influence the ability to use toys safely and
effectively. The commenter states that even 120 children may not be an
adequate sample size because each child would only be evaluated
regarding 4 of the 6 different toy categories, opining that more
children are necessary to study appropriate labeling for children under
3 years old, and that increasing the number and diversity of children
and caregivers that engage with each toy category is essential to
provide information that will be reliable and generalizable for
families across the country.
CPSC's Response: The proposed data collection is not intended to
provide nationally representative data; this research is exploratory.
Further, as this is largely a descriptive study, CPSC does not plan on
conducting inferential statistics and doing hypothesis testing.
Researchers will gather information by documenting children's play
patterns with selected toys from each of six toy categories that are
not addressed in CPSC's Guidelines (i.e., smart toys, take-apart
vehicles, musical instruments, figurines, plush toys with electronic
components, and manipulatives). Given
[[Page 83536]]
that children's play behaviors with these toy categories have not been
thoroughly examined, this research is an initial exploration of the
types of play behaviors children of different age groups exhibit when
interacting with the selected toys. Researchers will gather information
by observing children's play patterns in a laboratory setting and
noting how they interact with selected toys. The controlled laboratory
setting will allow researchers to explore developmental differences in
play patterns among the age groups.
Additionally, the duration of each session provides the researchers
an opportunity to observe naturalistic play behaviors without rushing
the child through interacting with the toy. Researchers will code and
summarize observation data while the child is interacting with the toy.
Researchers will tabulate descriptive statistics to identify the
universe of behaviors for each age group and toy, and, when possible,
compare children's play with toys that are intended for their age,
versus toys that are intended for children either older or younger.
Collecting this data will add to the available information about toys
in six toy categories and inform potential next steps in the age-
grading process.
Because pilot testing per pair could be up to a maximum of 80
minutes for each session, CPSC is calculating the overall possible
information collection participant burden based upon a 160-minute
maximum burden. Researchers determined the duration of sessions to
balance adequate time for observation, needed breaks for the child, and
not overburdening the child.
The commenter expressed concern that ``Each child would only be
evaluated regarding 4 of the 6 different toy categories.'' In fact, the
researchers will introduce children to selected toys from 6 toy
categories (smart toys, take-apart vehicles, musical instruments,
figurines, plush toys with electronic components, and manipulatives) in
each of the sessions. During the first session they will be introduced
to 4 toys and during the second session they will be introduced to 5
toys, for a total of 9 toys. The order in which the toys are presented
will be randomized to preclude the effects of fatigue and learning from
one toy to the next.
Elina Lingappa,
Paralegal Specialist, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 2023-26364 Filed 11-29-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-P
