Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Extension, 20970-20972 [2024-06354]
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20970
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 59 / Tuesday, March 26, 2024 / Notices
www.regulations.gov, we cannot redact
or remove your comment unless you
submit a confidentiality request that
meets the requirements for such
treatment under FTC Rule 4.9(c), and
the General Counsel grants that request.
The FTC Act and other laws that the
Commission administers permit the
collection of public comments to
consider and use in this proceeding as
appropriate. The Commission will
consider all timely and responsive
public comments that it receives on or
before May 28, 2024. For information on
the Commission’s privacy policy,
including routine uses permitted by the
Privacy Act, see https://www.ftc.gov/
site-information/privacy-policy.
Josephine Liu,
Assistant General Counsel for Legal Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2024–06350 Filed 3–25–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6750–01–P
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Extension
Federal Trade Commission.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Federal Trade
Commission (‘‘FTC’’ or ‘‘Commission’’)
is seeking public comments on its
proposal to extend for an additional
three years the current Paperwork
Reduction Act (‘‘PRA’’) clearance for
information collection requirements
contained in the rules and regulations
under the Fur Products Labeling Act
(‘‘Fur Rules’’ or ‘‘Rules’’). That clearance
expires on October 31, 2024.
DATES: Comments must be filed by May
28, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Interested parties may file a
comment online or on paper, by
following the instructions in the
Request for Comment part of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section
below. Write ‘‘Fur Rules; PRA
Comment: FTC File No. P072108’’ on
your comment, and file your comment
online at https://www.regulations.gov by
following the instructions on the webbased form. If you prefer to file your
comment on paper, mail your comment
to the following address: Federal Trade
Commission, Office of the Secretary,
600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite
CC–5610 (Annex J), Washington, DC
20580.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jock
K. Chung, Attorney, Division of
Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer
Protection, Federal Trade Commission,
Mail Code CC–9528, 600 Pennsylvania
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:10 Mar 25, 2024
Jkt 262001
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580,
(202) 326–2984.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title of Collection: Rules and
Regulations under the Fur Products
Labeling Act, 16 CFR part 301.
OMB Control Number: 3084–0099.
Type of Review: Extension without
change of currently approved collection.
Abstract: The Fur Products Labeling
Act (‘‘Fur Act’’) 1 prohibits the
misbranding and false advertising of fur
products. The Fur Rules establish
disclosure requirements that assist
consumers in making informed
purchasing decisions, and
recordkeeping requirements that assist
the Commission in enforcing the Rules.
The Rules also provide a procedure for
exemption from certain disclosure
provisions under the Fur Act.
Likely Respondents: Retailers,
manufacturers, processors, and
importers of furs and fur products.
Frequency of Response: Third party
disclosure; recordkeeping requirement.
Estimated Annual Burden Hours:
180,639 hours (45,720 hours for
recordkeeping + 134,919 hours for
disclosure).
Recordkeeping: 45,720 hours [500
retailers incur an average recordkeeping
burden of about 18 hours per year (9,000
hours total); 137 manufacturers incur an
average recordkeeping burden of about
60 hours per year (8,220 hours total);
and 950 importers of furs and fur
products incur an average
recordkeeping burden of 30 hours per
year (28,500 hours total)].
Disclosure: 134,919 hours [(114,886
hours for labeling + 33 hours for
invoices + 20,000 hours for
advertising)].
Estimated Annual Cost Burden:
$3,555,329 (rounded to the nearest
whole dollar amount).
As required by section 3506©(2)(A) of
the PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A), the
FTC is providing this opportunity for
public comment before requesting that
OMB extend the existing clearance for
the information collection requirements
contained in the Commission’s Fur
Rules.
Burden Statement
FTC staff’s burden estimates are based
on data from the Department of Labor’s
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and
data or other input from the Fur
Industry Council of America. The
relevant information collection
requirements in these Rules and FTC
staff’s corresponding burden estimates
follow. The estimates address the
number of hours needed and the labor
1 15
PO 00000
U.S.C. 69 et seq.
Frm 00031
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
costs incurred to comply with the
requirements.
The Fur Act 2 prohibits the
misbranding and false advertising of fur
products. The Fur Rules establish
disclosure requirements that assist
consumers in making informed
purchasing decisions, and
recordkeeping requirements that assist
the Commission in enforcing the Rules.
The Rules also provide a procedure for
exemption from certain disclosure
provisions under the Fur Act.
Estimated Annual Hours Burden:
180,639 hours (45,720 hours for
recordkeeping + 134,919 hours for
disclosure).
Recordkeeping: The Fur Rules require
that retailers, manufacturers, processors,
and importers of furs and fur products
keep certain records in addition to those
they may keep in the ordinary course of
business. FTC staff estimates that: (1)
500 retailers incur an average
recordkeeping burden of about 18 hours
per year (9,000 hours total); (2) 137
manufacturers incur an average
recordkeeping burden of about 60 hours
per year (8,220 hours total); and (3) 950
importers of furs and fur products incur
an average recordkeeping burden of 30
hours per year (28,500 hours total). The
combined recordkeeping burden for the
industry is approximately 45,720 hours
annually.
Disclosure: FTC staff estimates that
637 respondents (137 manufacturers +
500 retail sellers of fur garments) each
require an average of 30 hours per year
to determine label content (19,110 hours
total), and an average of 30 hours per
year to draft and order labels (19,110
hours total). FTC staff estimates that the
total number of garments subject to the
fur labeling requirements annually is
approximately 1,840,000.3 FTC staff
estimates that for approximately 50
percent of these garments (920,000)
labels are attached manually, requiring
approximately four minutes per garment
for a total of 61,333 hours annually. For
the remaining 920,000, the process of
attaching labels is semi-automated and
requires an average of approximately
one minute per item, for a total of
15,333 hours. Thus, the total burden for
2 Id.
3 This estimate is half the prior estimate. FTC staff
bases this estimate on an assessment that the overall
market for fur products appears to have halved. For
example, the number of fur retailers has declined
from 950 to 500. The total number of imported fur
garments, fur-trimmed garments, and fur
accessories is 3,562,242 annually based on U.S.
government import statistics for Harmonized Tariff
Schedule (HTS) Number 4303. However, this figure
includes many products that contain fur but are not
covered by the Fur Act and Rules, such as rabbit
feet, or purses with fur. Estimated domestic
production totals 90,000.
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 59 / Tuesday, March 26, 2024 / Notices
attaching labels is 76,666 hours, and the
total burden for labeling garments is
38,220 hours per year (19,110 hours to
determine label content + 19,110 hours
to draft and order labels).
FTC staff estimates that the
incremental burden associated with the
Fur Rules’ invoice disclosure
requirement, beyond the time that
would be devoted to preparing invoices
in the absence of the Rules, is
approximately one minute per invoice
for pelts.4 The invoice disclosure
requirement applies to fur pelts, which
are generally sold in groups of at least
1100, on average. Based on information
from the Fur Industry Council of
America, staff estimates total sales of
2,156,491 pelts annually. Thus, the
invoice disclosure requirement entails
an estimated total burden of 33 hours
(1,960 total invoices × one minute).
FTC staff estimates that the Fur Rules’
advertising disclosure requirements
Task
Determine label content .............................................................................................
Draft and order labels ................................................................................................
Attach labels ..............................................................................................................
Invoice disclosures ....................................................................................................
Prepare advertising disclosures ................................................................................
Recordkeeping ...........................................................................................................
5 $31.49
Total ....................................................................................................................
Request for Comment
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
impose an average burden of 40 hours
per year for each of the approximately
500 domestic fur retailers, or a total of
20,000 hours.
Thus, FTC staff estimates the total
disclosure burden to be approximately
134,919 hours.
Estimated Annual Cost Burden:
$3,555,329 (rounded to the nearest
whole dollar amount). The chart below
summarizes the total estimated costs.
Hourly rate
FTC staff believes that there are no
current start-up costs or other capital
costs associated with the Fur Rules.
Because the labeling of fur products has
been an integral part of the
manufacturing process for decades,
manufacturers have in place the capital
equipment necessary to comply with the
Rules’ labeling requirements. Industry
sources indicate that much of the
information required by the Fur Act and
Rules would be included on the product
label even absent the Rules. Similarly,
invoicing, recordkeeping, and
advertising disclosures are tasks
performed in the ordinary course of
business so that covered firms would
incur no additional capital or other nonlabor costs as a result of the Act or the
Rules.
Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of
the PRA, the FTC invites comments on:
(1) whether the disclosure and
recordkeeping requirements are
necessary, including whether the
information will be practically useful;
(2) the accuracy of our burden estimates,
including whether the methodology and
assumptions used are valid; (3) ways to
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the information to be collected; and
(4) ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information.
4 The invoice disclosure burden for PRA purposes
excludes the time that respondents would spend for
invoicing, apart from the Fur Rules, in the ordinary
course of business. See 5 CFR 1320.3(b)(2).
5 The wage rate for supervisors of office and
administrative support workers is based on data
through May 2022 from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:10 Mar 25, 2024
Jkt 262001
20971
Burden hours
Labor costs
10 20.46
19,110
19,110
76,666
33
20,000
45,720
$601,773.90
390,990.60
996,658.00
675.18
629,800.00
935,431.20
..............................
..............................
3,555,328.88
6 20.46
7 13.00
8 20.46
9 31.49
For the FTC to consider a comment,
we must receive it on or before May 28,
2024. Your comment, including your
name and your state, will be placed on
the public record of this proceeding,
including the https://
www.regulations.gov website.
You can file a comment online or on
paper. Due to heightened security
screening, postal mail addressed to the
Commission will be subject to delay. We
encourage you to submit your comments
online through the https://
www.regulations.gov website.
If you file your comment on paper,
write ‘‘Fur Rules; PRA Comment: FTC
File No. P072108’’ on your comment
and on the envelope, and mail it to the
following address: Federal Trade
Commission, Office of the Secretary,
600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite
CC–5610 (Annex J), Washington, DC
20580.
Because your comment will become
publicly available at https://
www.regulations.gov, you are solely
responsible for making sure that your
comment does not include any sensitive
or confidential information. In
particular, your comment should not
include any sensitive personal
information, such as your or anyone
else’s Social Security number; date of
birth; driver’s license number or other
state identification number, or foreign
country equivalent; passport number;
financial account number; or credit or
debit card number. You are also solely
responsible for making sure that your
comment does not include any sensitive
health information, such as medical
records or other individually
identifiable health information. In
addition, your comment should not
include any ‘‘trade secret or any
commercial or financial information
which . . . is privileged or
confidential’’—as provided by Section
6(f) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 46(f), and
FTC Rule 4.10(a)(2), 16 CFR 4.10(a)(2)—
including, in particular, competitively
sensitive information, such as costs,
sales statistics, inventories, formulas,
patterns, devices, manufacturing
processes, or customer names.
Comments containing material for
which confidential treatment is
requested must (1) be filed in paper
form, (2) be clearly labeled
‘‘Confidential,’’ and (3) comply with
FTC Rule 4.9(c). In particular, the
written request for confidential
treatment that accompanies the
comment must include the factual and
legal basis for the request and must
identify the specific portions of the
comment to be withheld from the public
record. See FTC Rule 4.9(c). Your
comment will be kept confidential only
if the General Counsel grants your
request in accordance with the law and
the public interest. Once your comment
Survey at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/
ocwage.htm (released on April 25, 2023).
6 The wage rate for correspondence clerks is
based on recent data from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics
Survey at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/
ocwage.htm.
7 Per industry sources, most fur labeling is done
in the United States. This rate is reflective of an
average domestic hourly wage for such tasks
performed in the United States, which is derived
from recent BLS statistics.
8 See supra note 6.
9 See supra note 5.
10 See supra note 6.
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20972
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 59 / Tuesday, March 26, 2024 / Notices
has been posted publicly at
www.regulations.gov, we cannot redact
or remove your comment unless you
submit a confidentiality request that
meets the requirements for such
treatment under FTC Rule 4.9(c), and
the General Counsel grants that request.
The FTC Act and other laws that the
Commission administers permit the
collection of public comments to
consider and use in this proceeding as
appropriate. The Commission will
consider all timely and responsive
public comments that it receives on or
before May 28, 2024. For information on
the Commission’s privacy policy,
including routine uses permitted by the
Privacy Act, see https://www.ftc.gov/
site-information/privacy-policy.
Josephine Liu,
Assistant General Counsel for Legal Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2024–06354 Filed 3–25–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6750–01–P
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request; Extension
Federal Trade Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Federal Trade
Commission (‘‘FTC’’ or ‘‘Commission’’)
requests that the Office of Management
and Budget (‘‘OMB’’) extend for an
additional three years the current
Paperwork Reduction Act (‘‘PRA’’)
clearance for information collection
requirements contained in the Fair
Packaging and Labeling Act regulations
(‘‘FPLA Rules’’). That clearance expires
on May 31, 2024.
DATES: Comments must be filed by April
25, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Interested parties may file a
comment online or on paper, by
following the instructions in the
Request for Comment part of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section
below. Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/
PRAMain. Find this particular
information collection by selecting
‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open
for Public Comments’’ or by using the
search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jock
Chung, Attorney, Division of
Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer
Protection, Federal Trade Commission,
Room CC–9543, 600 Pennsylvania
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:10 Mar 25, 2024
Jkt 262001
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580,
(202) 326–2984.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title of Collection: Regulations Under
Section 4 of the Fair Packaging and
Labeling Act (FPLA), 16 CFR parts 500–
503.
OMB Control Number: 3084–0110.
Type of Review: Extension without
change of currently approved collection.
Abstract: The Fair Packaging and
Labeling Act, 15 U.S.C. 1451 et seq., was
enacted to enable consumers to obtain
accurate package quantity information
to facilitate value comparisons and
prevent unfair or deceptive packaging
and labeling of consumer commodities.
Section 4 of the FPLA requires packages
or labels to be marked with: (1) A
statement of identity; (2) a net quantity
of contents disclosure; and (3) the name
and place of business of the company
responsible for the product. The FPLA
regulations, 16 CFR parts 500–503,
specify how manufacturers, packagers,
and distributors of ‘‘consumer
commodities’’ must comply with the
Act’s labeling requirements.
Affected Public: Private Sector:
Businesses and other for-profit entities.
Estimated Annual Burden Hours:
7,436,580.
Estimated Annual Labor Costs:
$188,799,893.
Estimated Annual Non-Labor Costs:
$0.
Request for Comment: On August 30,
2023, the FTC sought public comment
on the information collection
requirements contained in the FPLA
Rules. 88 FR 59925 (Aug. 30, 2023). No
relevant comments were received
during the public comment period.
Pursuant to OMB regulations, 5 CFR
part 1320, that implement the PRA, 44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq., the FTC is providing
this second opportunity for public
comment while seeking OMB approval
to renew the pre-existing clearance for
the Rule. For more details about the
Rule requirements and the basis for the
calculations summarized below, see 88
FR 59925.
Your comment—including your name
and your state—will be placed on the
public record of this proceeding.
Because your comment will be made
public, you are solely responsible for
making sure that your comment does
not include any sensitive personal
information, such as anyone’s Social
Security number; date of birth; driver’s
license number or other state
identification number or foreign country
equivalent; passport number; financial
account number; or credit or debit card
number. You are also solely responsible
for ensuring that your comment does
PO 00000
Frm 00033
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
not include any sensitive health
information, such as medical records or
other individually identifiable health
information. In addition, your comment
should not include any ‘‘[t]rade secret or
any commercial or financial information
which is . . . privileged or
confidential’’—as provided in Section
6(f) of the FTC Act 15 U.S.C. 46(f), and
FTC Rule 4.10(a)(2), 16 CFR 4.10(a)(2)—
including, in particular, competitively
sensitive information, such as costs,
sales statistics, inventories, formulas,
patterns devices, manufacturing
processes, or customer names.
Josephine Liu,
Assistant General Counsel for Legal Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2024–06355 Filed 3–25–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6750–01–P
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Extension
Federal Trade Commission.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(‘‘PRA’’), the Federal Trade Commission
(‘‘FTC’’ or ‘‘Commission’’) is seeking
public comment on its proposal to
extend for an additional three years the
Office of Management and Budget
clearance for information collection
requirements pertaining to the
Commission’s administrative activities,
consisting of: responding to applications
to the Commission pursuant to the
Commission’s Rules of Practice (Parts 1
and 4); the FTC’s consumer reporting
systems; and the FTC’s program
evaluation activities. The current
clearance expires on June 30, 2024.
DATES: Comments must be filed by May
28, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Interested parties may file a
comment online or on paper, by
following the instructions in the
Request for Comment part of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section
below. Write ‘‘Administrative Activities,
PRA Comment, P085405,’’ on your
comment, and file your comment online
at https://www.regulations.gov by
following the instructions on the webbased form. If you prefer to file your
comment on paper, mail your comment
to the following address: Federal Trade
Commission, Office of the Secretary,
600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite
CC–5610 (Annex J), Washington, DC
20580.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: G.
Richard Gold, Attorney, Office of the
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\26MRN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 59 (Tuesday, March 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20970-20972]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06354]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Extension
AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Federal Trade Commission (``FTC'' or ``Commission'') is
seeking public comments on its proposal to extend for an additional
three years the current Paperwork Reduction Act (``PRA'') clearance for
information collection requirements contained in the rules and
regulations under the Fur Products Labeling Act (``Fur Rules'' or
``Rules''). That clearance expires on October 31, 2024.
DATES: Comments must be filed by May 28, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Interested parties may file a comment online or on paper, by
following the instructions in the Request for Comment part of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below. Write ``Fur Rules; PRA
Comment: FTC File No. P072108'' on your comment, and file your comment
online at https://www.regulations.gov by following the instructions on
the web-based form. If you prefer to file your comment on paper, mail
your comment to the following address: Federal Trade Commission, Office
of the Secretary, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite CC-5610 (Annex J),
Washington, DC 20580.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jock K. Chung, Attorney, Division of
Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission,
Mail Code CC-9528, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580,
(202) 326-2984.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title of Collection: Rules and Regulations under the Fur Products
Labeling Act, 16 CFR part 301.
OMB Control Number: 3084-0099.
Type of Review: Extension without change of currently approved
collection.
Abstract: The Fur Products Labeling Act (``Fur Act'') \1\ prohibits
the misbranding and false advertising of fur products. The Fur Rules
establish disclosure requirements that assist consumers in making
informed purchasing decisions, and recordkeeping requirements that
assist the Commission in enforcing the Rules. The Rules also provide a
procedure for exemption from certain disclosure provisions under the
Fur Act.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 15 U.S.C. 69 et seq.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Likely Respondents: Retailers, manufacturers, processors, and
importers of furs and fur products.
Frequency of Response: Third party disclosure; recordkeeping
requirement.
Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 180,639 hours (45,720 hours for
recordkeeping + 134,919 hours for disclosure).
Recordkeeping: 45,720 hours [500 retailers incur an average
recordkeeping burden of about 18 hours per year (9,000 hours total);
137 manufacturers incur an average recordkeeping burden of about 60
hours per year (8,220 hours total); and 950 importers of furs and fur
products incur an average recordkeeping burden of 30 hours per year
(28,500 hours total)].
Disclosure: 134,919 hours [(114,886 hours for labeling + 33 hours
for invoices + 20,000 hours for advertising)].
Estimated Annual Cost Burden: $3,555,329 (rounded to the nearest
whole dollar amount).
As required by section 3506(copyright)(2)(A) of the PRA, 44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(2)(A), the FTC is providing this opportunity for public comment
before requesting that OMB extend the existing clearance for the
information collection requirements contained in the Commission's Fur
Rules.
Burden Statement
FTC staff's burden estimates are based on data from the Department
of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and data or other input
from the Fur Industry Council of America. The relevant information
collection requirements in these Rules and FTC staff's corresponding
burden estimates follow. The estimates address the number of hours
needed and the labor costs incurred to comply with the requirements.
The Fur Act \2\ prohibits the misbranding and false advertising of
fur products. The Fur Rules establish disclosure requirements that
assist consumers in making informed purchasing decisions, and
recordkeeping requirements that assist the Commission in enforcing the
Rules. The Rules also provide a procedure for exemption from certain
disclosure provisions under the Fur Act.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Annual Hours Burden: 180,639 hours (45,720 hours for
recordkeeping + 134,919 hours for disclosure).
Recordkeeping: The Fur Rules require that retailers, manufacturers,
processors, and importers of furs and fur products keep certain records
in addition to those they may keep in the ordinary course of business.
FTC staff estimates that: (1) 500 retailers incur an average
recordkeeping burden of about 18 hours per year (9,000 hours total);
(2) 137 manufacturers incur an average recordkeeping burden of about 60
hours per year (8,220 hours total); and (3) 950 importers of furs and
fur products incur an average recordkeeping burden of 30 hours per year
(28,500 hours total). The combined recordkeeping burden for the
industry is approximately 45,720 hours annually.
Disclosure: FTC staff estimates that 637 respondents (137
manufacturers + 500 retail sellers of fur garments) each require an
average of 30 hours per year to determine label content (19,110 hours
total), and an average of 30 hours per year to draft and order labels
(19,110 hours total). FTC staff estimates that the total number of
garments subject to the fur labeling requirements annually is
approximately 1,840,000.\3\ FTC staff estimates that for approximately
50 percent of these garments (920,000) labels are attached manually,
requiring approximately four minutes per garment for a total of 61,333
hours annually. For the remaining 920,000, the process of attaching
labels is semi-automated and requires an average of approximately one
minute per item, for a total of 15,333 hours. Thus, the total burden
for
[[Page 20971]]
attaching labels is 76,666 hours, and the total burden for labeling
garments is 38,220 hours per year (19,110 hours to determine label
content + 19,110 hours to draft and order labels).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ This estimate is half the prior estimate. FTC staff bases
this estimate on an assessment that the overall market for fur
products appears to have halved. For example, the number of fur
retailers has declined from 950 to 500. The total number of imported
fur garments, fur-trimmed garments, and fur accessories is 3,562,242
annually based on U.S. government import statistics for Harmonized
Tariff Schedule (HTS) Number 4303. However, this figure includes
many products that contain fur but are not covered by the Fur Act
and Rules, such as rabbit feet, or purses with fur. Estimated
domestic production totals 90,000.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
FTC staff estimates that the incremental burden associated with the
Fur Rules' invoice disclosure requirement, beyond the time that would
be devoted to preparing invoices in the absence of the Rules, is
approximately one minute per invoice for pelts.\4\ The invoice
disclosure requirement applies to fur pelts, which are generally sold
in groups of at least 1100, on average. Based on information from the
Fur Industry Council of America, staff estimates total sales of
2,156,491 pelts annually. Thus, the invoice disclosure requirement
entails an estimated total burden of 33 hours (1,960 total invoices x
one minute).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ The invoice disclosure burden for PRA purposes excludes the
time that respondents would spend for invoicing, apart from the Fur
Rules, in the ordinary course of business. See 5 CFR 1320.3(b)(2).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
FTC staff estimates that the Fur Rules' advertising disclosure
requirements impose an average burden of 40 hours per year for each of
the approximately 500 domestic fur retailers, or a total of 20,000
hours.
Thus, FTC staff estimates the total disclosure burden to be
approximately 134,919 hours.
Estimated Annual Cost Burden: $3,555,329 (rounded to the nearest
whole dollar amount). The chart below summarizes the total estimated
costs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Task Hourly rate Burden hours Labor costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Determine label content................................ \5\ $31.49 19,110 $601,773.90
Draft and order labels................................. \6\ 20.46 19,110 390,990.60
Attach labels.......................................... \7\ 13.00 76,666 996,658.00
Invoice disclosures.................................... \8\ 20.46 33 675.18
Prepare advertising disclosures........................ \9\ 31.49 20,000 629,800.00
Recordkeeping.......................................... \10\ 20.46 45,720 935,431.20
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Total.............................................. ................. ................. 3,555,328.88
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FTC staff believes that there are no current start-up costs or
other capital costs associated with the Fur Rules. Because the labeling
of fur products has been an integral part of the manufacturing process
for decades, manufacturers have in place the capital equipment
necessary to comply with the Rules' labeling requirements. Industry
sources indicate that much of the information required by the Fur Act
and Rules would be included on the product label even absent the Rules.
Similarly, invoicing, recordkeeping, and advertising disclosures are
tasks performed in the ordinary course of business so that covered
firms would incur no additional capital or other non-labor costs as a
result of the Act or the Rules.
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\5\ The wage rate for supervisors of office and administrative
support workers is based on data through May 2022 from the Bureau of
Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics Survey at
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.htm (released on April 25,
2023).
\6\ The wage rate for correspondence clerks is based on recent
data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment
Statistics Survey at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.htm.
\7\ Per industry sources, most fur labeling is done in the
United States. This rate is reflective of an average domestic hourly
wage for such tasks performed in the United States, which is derived
from recent BLS statistics.
\8\ See supra note 6.
\9\ See supra note 5.
\10\ See supra note 6.
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Request for Comment
Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, the FTC invites
comments on: (1) whether the disclosure and recordkeeping requirements
are necessary, including whether the information will be practically
useful; (2) the accuracy of our burden estimates, including whether the
methodology and assumptions used are valid; (3) ways to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
(4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information.
For the FTC to consider a comment, we must receive it on or before
May 28, 2024. Your comment, including your name and your state, will be
placed on the public record of this proceeding, including the https://www.regulations.gov website.
You can file a comment online or on paper. Due to heightened
security screening, postal mail addressed to the Commission will be
subject to delay. We encourage you to submit your comments online
through the https://www.regulations.gov website.
If you file your comment on paper, write ``Fur Rules; PRA Comment:
FTC File No. P072108'' on your comment and on the envelope, and mail it
to the following address: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the
Secretary, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite CC-5610 (Annex J),
Washington, DC 20580.
Because your comment will become publicly available at https://www.regulations.gov, you are solely responsible for making sure that
your comment does not include any sensitive or confidential
information. In particular, your comment should not include any
sensitive personal information, such as your or anyone else's Social
Security number; date of birth; driver's license number or other state
identification number, or foreign country equivalent; passport number;
financial account number; or credit or debit card number. You are also
solely responsible for making sure that your comment does not include
any sensitive health information, such as medical records or other
individually identifiable health information. In addition, your comment
should not include any ``trade secret or any commercial or financial
information which . . . is privileged or confidential''--as provided by
Section 6(f) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 46(f), and FTC Rule 4.10(a)(2),
16 CFR 4.10(a)(2)--including, in particular, competitively sensitive
information, such as costs, sales statistics, inventories, formulas,
patterns, devices, manufacturing processes, or customer names.
Comments containing material for which confidential treatment is
requested must (1) be filed in paper form, (2) be clearly labeled
``Confidential,'' and (3) comply with FTC Rule 4.9(c). In particular,
the written request for confidential treatment that accompanies the
comment must include the factual and legal basis for the request and
must identify the specific portions of the comment to be withheld from
the public record. See FTC Rule 4.9(c). Your comment will be kept
confidential only if the General Counsel grants your request in
accordance with the law and the public interest. Once your comment
[[Page 20972]]
has been posted publicly at www.regulations.gov, we cannot redact or
remove your comment unless you submit a confidentiality request that
meets the requirements for such treatment under FTC Rule 4.9(c), and
the General Counsel grants that request.
The FTC Act and other laws that the Commission administers permit
the collection of public comments to consider and use in this
proceeding as appropriate. The Commission will consider all timely and
responsive public comments that it receives on or before May 28, 2024.
For information on the Commission's privacy policy, including routine
uses permitted by the Privacy Act, see https://www.ftc.gov/site-information/privacy-policy.
Josephine Liu,
Assistant General Counsel for Legal Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2024-06354 Filed 3-25-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6750-01-P
