Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 32 / Thursday, February 15, 2024 / Notices 11819 

Consistent with 16 U.S.C. 1852, a copy 

of the recording is available upon 

request. 

Special Accommodations 

These meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Requests for sign language 

interpretation or other auxiliary aids 

should be directed to Cate O’Keefe, 

Executive Director, at (978) 465–0492, at 

least 5 days prior to the meeting date. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

Dated: February 12, 2024. 

Rey Israel Marquez, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–03200 Filed 2–14–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD728] 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of hybrid meeting. 

SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council) Scallop 

Plan Team will meet in Alaska. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Tuesday, March 5, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 

5 p.m., AK time. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be a 

hybrid meeting. Attend in person in the 

Chiniak room at the Kodiak Fish and 

Game office, 351 Research Court, 

Kodiak, AK 99615, or join online 

through the link at https://meetings.

npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/3035. 

Council address: North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council, 1007 W 

3rd Ave., Ste. 400, Anchorage, AK 

99501–2252; telephone: (907) 271–2809. 

Instructions for attending the meeting 

via video conference are given under 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, below. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sarah Rheinsmith, Council staff; phone: 

(907) 271–2809; email: 

sarah.rheinsmith@noaa.gov. For 

technical support, please contact our 

admin Council staff, email: 

npfmc.admin@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Agenda 

Tuesday, March 5, 2024 

The agenda will include: (a) 2023 

state dredge survey results; (b) statewide 

fishery performance; (c) research 

updates; (d) Scallop FMP amendments; 

(e) stock status, OFL and ABC 

determination; (f) socioeconomic 

considerations; (g) status of assessment 

development; and (h) other business. 

The agenda is subject to change, and the 

latest version will be posted at https:// 

meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/ 

3035 prior to the meeting, along with 

meeting materials. 

Connection Information 

You can attend the meeting online 

using a computer, tablet, or smart 

phone, or by phone only. Connection 

information will be posted online at: 

https://meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/ 

Details/3035. 

Public Comment 

Public comment letters will be 

accepted and should be submitted 

electronically to https://meetings.

npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/3035. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

Dated: February 12, 2024. 

Rey Israel Marquez, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–03202 Filed 2–14–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Patent and Trademark Office 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

Review and Approval; Comment 

Request; Patent Petitions Related to 

Application and Reexamination 

Processing Fees 

AGENCY: United States Patent and 

Trademark Office, Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of information collection; 

request for comment. 

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and 

Trademark Office (USPTO), as required 

by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995, invites comments on the 

extension and revision of an existing 

information collection: 0651–0059, 

Patent Petitions Related to Application 

and Reexamination Processing Fees. 

The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 

days for public comment preceding 

submission of the information collection 

to OMB. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, 

comments regarding this information 

collection must be received on or before 

April 15, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments by 

any of the following methods. Do not 

submit Confidential Business 

Information or otherwise sensitive or 

protected information. 

• Email: InformationCollection@

uspto.gov. Include ‘‘0651–0059 

comment’’ in the subject line of the 

message. 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. 

• Mail: Justin Isaac, Office of the 

Chief Administrative Officer, United 

States Patent and Trademark Office, 

P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313– 

1450. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Request for additional information 

should be directed to Jeffrey West, 

Senior Legal Advisor, Office of Patent 

Legal Administration, United States 

Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 

1450, Alexandria, VA 22313–1450; by 

telephone at 571–272–2226; or by email 

at jeffrey.west@uspto.gov with ‘‘0651– 

0059 comment’’ in the subject line. 

Additional information about this 

information collection is also available 

at http://www.reginfo.gov under 

‘‘Information Collection Review.’’ 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

The United States Patent and 

Trademark Office (USPTO) is required 

by 35 U.S.C. 131 et seq. to examine an 

application for patent and, when 

appropriate, issue a patent. The USPTO 

also is required to publish patent 

applications, with certain exceptions, 

promptly after the expiration of a period 

of eighteen months from the earliest 

filing date for which a benefit is sought 

under Title 35, United States Code. 

USPTO petitions practice provides an 

opportunity for a patent applicant or 

owner to supply additional information 

that may be required in order for the 

USPTO to further process an application 

or patent. For other USPTO actions, 

review is in the form of administrative 

review obtained via submission of a 

petition to the USPTO. Many actions 

taken by the USPTO during its 

examination of an application for patent 

or for reissue of a patent, or during 

reexamination of a patent, are subject to 

review by an appeal to the Patent Trial 

and Appeal Board (PTAB). Appeals to 

PTAB are covered in other OMB 

approved information collections 

(0651–0063 and 0651–0069). 

This information collection covers 

petitions filed in patent applications 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
11820 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 32 / Thursday, February 15, 2024 / Notices 

and reexamination proceedings that, 

when submitted to the USPTO, must be 

accompanied by the fee set forth in 37 

CFR 1.17(f), (g), or (h). This information 

collection also covers the transmittals 

for the petitions fees. 

II. Method of Collection

The items in this information

collection can be submitted through the 

USPTO patent electronic filing system 

(Patent Center), the USPTO’s online 

filing and viewing system for patent 

applications and related documents. 

The USPTO also will accept 

submissions, if applicable, by mail, 

hand delivery, and facsimile. 

III. Data

OMB Control Number: 0651–0059.

Forms: (SB = Specimen Book; AIA = 

America Invents Act) 

• PTO/AIA/17p (Processing Fee

Under 37 CFR 1.17(f), (g), & (h)

Transmittal)

• PTO/SB/23 (Petition for Extension

of Time Under 37 CFR 1.136(b))

• PTO/SB/24A (Petition for Express

Abandonment to Avoid Publication

Under 37 CFR 1.138(c))

• PTO/SB/28 (Petition to Make

Special Under Accelerated

Examination Program)

• PTO/SB/140 (Petition to Withdraw

an Application From Issue After

Payment of the Issue Fee Under 37

CFR 1.313(c))

Type of Review: Extension and 

revision of a currently approved 

information collection. 

Affected Public: Private sector. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Required to 

obtain or retain benefits. 

Estimated Number of Annual 

Respondents: 50,953 respondents. 

Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 50,953 responses. 

Estimated Time per Response: The 

USPTO estimates that the responses in 

this information collection will take the 

public approximately between 12 

minutes (0.20 hours) and 12 hours to 

complete. This includes the time, 

depending on the complexity of the 

situation and item, to gather the 

necessary information, create the 

document, and submit the completed 

request to the USPTO. 

Estimated Total Annual Respondent 

Burden Hours: 82,237 hours. 

Estimated Total Annual Respondent 

Hourly Cost Burden: $36,759,939. 

TABLE 1—TOTAL BURDEN HOURS AND HOURLY COSTS TO PRIVATE SECTOR RESPONDENTS

Item 

No. Item 

Estimated 

annual 

respondents 

Responses 

per 

respondent 

Estimated 

annual 

responses 

Estimated 

time for 

response 

(hours) 

Estimated 

burden 

(hour/year) 

Rate 1

($/hour) 

Estimated 

annual 

respondent 

cost burden 

(a) (b) (a) × (b) = (c) (d) (c) × (d) = (e) (f) (e) × (f) = (g)

1 ....... Petitions (corresponding to the fee) Under 37 

CFR 1.17(f) include: 

4,650 1 4,650 4 18,600 447 8,314,200

• Petition to Accord a Filing Date Under

1.57(a).

• Petition to Accord a Filing Date Under

1.53(e).

• Petition for Decision on a Question Not Specifically Provided For.

• Petition to Suspend the Rules.

Petition Fee Under 37 CFR 1.17(f), (g), and (h) 

Transmittal.

2 ....... Petitions (corresponding to the fee) Under 37 

CFR 1.17(g) include: 

17,440 1 17,440 2 34,880 447 15,591,360

• Petition to Access an Assignment Record.

• Petition for Access to an Application.

• Petition for Expungement and Return of Information.

• Petition to Suspend Action in an Application.

Petition Fee Under 37 CFR 1.17(f), (g), and (h) 

Transmittal.

3 ....... Petitions (corresponding to the fee) Under 37 

CFR 1.17(h) include: 

26,768 1 26,768 1 26,768 447 11,965,296

• Petition for Accepting Color Drawings or

Photographs.

• Petition for Entry of a Model or Exhibit.

• Petition to Withdraw an Application from

Issue.

• Petition to Defer Issuance of a Patent.

Petition Fee Under 37 CFR 1.17(f), (g), and (h) 

Transmittal.

4 ....... Petitions to Make Special Under Accelerated Examination Program (EFS-Web only).133 1 133 12 1,596 447 713,412

5 ....... Petitions for Express Abandonment to Avoid 

Publication Under 37 CFR 1.138(c).

1,961 1 1,961 0.20 392 447 175,224

6 ....... Petition for Extension of Time Under 37 CFR 

1.136(b).

1 1 1 0.50 1 447 447

Totals ............................................................. 50,953 .................... 50,953 .................. 82,237 ................ 36,759,939 

1 2023 Report of the Economic Survey, published by the Committee on Economics of Legal Practice of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA); 

pg. F–41. The USPTO uses the average billing rate for intellectual property work in all firms which is $447 per hour (https://www.aipla.org/home/news-publications/ 

economic-survey). 

Estimated Total Annual Respondent 

Non-hourly Cost Burden: $4,023,729. 

There are no capital start-up, 

maintenance, or recordkeeping costs 

associated with this information 

collection. However, there is non-hour 

cost burden in the form of filing files 

and postage costs. The total annual nonhour respondent cost burden for this 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 32 / Thursday, February 15, 2024 / Notices 11821 

information collection is estimated to be 

$4,023,729, which includes $4,018,552 

in filing fees and $5,177 in postage. 

Filing Fees 

Some petitions in this information 

collection have associated filing fees 

listed in the table below. 

TABLE 2—FILING FEES

Item No. Fee code Item 

Estimated 

annual 

responses 

Filing 

fee 

($) 

Non-hourly cost 

burden 

(a) (b) (a) × (b) = (c) 

1 .......... 1462 ............. Petitions requiring the petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17 (f) 

(Group I) (undiscounted).

1,275 $420 $535,500 

1 .......... 2462 ............. Petitions requiring the petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17 (f) 

(Group I) (small entity).

880 168 147,840 

1 .......... 3462 ............. Petitions requiring the petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17 (f) 

(Group I) (micro entity).

170 84 14,280 

2 .......... 1463 ............. Petitions requiring the petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17 (g) 

(Group II) (undiscounted).

7,870 220 1,731,400 

2 .......... 2463 ............. Petitions requiring the petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17 (g) 

(Group II) (small entity).

795 88 69,960 

2 .......... 3463 ............. Petitions requiring the petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17 (g) 

(Group II) (micro entity).

55 44 2,420 

3 .......... 1464 ............. Petitions requiring the petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17 (h) 

(Group III) (undiscounted).

9,205 140 1,288,700 

3 .......... 2464 ............. Petitions requiring the petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17 (h) 

(Group III) (small entity).

3,980 56 222,880 

3 .......... 3464 ............. Petitions requiring the petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17 (h) 

(Group III) (micro entity).

199 28 5,572 

Totals .......................................................................................... 24,429 .................... 4,018,552 

1 2023 Report of the Economic Survey, publised by the Committee on Economics of Legal Practice of the American Intellectual Property Law 

Association (AIPLA); pg. F–41. The USPTO uses the average billing rate for intellectual property work in all firms which is $447 per hour (https:// 

www/aopa.org/home/news-publications/economic-survey). 

Postage Costs 

Although the USPTO prefers that the 

items in this information collection be 

submitted electronically, responses may 

be submitted by mail through the 

United States Postal Service (USPS). 

The USPTO estimates that 1% of the 

50,953 items will be submitted in the 

mail resulting in 510 mailed items. The 

USPTO estimates that the average 

postage cost for a mailed submission, 

using a Priority Mail legal flat rate 

envelope, will be $10.15. Therefore, the 

USPTO estimates the total mailing costs 

for this information collection at $5,177. 

IV. Request for Comments 

The USPTO is soliciting public 

comments to: 

(a) Evaluate whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

Agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) Evaluate the accuracy of the 

Agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

collection of information, including the 

validity of the methodology and 

assumptions used; 

(c) Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and 

(d) 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 submission of 

responses. 

All comments submitted in response 

to this notice are a matter of public 

record. USPTO will include or 

summarize each comment in the request 

to OMB to approve this information 

collection. Before including an address, 

phone number, email address, or other 

personally identifiable information (PII) 

in a comment, be aware that the entire 

comment—including PII—may be made 

publicly available at any time. While 

you may ask in your comment to 

withhold PII from public view, USPTO 

cannot guarantee that it will be able to 

do so. 

Justin Isaac, 

Information Collections Officer, Office of the 

Chief Administrative Officer, United States 

Patent and Trademark Office. 

[FR Doc. 2024–03189 Filed 2–14–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–16–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

National Assessment Governing Board 

Committee and Quarterly Board 

Meetings 

AGENCY: National Assessment 

Governing Board, Department of 

Education. 

ACTION: Notice of open and closed 

meetings. 

SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the 

agenda, time, and instructions to access 

the National Assessment Governing 

Board’s (hereafter referred to as 

Governing Board) standing committee 

meetings and quarterly Governing Board 

meeting. This notice provides 

information to members of the public 

who may be interested in attending the 

meetings and/or providing written 

comments related to the work of the 

Governing Board. Notice of the meetings 

is required under section 1009(a)(2) of 5 

U.S.C. chapter 10 (Federal Advisory 

Committees). The meetings will be held 

either in person and/or virtually, as 

noted below. Members of the public 

must register in advance to attend the 

meetings virtually. A registration link 

will be posted on the Governing Board’s 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES