46400 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 169 / Tuesday, September 2, 1997 / Notices

1Applicants have already received authority to

pool their operations and revenues for their motor

passenger and express transportation service

between Philadelphia, PA, and New York City in

Peter Pan Bus Lines, Inc.—Pooling—Greyhound

Lines, Inc., No. MC–F–20904 (STB served June 30,

1997). According to applicants, this application is

a logical extension of the New York-Philadelphia

pooling, within the same general territory, and a

third revenue pooling application to cover the

remaining routes operated by the applicants

between New York and Boston is expected to be

filed shortly. Applicants state that they consider the

agreements to be interrelated and intend to

implement them simultaneously after approval by

the Board.

a.m. The meeting will be held at the

Maritim Hotel, Ulm, Germany. The

hotel can be reached at 49–731–9230

(phone) or 49–731–923–1000 (fax). The

host is Abdul Tahir, DASA, at 49–731–

392–3106 (phone) or 49–731–392–3030

(fax).

The agenda will include the

following: September 22: 9:00 a.m.–4:30

p.m., All Working Groups Meet

Separately; September 23: 9:00 a.m.–

4:30 p.m., All Working Groups Meet

Separately. September 24: 9:00 a.m.–

4:30 p.m., Plenary: Review of DO–200A.

September 25: 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.,

Plenary: Review of DO–201A; 1:00

p.m.–4:30 p.m., Closing Plenary

Session: (1) Review and Approval of

Minutes of Previous Meeting; (2)

Chairman’s Remarks; (3) Working Group

Status Reports; (4) Date and Place of

Next Meeting; (5) New Business; (6)

Adjourn.

Attendance is open to the interested

public but limited to space availability.

With the approval of the chairman,

members of the public may present oral

statements at the meeting. Persons

wishing to present statements or obtain

information should contact the RTCA

Secretariat, 1140 Connecticut Avenue,

N.W., Suite 1020, Washington, D.C.

20036; (202) 833–9339 (phone); (202)

833–9434 (fax); or http://www.rtca.org

(web site). Members of the public may

present a written statement to the

committee at any time.

Issued in Washington, DC, on August 25,

1997.

Janice L. Peters,

Designated Official.

[FR Doc. 97–23203 Filed 8–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB No. MC–F–20908]

Peter Pan Bus Lines, Inc.—Pooling—

Greyhound Lines, Inc.

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board,

DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed pooling

application.

SUMMARY: Applicants, Peter Pan Bus

Lines, Inc., of Springfield, MA, and

Greyhound Lines, Inc., of Dallas, TX,

jointly seek approval under 49 U.S.C.

14302 of an operations and revenue

pooling agreement to govern their motor

passenger and express transportation

service between New York, NY, and

Washington, DC.

DATES: Comments are due by October 2,

1997, and, if comments are filed,

applicants’ rebuttal is due by October

22, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Send an original and 10

copies of comments referring to STB No.

MC–F–20908 to: Surface Transportation

Board, Office of the Secretary, Case

Control Unit, 1925 K Street, N.W.,

Washington, DC 20423–0001. Also, send

one copy of comments to applicants’

representatives: Jeremy Kahn, Suite 810,

1730 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W.,

Washington, DC 20036; and Fritz R.

Kahn, Suite 750 West, 1100 New York

Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20005–

3934.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Beryl Gordon, (202) 565–1600. (TDD for

the hearing impaired: (202) 565–1695.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Applicants are competitors on certain

intercity routes between Albany, NY,

and Boston, MA, between Boston and

New York City, and between New York

City and Washington. They seek to pool

portions of their passenger and express

services over routes which they both

operate, and to share the revenues

derived from their operations over these

routes, between New York City and

Washington, generally via the New

Jersey Turnpike and Interstate Highway

95.1 Applicants state that their services

between these points overlap and that

excess schedules are operated because

of the need to protect their prospective

market shares. According to applicants,

this has resulted in unacceptably low

load factors, an over-served market, and

inefficient operations.

Applicants submit that the pooling

agreement will allow them to reduce

excess bus capacity, cement their

business relationship, and allow them to

share in the financial vicissitudes of the

pooled-route operations. They claim

public benefits that will include: (1)

Rationalization of schedules,

eliminating some duplicative departures

‘‘on the hour’’ while adding some

departures on the half-hour during the

busiest times of the day, resulting in

more frequent bus service over a broader

time period; (2) more coordinated use of

terminals and ticketing agents, resulting

in greater flexibility for passengers to

use buses, tickets, and terminals; (3)

capital improvements; and (4)

continued bus service by more sound

and financially stable carriers. In

addition, they assert that approval of the

pooling agreement will not significantly

affect either the quality of the human

environment or the conservation of

energy resources. In fact, they claim that

the reduction in the number of

schedules each carrier operates will

result in a salutary effect on the

environment.

Applicants state that competition will

not be unreasonably restrained. They

argue that: (1) The pooled service is

subject to substantial intermodal

competitive pressure from Amtrak,

airlines, and private automobiles; and

(2) other motor passenger carriers may

easily enter and compete in the market.

Copies of the application may be

obtained free of charge by contacting

applicants’ representatives. A copy of

this notice will be served on the

Department of Justice, Antitrust

Division, 10th Street & Pennsylvania

Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20530.

Decided: August 25, 1997.

By the Board, Chairman Morgan and Vice

Chairman Owen.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–23220 Filed 8–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Bureau of Transportation Statistics

[Docket BTS–97–2859, Notice 97–7]

Proposed Agency Information

Collection Activity; Comment Request

AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation

Statistics (DOT).

ACTION: Notice.

OMB CONTROL NUMBERS: 2139–0002,

2139–0004, and 2139–0005

SUMMARY: This notice announces that

three data collections are coming up for

renewal: Quarterly Report of Class I

Motor Carriers of Property, Form QFR;

Annual Report of Class I Motor Carriers

of Property, Form M–1; and Annual

Report of Class II Motor Carriers of

Property, Form M–2. In compliance

with the Paperwork Reduction Act of

1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., Public Law

104–13), the Bureau of Transportation

Statistics (BTS) invites the general

public, industry, and other Federal

agencies to comment on the continuing

need and usefulness of BTS collecting

financial data from Class I and Class II
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 169 / Tuesday, September 2, 1997 / Notices 46401

motor carriers of property. The renewal

is occurring while BTS is beginning

formal rulemaking for the program

under which data are collected. The

rulemaking proposes to examine the

same issues as the paperwork renewal.

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted by November 3, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be

directed to the Docket Clerk, Docket No.

BTS–97–2859, Department of

Transportation, 400 Seventh Street,

SW., Room PL–401, Washington, DC

20590, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET,

Monday through Friday, except Federal

Holidays.

Comments should identify the

regulatory docket number and be

submitted in duplicate to the address

listed above. Commenters wishing the

Department to acknowledge receipt of

their comments must submit with those

comments a self-addressed stamped

postcard on which the following

statement is made: Comments on Docket

BTS–97–2859. The Docket Clerk will

date stamp the postcard and mail it back

to the commenter. All comments

submitted will be available for

examination in the Rules Docket both

before and after the closing date for

comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

David Mednick, K–2, Bureau of

Transportation Statistics, 400 Seventh

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590;

(202) 366–8871; Fax: (202) 366–3640; email: david.mednick@bts.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. The Data Collection

(1) Title: Quarterly Report of Class I

Motor Carriers of Property. OMB

Control No. 2139–0002.

Form No.: BTS Form QFR.

Type of Review: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Respondents: Class I Motor Carriers of

Property.

Number of Respondents: 900.

Estimated Time Per Response: 2

hours.

Total Annual Burden: 7,200 hours.

(2) Title: Annual Report of Class I

Motor Carriers of Property. OMB

Control No. 2139–0004.

Form No.: BTS Form M–1.

Type of Review: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Respondents: Class I Motor Carriers of

Property.

Number of Respondents: 900.

Estimated Time Per Response: 25

hours.

Total Annual Burden: 22,500 hours.

(3) Title: Annual Report of Class II

Motor Carriers of Property. OMB

Control No. 2139–0005.

Form No.: BTS Form M–2.

Type of Review: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Respondents: Class II Motor Carriers

of Property.

Number of Respondents: 1,900.

Estimated Time Per Response: 10

hours.

Total Annual Burden: 19,000 hours.

Needs and Uses: These data collection

forms were transferred from the

Interstate Commerce Commission to the

Department of Transportation (DOT) on

January 1, 1996, by the ICC Termination

Act of 1995 (the Act), Public Law 104–

88, 109 Stat. 803 (1995) (codified at 49

U.S.C. 14123). The OMB Control

numbers while under the ICC were

3120–0002, 3120–0032, and 3120–0138.

Since Congress preserved the data

collection provisions, albeit with some

differences, the regulations remain in

effect until ‘‘modified, terminated,

superseded, set aside, or revoked’’ by

BTS. Section 204 of the Act. That is, the

program remains current and DOT will

continue collecting motor carrier

financial data as was done when the ICC

administered the program.

The program will also continue under

current regulations during rulemaking.

On December 9, 1996, BTS proposed

establishing a negotiated rulemaking

committee to help revise the program. A

public issues forum, held on March 31,

1997, provided additional information

as to the best way to proceed with

rulemaking. BTS is currently

considering how to proceed with

rulemaking, including whether to use

negotiated rulemaking.

Revision of the reporting

requirements is necessary because the

Act changed the laws governing data

collection slightly. Similar to the old

legislation, the Act requires DOT to

collect certain data from motor carriers

of property and motor carriers of

passengers.

The Secretary shall require Class I and

Class II motor carriers to file with the

Secretary annual financial and safety reports,

the form and substance of which shall be

prescribed by the Secretary; except that, at a

minimum, such reports shall include balance

sheets and income statements.

However, the earlier statute did not

explicitly charge ICC to collect

information relevant to safety. The Act

also allows DOT to collect certain other

data as needed.

The Secretary may require motor carriers,

freight forwarders, brokers, lessors, and

associations, or classes of them as the

Secretary may prescribe, to file quarterly,

periodic, or special reports with the Secretary

and to respond to surveys concerning their

operations.

In designing the reporting program,

DOT must consider, pursuant to the Act:

(1) Safety needs; (2) the need to preserve

confidential business information and

trade secrets and prevent competitive

harm; (3) private sector, academic, and

public use of information in the reports;

and (4) the public interest. Congress has

also explicitly called on DOT to

‘‘streamline and simplify’’ reporting

requirements to the maximum extent

practicable. BTS notes that the data

needs of the public and private sectors

have changed, and the technology to

collect, process, and disseminate data is

much improved. Further, as part of the

Regulatory Reinvention Initiative, the

President asked that agencies reduce by

half the frequency of reports that the

public is required to provide. Likewise,

the Paperwork Reduction Act sets a

Government wide goal for the reduction

of information collection burdens of 25

percent by the end of fiscal year 1998.

35 U.S.C. 3505.

As it redesigns the data collection

program under the Act, BTS will seek to

determine the government and private

needs for motor carrier financial and

operating data and how to balance these

needs against the burden on

respondents. This rulemaking will form

the basis for addressing these questions,

as well as others that may be identified

as this process continues. When

complete, the Bureau hopes to resolve:

(1) Which motor carriers should report;

(2) what data items should be collected;

(3) how often data should be collected;

and (4) whether BTS should release

carrier-specific data in addition to

aggregate data and, if so, what entities

should have access.

It is against this background of

rulemaking that BTS is renewing the

QFR, M–1, and M–2 report forms. While

the rulemaking process will likely take

longer to complete than renewal of the

report forms, it covers the same areas

and is a more rigorous review. The

rulemaking will serve to inform BTS

about the needs and uses of the data on

the one hand, and about potential gains

in reducing reporting burdens on the

other. The information collection will

be changed accordingly.

II. Request for Comments

BTS requests comments concerning

the information collection, including

whether (a) the reports are needed by

BTS to fulfill its legal mandate under 14

U.S.C. § 14123 to collect financial data

from motor carriers; (b) BTS accurately

estimated the reporting burden; (c) there

are other ways to enhance the quality,

utility, or clarity of the information

collected; and (d) there are ways to

minimize reporting burden, including
46402 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 169 / Tuesday, September 2, 1997 / Notices

the use of automated collection

techniques or other forms of information

technology.

Robert A. Knisely,

Deputy Director, Bureau of Transportation

Statistics.

[FR Doc. 97–23195 Filed 8–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–FE–U

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Submission to OMB for Review;

Comment Request

August 12, 1997.

The Department of Treasury has

submitted the following public

information collection requirement(s) to

OMB for review and clearance under the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Public Law 104–13. Copies of the

submission(s) may be obtained by

calling the Treasury Bureau Clearance

Officer listed. Comments regarding this

information collection should be

addressed to the OMB reviewer listed

and to the Treasury Department

Clearance Officer, Department of the

Treasury, Room 2110, 1425 New York

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20220.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

OMB Number: 1545–0940.

Regulation Project Number: LR–185–

84 Final.

Type of Review: Extension.

Title: Election of $10 Million

Limitation on Exempt Small Issues of

Industrial Development Bonds;

Supplemental Capital Expenditure

Statements.

Description: The regulations liberalize

the procedure by which the state or

local government issuer of an exempt

small issue of tax-exempt bonds elects

the $10 million limitation upon the size

of such issue and delete the requirement

to file certain supplemental capital

expenditure statements.

Respondents: State, Local or Tribal

Government.

Estimated Number of Recordkeepers:

10,000.

Estimated Burden Hours Per

Recordkeeper: 6 minutes.

Estimated Total Recordkeeping

Burden: 1,000 hours.

OMB Number: 1545–0945.

Regulation Project Number: FI–255–

82 (NPRM and Temporary).

Type of Review: Extension.

Title: Registration Requirements with

Respect to Debt Obligations.

Description: The rule requires an

issuer of a registration-required

obligation and any person holding the

obligation as a nominee or custodian on

behalf of another to maintain ownership

records in a manner which will permit

examination by the IRS in connection

with enforcement of the Internal

Revenue laws.

Respondents: Business or other forprofit, State, Local or Tribal

Government.

Estimated Number of Recordkeepers:

50,000.

Estimated Burden Hours Per

Recordkeeper: 1 hour.

Estimated Total Recordkeeping

Burden: 50,000 hours.

OMB Number: 1545–1069.

Regulation Project Number: EE–175–

86 Final.

Type of Review: Extension.

Title: Certain Cash or Deferred

Arrangements and Employee and

Matching Contributions Under

Employee Plans.

Description: The IRS needs this

information to insure compliance with

sections 401(k), 401(m), and 4979 of the

Internal Revenue Code. Certain

additional taxes may be imposed if

sections 401(k) and 401(m) are not

complied with.

Respondents: Business or other forprofit, Not-for-profit institutions, Farms,

State, Local, or Tribal Government.

Estimated Number of Respondents/

Recordkeepers: 355,500.

Estimated Burden Hours Per

Respondent/Recordkeeper: 3 hours.

Frequency of Response: Annually.

Estimated Total Reporting/

Recordkeeping Burden: 1,060,000 hours.

OMB Number: 1545–1538.

Notice Number: Notice 97–34.

Type of Review: Extension.

Title: Information Reporting on

Transactions with Foreign Trusts and on

Large Foreign Gifts.

Description: Notice 97–34 provides

guidance on new foreign trust and

foreign gift information reporting

provisions contained in the Small

Business Job Protection Act of 1996.

Respondents: Business or other forprofit, Individuals or households, Notfor-profit institutions.

Estimated Number of Respondents/

Recordkeepers: 10,500.

Estimated Burden Hours Per

Respondent/Recordkeeper: 1 hour, 3

minutes.

Frequency of Response: Annually.

Estimated Total Reporting/

Recordkeeping Burden: 11,000 hours.

Clearance Officer: Garrick Shear (202)

622–3869, Internal Revenue Service,

Room 5571, 1111 Constitution Avenue,

NW., Washington, DC 20224.

OMB Reviewer: Alexander T. Hunt

(202) 395–7860, Office of Management

and Budget, Room 10226, New

Executive Office Building, Washington,

DC 20503.

Dale A. Morgan,

Departmental Reports Management Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–23129 Filed 8–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4830–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Submission to OMB for Review;

Comment Request

August 21, 1997.

The Department of Treasury has

submitted the following public

information collection requirement(s) to

OMB for review and clearance under the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Public Law 104–13. Copies of the

submission(s) may be obtained by

calling the Treasury Bureau Clearance

Officer listed. Comments regarding this

information collection should be

addressed to the OMB reviewer listed

and to the Treasury Department

Clearance Officer, Department of the

Treasury, Room 2110, 1425 New York

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20220.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

OMB Number: New.

Form Number: IRS Form 8839.

Type of Review: New collection.

Title: Qualified Adoption Expenses.

Description: Section 23 of the Internal

Revenue Code allows taxpayers to claim

a nonrefundable tax credit for qualified

adoption expenses paid or incurred by

the taxpayer. Code section 137 allows

taxpayers to exclude amounts paid or

expenses incurred by an employer for

the qualified adoption expenses of the

employee which are paid under an

adoption assistance program. Form 8839

is used to figure the credit and/or

exclusion.

Respondents: Individuals or

households.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

50,000.

Estimated Burden Hours Per

Respondent/Recordkeeper:

Recordkeeping—40 min.

Learning about the law or the form—

16 min.

Preparing the form—1 hr., 24 min.

Copying, assembling, and sending the

form to the IRS—1 hr., 9 min.

Frequency of Response: Annually.

Estimated Total Reporting/

Recordkeeping Burden: 144,500 hours.

OMB Number: 1545–0098.

Form Number: IRS Form 1045.

Type of Review: Extension.

Title: Application for Tentative

Refund.

Description: Form 1045 is used by

individuals, estates, and trusts to apply