[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 218 (Friday, November 12, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65497-65498]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-25137]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration


Reports, Forms and Record Keeping Requirements; Agency 
Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information 
Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR 
describes the nature of the information collections and their expected 
burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was 
published on July 23, 2004 (69 FR 44077).

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 13, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be directed to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention NHTSA Desk Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Kido, National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration, Office of the Chief Counsel (NCC-111), (202) 
366-5263, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Room 5219, Washington, DC 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

    Title: Confidential Business Information.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Form Number: This collection of information uses no standard forms.
    OMB Control Number: 2127-0025.
    Frequency: Submission of information pursuant to this regulation 
will depend on the frequency with which a given entity, such as a 
manufacturer of motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment, submits 
information that the entity wishes the agency to withhold as 
confidential, generally pursuant to Exemption 4 of the Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552.
    Affected Public: This collection of information would apply to any 
person who seeks to have the agency treat as confidential information 
submitted to the agency either voluntarily or pursuant to a mandatory 
information request issued by the agency. Thus, the collection of 
information could apply to

[[Page 65498]]

any of the entities over which the agency exercises regulatory 
authority. Recent trends lead the agency to estimate that NHTSA will 
receive approximately 450 requests for confidential treatment in 2004 
and subsequent years. Large manufacturers make the vast majority of 
requests for confidential treatment.
    Abstract: NHTSA's Confidential Business Information (CBI) rule, 
coupled with case law, has governed the submission of requests for 
confidential treatment of information for over 20 years. Recently, 
NHTSA amended the regulation to simplify and update it to reflect 
developments in the law and to address the application of the rule to 
the early warning reporting requirements. See 68 FR 44209 (July 28, 
2003) and 69 FR 21409 (April 21, 2004).
    Estimated Annual Burden: Using the above estimate of approximately 
450 requests for confidentiality per year, with an estimated eight 
hours of preparation to collect and provide the information, at an 
assumed rate of $25 an hour, the annual estimated cost of collecting 
and preparing the information necessary for 450 complete requests for 
confidential treatment is about $90,000 (8 hours of preparation x 450 
requests x $25). Adding in a postage cost of $1732.50 (450 requests at 
a cost of $3.85 for postage), we estimate that it will cost $91,732.50 
a year for persons to prepare and submit the information necessary to 
satisfy the confidential business information provisions of 49 CFR part 
512.
    Requesters are not required to keep copies of any records or 
reports submitted to us. As a result, the cost imposed to keep records 
would be zero hours and zero costs.
    Number of Respondents: We estimate that there will be approximately 
450 requests per year.
    Summary of the Collection of Information: Any entity seeking 
confidential treatment for information submitted to the agency will be 
required to request confidential treatment from the agency and to 
justify that request. To obtain confidential treatment of submitted 
information, the submitting entity must comply with the requirements in 
NHTSA's CBI regulation and satisfy the requirements for one of the 
exemptions provided under the FOIA, 5 U.S.C. 552(b).

ADDRESSES: Send comments, within 30 days, to the Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention NHTSA Desk Officer.
    Comments Are Invited on: Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Department, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize 
the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including 
the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology. A Comment to OMB is most effective if OMB 
receives it within 30 days of publication.

    Issued on November 5, 2004.
Jacqueline Glassman,
Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 04-25137 Filed 11-10-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P