Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 179 / Monday, September 18, 2023 / Notices 63977 

www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/dinap/ 

council. 

(Authority: Pursuant to the Workforce 

Innovation and Opportunity Act, 29 U.S.C. 

3221(i)(4); Federal Advisory Committee Act, 

as amended) 

Brent Parton, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Employment and Training, Labor. 

[FR Doc. 2023–20096 Filed 9–15–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–FN–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Information Collection Activities; 

Comment Request 

AGENCY: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 

Department of Labor. 

ACTION: Notice of information collection, 

request for comment. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as 

part of its continuing effort to reduce 

paperwork and respondent burden, 

conducts a pre-clearance consultation 

program to provide the general public 

and Federal agencies with an 

opportunity to comment on proposed 

and/or continuing collections of 

information in accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This 

program helps to ensure that requested 

data can be provided in the desired 

format, reporting burden (time and 

financial resources) is minimized, 

collection instruments are clearly 

understood, and the impact of collection 

requirements on respondents can be 

properly assessed. The Bureau of Labor 

Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments 

concerning the proposed revision of the 

‘‘The Consumer Expenditure Surveys: 

The Quarterly Interview and the Diary.’’ 

A copy of the proposed information 

collection request can be obtained by 

contacting the individual listed below 

in the Addresses section of this notice. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted to the office listed in the 

Addresses section of this notice on or 

before November 17, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Nora 

Kincaid, BLS Clearance Officer, 

Division of Management Systems, 

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room G225, 

2 Massachusetts Avenue NE, 

Washington, DC 20212. Written 

comments also may be transmitted by 

email to BLS_PRA_Public@bls.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Nora Kincaid, BLS Clearance Officer, at 

202–691–7628 (this is not a toll-free 

number). (See ADDRESSES section.) 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

The Consumer Expenditure (CE) 

Surveys collect data on consumer 

expenditures, demographic information, 

and related data needed by the 

Consumer Price Index (CPI) and other 

public and private data users. The 

continuing surveys provide a constant 

measurement of changes in consumer 

expenditure patterns for economic 

analysis and to obtain data for future 

CPI revisions. The CE Surveys have 

been ongoing since 1979. 

The data from the CE Surveys are 

used (1) for CPI revisions, (2) to provide 

a continuous flow of data on income 

and expenditure patterns for use in 

economic analysis and policy 

formulation, and (3) to provide a 

flexible consumer survey vehicle that is 

available for use by other Federal 

Government agencies. Public and 

private users of price statistics, 

including Congress and the economic 

policymaking agencies of the Executive 

branch, rely on data collected in the CPI 

in their day-to-day activities. Hence, 

data users and policymakers widely 

accept the need to improve the process 

used for revising the CPI. If the CE 

Surveys were not conducted on a 

continuing basis, current information 

necessary for more timely, as well as 

more accurate, updating of the CPI 

would not be available. In addition, data 

would not be available to respond to the 

continuing demand from the public and 

private sectors for current information 

on consumer spending. 

In the Quarterly Interview Survey, 

each consumer unit (CU) in the sample 

is interviewed every three months over 

four calendar quarters. The sample for 

each quarter is divided into three 

panels, with CUs being interviewed 

every three months in the same panel of 

every quarter. The Quarterly Interview 

Survey is designed to collect data on the 

types of expenditures that respondents 

can be expected to recall for a period of 

three months or longer. In general the 

expenses reported in the Interview 

Survey are either relatively large, such 

as property, automobiles, or major 

appliances, or are expenses which occur 

on a fairly regular basis, such as rent, 

utility bills, or insurance premiums. 

The Diary (or recordkeeping) Survey 

is completed at home by the respondent 

family for two consecutive one-week 

periods. The primary objective of the 

Diary Survey is to obtain expenditure 

data on small, frequently purchased 

items which normally are difficult to 

recall over longer periods of time. 

II. Current Action 

Office of Management and Budget 

clearance is being sought to continue 

the Consumer Expenditure Surveys: The 

Quarterly Interview (CEQ) and the Diary 

(CED) and to make modifications to 

both. 

In the CEQ, as part of CE’s ongoing 

effort to streamline the questionnaire, 

CE requests clearance to make the 

following modifications to the 

Computer Assisted Personal Interview 

(CAPI) instrument: rewording items to 

make collection easier cognitively, 

grouping similar items together, 

aggregating collection of items 

previously collected separately, and 

eliminating several questions. 

Specifically, the changes will include 

the following: 

A new ‘Household Services’ section 

groups question on the items that were 

asked across the interview survey 

including termite/pest control, 

gardening/lawn care, water softening, 

septic tank cleaning, housekeeping, 

home security system fees, moving/ 

storage/freight, heating or air 

conditioning contracts, home 

warranties/maintenance/service 

contracts on household appliances, and 

other home services or repair jobs. 

For the ‘Owned Properties’ section, 

the list of items included in payments 

was simplified, and questions regarding 

why a payment amount changed were 

added, including related questions for 

additional principal/interest, and late/ 

other fees. For the ‘Utilities’ section, the 

list of phone/cable/internet expenses 

was consolidated, and questions about 

breaking out cable/internet fees from a 

bundled bill are no longer asked. The 

‘Medical expenditures’ section was also 

consolidated, reworded, and reordered. 

The CE also requests clearance for 

minor changes to both the CED CAPI 

Instrument and the Diary form. Changes 

to the CAPI instrument include 

consolidating the grocery questions to 

one question and adding a question to 

give respondents the option of reporting 

online or by paper diary. Changes to the 

Diary form include adding instructions 

to include delivery fees for ‘Meals Away 

from Home’ in addition to tax and tip. 

We also request approval for adding 

help videos for respondents who choose 

to use the online diary to report their 

diary expenditures. 

III. Desired Focus of Comments 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is 

particularly interested in comments 

that: 

• Evaluate whether the proposed 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of the 


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63978 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 179 / Monday, September 18, 2023 / Notices 

functions of the agency, including 

whether the information will have 

practical utility. 

• Evaluate the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

proposed collection of information, 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used. 

• Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected. 

• Minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on those who 

are to respond, including through the 

use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology, 

e.g., permitting electronic submissions 

of responses. 

Title of Collection: The Consumer 

Expenditure Surveys: The Quarterly 

Interview and the Diary. 

OMB Number: 1220–0050. 

Type of Review: Revision. 

Affected Public: Individuals or 

Households. 

Form Total 

respondents Frequency Total responses 

Average time 

per response 

Estimated total 

burden 

CEQ—Interview ................................................................... 4,600 4 18,400 63 19,320 

CEQ—Reinterview ............................................................... 2,208 1 2,208 10 368 

CED—Diary Record-keeping ............................................... 6,200 2 12,400 60 12,400 

CED—Diary Interview .......................................................... 6,200 2 12,400 19 3,927 

CED Diary Reinterview ........................................................ 1,240 1 1,240 10 207 

Totals ............................................................................ 10,800 ........................ 46,648 ........................ 36,222 

Comments submitted in response to 

this notice will be summarized and/or 

included in the request for Office of 

Management and Budget approval of the 

information collection request; they also 

will become a matter of public record. 

Signed at Washington, DC, on this 12th day 

of September 2023. 

Eric Molina, 

Acting Chief, Division of Management 

Systems. 

[FR Doc. 2023–20095 Filed 9–15–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–24–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Mine Safety and Health Administration 

[OMB Control No. 1219–0009] 

Proposed Extension of Information 

Collection; Training Plans and Records 

of Training, for Underground Miners 

and Miners Working at Surface Mines 

and Surface Areas of Underground 

Mines 

AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health 

Administration, Labor. 

ACTION: Request for public comments. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as 

part of its continuing effort to reduce 

paperwork and respondent burden, 

conducts a pre-clearance consultation 

program to provide the general public 

and Federal agencies with an 

opportunity to comment on proposed 

collections of information in accordance 

with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995. This program helps to ensure that 

requested data can be provided in the 

desired format, reporting burden (time 

and financial resources) is minimized, 

collection instruments are clearly 

understood, and the impact of collection 

requirements on respondents can be 

properly assessed. The Mine Safety and 

Health Administration (MSHA) is 

soliciting comments on the information 

collection regarding Training Plans and 

Records of Training, for Underground 

Miners and Miners Working at Surface 

Mines and Surface Areas of 

Underground Mines. 

DATES: All comments must be received 

on or before November 17, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning the 

information collection requirements of 

this notice may be sent by any of the 

methods listed below. Please note that 

late, untimely filed comments will not 

be considered. 

• Federal E-Rulemaking Portal: 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

on-line instructions for submitting 

comments for docket number MSHA– 

2023–0045. 

• Mail/Hand Delivery: DOL–MSHA, 

Office of Standards, Regulations, and 

Variances, 201 12th Street South, Suite 

4E401, Arlington, VA 22202–5452. 

Before visiting MSHA in person, call 

202–693–9455 to make an appointment, 

in keeping with the Department of 

Labor’s COVID–19 policy. Special 

health precautions may be required. 

• MSHA will post all comments as 

well as any attachments, except for 

information submitted and marked as 

confidential, in the docket at https://

www.regulations.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: S. 

Aromie Noe, Director, Office of 

Standards, Regulations, and Variances, 

MSHA, at MSHA.information 

.collections@dol.gov (email); (202) 693– 

9440 (voice); or (202) 693–9441 

(facsimile). These are not toll-free 

numbers. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

Section 103(h) of the Federal Mine 

Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine 

Act), Public Law 95–164 as amended, 30 

U.S.C. 813(h), authorizes MSHA to 

collect information necessary to carry 

out its duty in protecting the safety and 

health of miners. Further, section 101(a) 

of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. 811(a), 

authorizes the Secretary of Labor 

(Secretary) to develop, promulgate, and 

revise as may be appropriate, improved 

mandatory health or safety standards for 

the protection of life and prevention of 

injuries in coal and metal and nonmetal 

mines. 

The Mine Act recognizes that 

education and training is an important 

element of efforts to make the nation’s 

mines safe. Section 115(a) of the Mine 

Act, 30 U.S.C. 825(a), states that ‘‘each 

operator of a coal and other mine shall 

have a health and safety training 

program which shall be approved by the 

Secretary.’’ These standards are 

intended to ensure that miners will be 

effectively trained in matters affecting 

their health and safety, with the 

ultimate goal of reducing the occurrence 

of injury and illness in the nation’s 

mines. 

A. Training Plan Approvals and 

Revisions 

30 CFR 48.3 and 48.23 require 

training plans, respectively, for miners 

at underground mines, and for miners at 

surface mines and surface areas of 

underground mines. Specifically, 30 

CFR 48.3(a) and 48.23(a) require each 

mine operator to have an MSHAapproved plan containing programs for 

training new miners, training 

experienced miners, training miners for 

new task, annual refresher training, and 

hazard training for miners. 


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