Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 239 / Friday, December 12, 1997 / Notices 65417

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before February 10,

1998.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to Linda Engelmeier, Departmental

Forms Clearance Officer, Department of

Commerce, Room 5327, 14th and

Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington,

DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or

copies of the information collection

instrument(s) and instructions should

be directed to Michael McMahon,

Bureau of the Census, FOB 3, Room

3387, Washington, DC 20233–8400,

(301) 457–3819.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The Census Bureau conducts the

Survey of Income and Program

Participation (SIPP) which is a

household-based survey designed as a

continuous series of national panels,

each lasting four years. Respondents are

interviewed once every four months, in

monthly rotations. Approximately

37,000 households are in the current

panel.

The SIPP represents a source of

information for a wide variety of topics

and allows information for separate

topics to be integrated to form a single,

unified data base so that the interaction

between tax, transfer, and other

government and private policies can be

examined. Government domestic policy

formulators depend heavily upon SIPP

information concerning the distribution

of income received directly as money or

indirectly as in-kind benefits, and the

effect of tax and transfer programs on

this distribution. They also need

improved and expanded data on the

income and general economic and

financial situation of the U.S.

population. The SIPP has provided

these kinds of data on a continuing basis

since 1983, permitting levels of

economic well-being and changes in

these levels to be measured over time.

The survey is molded around a

central ‘‘core’’ of labor force and income

questions that will remain fixed

throughout the life of a panel. The core

is supplemented with questions

designed to answer specific needs, such

as obtaining information about the terms

of child support agreements and

whether they are being fulfilled by the

absent parent, examining the program

participation status of persons with

specific health and disability statuses,

and obtaining detailed information

needed to understand the current status

of the employment-based health care

system and changes that have occurred.

These supplemental questions are

included with the core and are referred

to as ‘‘topical modules.’’

The topical modules for the 1996

Panel Wave 8 collect information about:

(1) Adult Well-being; and (2) Welfare

Expenses. Wave 8 interviews will be

conducted from August 1998 through

November 1998.

II. Method of Collection

The SIPP is designed as a continuing

series of national panels of interviewed

households that are introduced every 4

years, with each panel having a duration

of 4 years in the survey. All household

members 15 years old or over are

interviewed using regular proxyrespondent rules. They are interviewed

a total of 12 times (12 waves) at 4-month

intervals, making the SIPP a

longitudinal survey. Interviewers

personally visit all households at least

once a year and conduct the other 2

interviews by phone if the respondent

agrees. Sample persons (all household

members present at the time of the first

interview) who move within the country

and reasonably close to a SIPP Primary

Sampling Unit will be followed and

interviewed at their new address.

Persons 15 years old or over who

enter the household after Wave 1 will be

interviewed; however, if these persons

move, they are not followed unless they

happen to move along with a Wave 1

sample person.

The survey is administered using

Computer-Assisted Personal

Interviewing (CAPI) methodologies.

Census Bureau field representatives

collect the data from respondents using

laptop computers, and the data are

transmitted to Census Bureau

headquarters via high-speed modems.

III. Data

OMB Number: 0607–0813.

Form Number: SIPP/CAPI Automated

Instrument.

Type of Review: Regular.

Affected Public: Individuals or

Households.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

77,700 (We will obtain interviews from

approximately 37,000 households,

yielding about 77,700 person-interviews

(2.1 persons 15 years old or over per

household). The household interviews

will be conducted at 4-month intervals.

Estimated Time Per Response: 30

minutes per person.

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours: 117,800.

Estimated Total Annual Cost: The

only costs to respondents is that of their

time.

Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.

Legal Authority: Title 13, United

States Code, Section 182.

IV. Request for Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) whether

the proposed 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

(including hours and cost) of the

proposed collection of information; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) 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.

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and/or

included in the request for OMB

approval of this information collection;

they also will become a matter of public

record.

Dated: December 8, 1997.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office

of Management and Organization.

[FR Doc. 97–32533 Filed 12–11–97: 8:45

a.m.]

BILLING CODE 3510–07–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 112897C]

Vessel Registration and Fisheries

Information System

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: The Sustainable Fisheries

Act, passed in October 1996, added

various amendments to the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and

Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens

Act). As a result, Section 401 of the

Magnuson-Stevens Act requires the

Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to

deliver an implementation plan for a

national fishing vessel registration and

fisheries information system (System) in

a Report to Congress. This notice

outlines the approach taken by NMFS

and its Federal, regional, state, and

industry partners on behalf of the

Secretary to develop the

implementation plan required in the

Report to Congress.

DATES: Notice of Availability (NOA) of

the draft version of the Report to

Congress will be published in the
65418 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 239 / Friday, December 12, 1997 / Notices

Federal Register on or about March 2,

1998. A sixty (60) day public comment

period will commence immediately

thereafter. The final Report to Congress

will be delivered in July 1998.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments

concerning this notice to: Section 401,

National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315

East West Highway F/ST1, Room 12245,

Silver Spring, MD 20910; (301) 713–

2328; fax (301) 713–4137. See

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for

electronic access instructions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mark Holliday, (301) 713–2328.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Because it

is one of the major legislative Acts that

directs the activities of the National

Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the

Magnuson-Stevens Act specifies various

programs and initiatives for the

conservation and stewardship of the

nation’s marine fisheries. Section 401 of

the Magnuson-Stevens Act, amended in

1996, directs the Secretary to deliver a

Report to Congress on the

implementation of a national vessel

registration and fisheries information

system.

NMFS, the U.S. Coast Guard, coastal

states, the three regional commissions

(Pacific States Marine Fisheries

Commission, Gulf States Marine

Fisheries Commission, and Atlantic

States Marine Fisheries Commission),

and the eight regional Fishery

Management Councils (New England,

Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, Gulf of

Mexico, Caribbean, Pacific, North

Pacific, Western Pacific) play various

roles in commercial fishing vessel

registration and marine fisheries data

collection. Consistent with the Assistant

Administrator’s previous directions,

NMFS has been engaged in a highly

collaborative process to develop joint

data collection and planning activities

with these organizations and the

regional fisheries information networks

(Atlantic Coast Cooperative Statistics

Program (ACCSP), Alaska Fisheries

Information Network (AKFIN), Pacific

Fisheries Information Network

(PACFIN), Southeast Fisheries

Information Network FIN(SE) and

Western Pacific Fisheries Information

Network (WESTPACFIN).

Most, if not all, of these governmental

bodies maintain or contribute

information to various state, regional,

and national information systems.

Section 401 of the Magnuson-Stevens

Act directs the Secretary, in cooperation

with the various constituents and

stakeholders, to streamline and integrate

these vessel registration and fisheries

information systems into a national

system.

Section 401 of the Magnuson-Stevens

Act sets a number of benchmarks for a

national vessel registration and fisheries

information system. It also defines

several overarching principles that

should guide the system’s development

and result in an integrated vessel

registration and fisheries information

system. Perhaps the most visible and

easily measured requirement is the

reduction of information reporting

burdens on industry and the use of

existing data collection and information

management systems to the furthest

extent possible.

To better organize the project

planning activity, NMFS divided the

task into two primary components: the

Vessel Registration System (VRS) and

the Fisheries Information System (FIS).

Within these components, NMFS is

addressing information management

architecture, integration and

harmonization of data collection

programs, and the institutional

arrangements and accountability. The

project team is evaluating these

components simultaneously both to

determine the optimal system

requirements and configuration based

on data needs and to leverage current

data collection and planning efforts.

Vessel Registration System: Vessel

registration, licensing, and permitting

systems among the coastal states,

territories, tribal entities and the U.S.

Coast Guard are currently under project

team review. The Magnuson-Stevens

Act requests a plan for a national system

that contains the following information

for each fishing vessel: (1) The name

and official number or other

identification, together with the address

of the owner or operator or both; (2)

gross tonnage, vessel capacity, type and

quantity of fishing gear, mode of

operation, and other such pertinent

information with respect to vessel

characteristics as the Secretary may

require; and (3) identification of the

fisheries in which the fishing vessel

participates. Currently, no vessel

registration system at any level fully

satisfies these criteria.

The NMFS is aware of the Coast

Guard’s Vessel Identification System

(VIS). Designed as a national boating

information network, it will comprise

the Coast Guard’s vessel documentation

system and, on a voluntary basis, the

states/territories vessel information.

NMFS has been in consultation with the

VIS programmatic personnel to

ascertain how and whether the VIS

could be utilized to fulfill the

requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens

Act. Originally scheduled to be tested in

the fall of 1997, the VIS program will

not begin pilot testing until January

1998. As a consequence of the delay,

NMFS is not yet in the position to

evaluate the operational capabilities of

VIS and how and whether it can be

utilized in the VRS.

Fisheries Information System: The

project team is studying fisheries data

collection programs and information

management systems at the regional

levels (Pacific, Gulf, Atlantic) as

specified in the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

State and Federal data collection

programs and information management

systems have developed independently

over time and reflect varying degrees of

integration and management efficiency.

Through participation in ACCSP,

AKFIN, FIN(SE), PACFIN, and

WESTPACFIN, NMFS has spent

considerable time and money

supporting these partners in joint

statistics planning and integration

efforts. These efforts have definite

timeframes and outcomes planned, and

NMFS has relied on these processes to

support the Section 401 of the

Magnuson-Stevens Act activity to avoid

duplication of effort and maximize

partner participation. During the

consultation process, NMFS determined

that compliance with the schedule set

by section 401 of the Magnuson-Stevens

Act will conflict with (and may even be

detrimental to) critical path planning

stages currently in progress. The fishery

information networks are still in the

formative stages. For example, ACCSP

planning for its coastwide information

management system will not produce

required inputs for FIS design until

February 1998. NMFS is working

closely with these groups to develop

plans for integration and

implementation into a fisheries

information system.

Process: NMFS strategy has been to

seek the highest level of detail possible

in the draft report to produce specific

and justifiable estimates of

implementation resource requirements.

It could be argued that the report NMFS

is developing provides more detail than

called for in the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

However, the stakeholders (particularly

the Commissions) have supported this

level of analysis and have worked with

us to develop this detail so that they

fully understand the regional

implications of a national umbrella

program. Due to the complex nature of

this task, NMFS received requests from

the Commissions for additional

consultation on integration. NMFS

agrees that to cut off the consultative

process at this time could jeopardize the

collaborative process, and result in a

report that is short on substance and

lacking support from our constituents.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 239 / Friday, December 12, 1997 / Notices 65419

To integrate additional information,

NMFS decided that a 6 month delay was

appropriate to accomplish the task. The

benefit of the delay will be a report that

will contain well-described courses of

action that will actually improve

statistics for NMFS and our partners

stewardship responsibilities. In

particular, NMFS wants to reach a

consensus among stakeholders on a VRS

and FIS program which will allow

determination of a realistic budget

consistent with requirements set forth in

section 401(a)(5) of the MagnusonStevens Act so that Congress can

consider the recommendations during

the fiscal year, FY 99, appropriations

process. The proposed target date will

coincide with Congressional timeframes

and allow all constituents an

opportunity to seek a common goal.

Given the current stage of state and

commission planning, delivering a

report by the original due date would

result in little or no consensus on level

and documentation of an FY 99 funding

request.

The goal for the next 6 months is to

craft an acceptable implementation plan

that includes unified VRS/FIS system

guidelines, proposed rules and

legislation, and budgets. NMFS intends

to hold additional meetings in January

and February with the Commissions and

Councils to resolve integration/

implementation requirements.

Additionally, the pilot testing of the

Coast Guard’s VIS will allow NMFS the

opportunity to develop the necessary

integration requirements. This

comprehensive plan will be available

for public comment upon publication of

the NOA of the draft Report to Congress

in March 1998.

Stakeholders: Stakeholders (or

constituents) in the implementation of

the vessel registration and fisheries

information system include the (1) three

regional marine fisheries commissions,

(2) the eight fishery management

councils, (3) 24 coastal states, (4) U.S.

territories, (5) U.S. Coast Guard, (6)

tribal entities, (7) industry and trade

groups, and (8) other interested parties.

In addition to directly consulting with

the project’s stakeholders over the next

6 months, all parties will have the

opportunity for input on the proposed

implementation plan through the public

comment period commencing in March

1998, when the draft report is available.

Comments on this notice may be

submitted to the NMFS Division of

Fisheries Statistics and Economics by

sending electronic mail to:

sec401@remora.ssp.nmfs.gov.

Authority: Pub. L. 104–297.

Dated: December 8, 1997.

Rolland A. Schmitten,

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–32475 Filed 12–11–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS

Notice of Meeting

The Commission of Fine Arts’

meeting scheduled for 18 December

1997 has been cancelled. The next

meeting is scheduled for 22 January

1998 at 10:00 a.m. in the Commission’s

offices in the Pension Building, Suite

312, Judiciary Square, 441 F Street,

N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001, to

discuss various projects affecting the

appearance of Washington, D.C.

Inquiries regarding the agenda and

requests to submit written or oral

statements should be addressed to

Charles H. Atherton, Secretary,

Commission of Fine Arts, at the above

address or call 202–504–2200.

Dated In Washington, D.C., December 3,

1997.

Charles H. Atherton,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–32536 Filed 12–11–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6330–01–M

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY: U.S. Consumer Product Safety

Commission, Washington, DC 20207.

‘‘FEDERAL REGISTER’’ CITATION OF

PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT: [Insert FR

citation].

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED TIME AND DATE OF

MEETING: 10:00 a.m., December 16, 1997.

CHANGES IN MEETING: The meeting

concerning options for bunk beds has

been deferred. The meeting will be

rescheduled.

For a recorded message containing the

latest agenda information, call (301)

504–0709.

CONTACT PERSON FOR ADDITIONAL

INFORMATION: Sadye E. Dunn, Office of

the Secretary, 4330 East West Highway,

Bethesda, MD 20207, (301) 504–0800.

Dated: December 9, 1997.

Sadye E. Dunn,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–32665 Filed 12–10–97; 1:49 pm]

BILLING CODE 6355–01–M

CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND

COMMUNITY SERVICE

AmeriCorps: National, Indian Tribes,

and U.S. Territories Programs;

Correction

AGENCY: Corporation for National and

Community Service.

ACTION: Notice of availability;

correction.

SUMMARY: On November 28, 1997, the

Corporation published a notice of

availability of funds and 1998

application guidelines for the

AmeriCorps National and Indian Tribes

and U.S. Territories program grants.

This document corrects the dates of the

technical assistance conferences.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In notice

document 97–31265 beginning on page

63318 in the issue of Friday, November

28, 1997, make the following correction:

On page 63318 in the third column,

the dates for the technical assistance

conferences for potential applicants

seeking AmeriCorps Indian Tribes and

U.S. Territories program funds have

been changed to: January 8–9, 1998 in

Las Vegas and February 5–6, 1998, in

Memphis.

For additional information, or to

register, please call Pattie Howell, at

(202) 606–5000, ext. 188. The

Corporation’s T.D.D. number is (202)

565–2799.

Dated: December 9, 1997.

Stewart A. Davis,

Acting General Counsel, Corporation for

National and Community Service.

[FR Doc. 97–32517 Filed 12–11–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6050–28–P

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No. 84.170]

Jacob K. Javits Fellowship Program;

Notice Inviting Applications for New

Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1998

Purpose of Program: To award

fellowships to eligible students of

superior ability, selected on the basis of

demonstrated achievement and

exceptional promise, to undertake

graduate study leading to a doctoral

degree or the Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

degree at accredited institutions of

higher education in selected fields of

the arts, humanities, or social sciences.

Eligible Applicants: Eligibility is

limited to students who at the time of

application have not yet completed their

first year of graduate study or will be

entering graduate school in academic

year 1998–1999. Eligibility is limited to