[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 27 (Monday, February 10, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5961-5962]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-3242]


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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION


Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Clothing Textiles, Vinyl 
Plastic Film

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
Chapter 35), the Consumer Product Safety Commission requests comments 
on a proposed extension of approval of a collection of information from 
manufacturers and importers of clothing, and textiles and related 
materials intended for use in clothing. This collection of information 
is in regulations implementing the Standard for the Flammability of 
Clothing Textiles (16 CFR Part 1610) and the Standard for the 
Flammability of Vinyl Plastic Film (16 CFR Part 1611). These 
regulations establish requirements for testing and recordkeeping for 
manufacturers and importers who furnish guaranties for products subject 
to the flammability standards for clothing textiles and vinyl plastic 
film. The Commission will consider all comments received in response to 
this notice before requesting an extension of approval of this 
collection of information from the Office of Management and Budget.


[[Page 5962]]


DATES: Written comments must be received by the Office of the Secretary 
not later than April 11, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be captioned ``Clothing Textiles and 
Film, Collection of Information'' and mailed to the Office of the 
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207, or 
delivered to that office, room 502, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, 
Maryland.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about the proposed 
extension of the collection of information, or to obtain a copy of 16 
CFR Parts 1610 and 1611, call or write Robert E. Frye, Director, Office 
of Planning and Evaluation, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 
Washington, DC 20207; telephone (301) 504-0416, extension 2264.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

    Clothing and fabrics intended for use in clothing (except 
children's sleepwear in sizes 0 through 14) are subject to the Standard 
for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles (16 CFR Part 1610). Clothing 
made from vinyl plastic film and vinyl plastic film intended for use in 
clothing (except children's sleepwear in sizes 0 through 14) are 
subject to the Standard for the Flammability of Vinyl Plastic Film (16 
CFR Part 1611). These standards prescribe a test to assure that 
articles of wearing apparel, and fabrics and film intended for use in 
wearing apparel, are not dangerously flammable because of rapid and 
intense burning. (Children's sleepwear and fabrics and related 
materials intended for use in children's sleepwear in sizes 0 through 
14 are subject to other, more stringent flammability standards, 
codified at 16 CFR Parts 1615 and 1616.) The flammability standards for 
clothing textiles and vinyl plastic film were made mandatory by the 
Flammable Fabrics Act of 1953 (FFA) (Pub. L. 83-88, 67 Stat. 111; June 
30, 1953).
    Section 8 of the FFA (15 U.S.C. 1197) provides that a person who 
receives a guaranty in good faith that a product complies with an 
applicable flammability standard is not subject to criminal prosecution 
for a violation of the FFA resulting from the sale of any product 
covered by the guaranty. Section 8 of the FFA requires that a guaranty 
must be based on ``reasonable and representative tests.'' The 
Commission estimates that about 1,000 manufacturers and importers of 
clothing, and of textiles and vinyl film intended for use in clothing, 
issue guaranties that the products they produce or import comply with 
the applicable standard.

B. Testing and Recordkeeping

    Regulations implementing the flammability standards for clothing 
textiles and vinyl plastic film prescribe requirements for testing and 
recordkeeping by firms that issue guaranties. See 16 CFR Part 1610, 
Subpart B, and 16 CFR Part 1611, Subpart B.
    The Commission uses the information compiled and maintained by 
firms that issue these guaranties to help protect the public from risks 
of injury or death associated with clothing and fabrics and vinyl film 
intended for use in clothing. More specifically, the information helps 
the Commission arrange corrective actions if any products covered by a 
guaranty fail to comply with the applicable standard in a manner that 
creates a substantial risk of injury or death to the public. The 
Commission also uses this information to determine whether the 
requisite testing was performed to support the guaranties.
    The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the collection 
of information in the enforcement regulations implementing the 
standards for clothing textiles and vinyl plastic film under control 
number 3041-0024. OMB's most recent extension of approval will expire 
on May 31, 1997. The Commission proposes to request an extension of 
approval without change for the collection of information in those 
regulations.

C. Estimated Burden

    The Commission staff estimates that about 1,000 firms which 
manufacture or import products subject to the flammability standards 
for clothing textiles and vinyl plastic film issue guaranties that the 
products they produce or import comply with the applicable standard. 
The Commission staff estimates that these standards and implementing 
regulations will impose an average annual burden of about 101.6 hours 
on each of those firms. That burden will result from conducting the 
testing and maintaining records required by the implementing 
regulations. The total annual burden imposed by the standards and 
regulations on all manufacturers and importers of clothing textiles and 
vinyl plastic film will be about 101,600 hours.
    The hourly wage for the testing and recordkeeping required by the 
standards and regulations is about $12, for an estimated annual cost to 
the industry of $1,219,200.
    The Commission will expend approximately one-half month of 
professional staff time reviewing and evaluating the records maintained 
by manufacturers and importers of wearing apparel, clothing textiles 
and vinyl film subject to the standards. The annual cost to the Federal 
government of the collection of information in the sleepwear standards 
and implementing regulations is estimated to be $2,800.

D. Request for Comments

    The Commission solicits written comments from all interested 
persons about the proposed extension of approval of the collection of 
information in the flammability standards for clothing textiles and 
vinyl film and the enforcement regulations implementing those 
standards. The Commission specifically solicits information about the 
hourly burden and monetary costs imposed by the collection of 
information on firms subject to this collection of information. The 
Commission also seeks information relevant to the following topics:
    <bullet> Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the Commission's functions;
    <bullet> Whether the information will have practical utility for 
the Commission;
    <bullet> Whether the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected could be enhanced; and
    <bullet> Whether the burden imposed by the collection of 
information could be minimized by use of automated, electronic or other 
technological collection techniques, or other form of information 
technology.

    Dated: February 5, 1997.
Sadye E. Dunn,
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 97-3242 Filed 2-7-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3255-01-P