This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

468

Vol. 63, No. 3

Tuesday, January 6, 1998

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service

Notice of Request for Extension of a

Currently Approved Information

Collection

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service (RHS),

USDA.

ACTION: Proposed collection: comments

request.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces the Rural Housing

Service’s intention to request an

extension for a currently approved

information collection in support of the

program for Management and

Supervision of Multiple Family Housing

Borrowers and Grant Recipients.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by March 9, 1998 to be assured

of consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Laurence R. Anderson, Senior Loan

Specialist, Multi-Family Housing

Portfolio Management Division, RHS,

United States Department of

Agriculture, Mail Stop 0782, 1400

Independence Ave., SW, Washington,

DC 20250–0782, Telephone (202) 720-

1611.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Management and Supervision of

Multiple Family Housing Borrowers and

Grant Recipients.

OMB Number: 0575–0033.

Expiration Date of Approval: March

31, 1998.

Type of Request: Extension of a

currently approved information

collection.

Abstract: The Rural Housing Service

(RHS) is authorized under Section 514,

515, 516, and 521 of Title V of the

Housing Act of 1949, as amended, to

provide loans and grants to eligible

recipients for the development of rental

housing in rural areas. Such multifamily housing (MFH) projects are

intended to meet the housing needs of

persons or families having very low to

moderate incomes, senior citizens, the

handicapped or disabled, and domestic

farm laborers.

RHS has the responsibility of assuring

the public that MFH projects financed

are managed and operated as mandated

by Congress. 7 CFR Part 1930, Subpart

C was first issued October 27, 1980, to

insure consistent and proper

management and operation of projects

financed with MFH loan and grant

funds. Minimal requirements have been

established as deemed necessary to

assure that applicable laws and

authorities are carried out as intended.

With the provisions of this regulation,

RHS will be able to provide the

necessary guidance and supervision to

new and existing borrowers to assist in

the economical operation of their

projects. RHS must be able to assure

Congress and the general public that all

MFH projects will be operated as

economically as possible, for the

purposes for which they are intended,

and for the benefit of those they are

mandated to serve.

The required information is collected

on a project-by-project basis and is done

so in accordance with the amended

Housing Act of 1949, so that RHS can

provide guidance and be assured of

compliance with the terms and

conditions of loan, grant, and/or subsidy

agreements.

RHS will use the information

collected to identify financially

detrimental trends, poor management

practices, and potential problems before

they manifest themselves in the form of

loan delinquencies, unpaid operation

expenses, improper discriminatory

practices, or high vacancy rates. With

this information, RHS can assist the

borrower through consultation

(supervision) to improve the efficiency

of the project and its operation. RHS

supervision is especially critical during

the first year of operation. In addition,

the information provided is intended to

verify whether or not the borrower is

complying with the terms and

conditions of loan, grant, or subsidy

agreements. After the first year of

operation, the information is requested

of the borrower to assure continued

compliance with the loan and grant

agreements.

Failure by RHS to monitor progress of

borrower operation through review of

collected information and consultation

would reasonably lead to

noncompliance with statutory intent in

some instances and financial default in

others. Corrective action to remove such

noncompliance or default would be

costly to RHS and the public in terms

of program integrity, public confidence,

dollars, and staff time.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average .64 hours per

response.

Respondents: Individuals or

households.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

538,200.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 4.61.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 2,218,740 hours.

Copies of this information collection

can be obtained from Barbara Williams,

Regulations and Paperwork

Management Branch, Support Services

Division, at (202) 720–9734.

Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of RHS, including

whether the information will have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of

RHS’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used; (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 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. Comments may be sent to

Barbara Williams, Regulations and

Paperwork Management Branch,

Support Services Division, U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Rural

Development, Ag Box 0743, 1400

Independence Ave., SW, Washington,

DC 20250–0743. All responses to this

notice will be summarized and included

in the request for OMB approval. All

comments will also become a matter of

public record.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 3 / Tuesday, January 6, 1998 / Notices 469

Dated: December 19, 1997.

Jan E. Shadburn,

Administrator, Rural Housing Service.

[FR Doc. 98–174 Filed 1–5–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–U

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Submission For OMB Review;

Comment Request

DOC has submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for

clearance the following proposal for

collection of information under the

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction

Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).

Agency: Bureau of the Census.

Title: United States Census 2000 Dress

Rehearsal Large Household Follow-up.

Form Number(s): DX–1(HF), –2(HF),

19A(L), –19B(L), –19C(L), and Spanish

translations.

Agency Approval Number: None.

Type of Request: New collection.

Burden: 3,629 hours.

Number of Respondents: 23,500.

Avg Hours Per Response: Short

form—6 minutes; Long form—25

minutes.

Needs and Uses: The Census Bureau

has made the development of userfriendly forms a key strategy to reduce

respondent burden. The Census 2000

Dress Rehearsal questionnaire (a fiveperson questionnaire with a

continuation roster to list up to seven

additional individuals) is shorter than a

comparable seven-person detailed

version. This strategy is expected to

lessen the public perception that

responding to the census is an arduous

task. The objective of the Census 2000

Dress Rehearsal Large Household

Follow-up is to acquire detailed

characteristic data for households with

more than five members.

We will mail a customized

questionnaire package to those specific

households which listed six or more

individuals on the original dress

rehearsal census questionnaire. The

customized mailing package will consist

of the following items: (1) An outgoing

envelope addressed to either the

respondent name reported on the

original returned questionnaire or the

Person 1 name; (2) A letter listing the

names of all persons on the original

questionnaire for whom detailed

characteristics were provided and the

names of all persons listed on the roster.

The letter will request the respondent

provide detailed characteristics for the

additional individuals listed on the

roster; (3) A continuation

questionnaire(s) designed for Person 6

through Person 12; and (4) a Business

Reply Mail return envelope for the

respondent to return the continuation

questionnaire.

Only one follow-up mailing will be

conducted for each identified large

household. No personal visit or

telephone follow-up is planned.

Affected Public: Individuals or

households.

Frequency: One-time.

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.

Legal Authority: Title 13 USC,

Sections 141 and 193.

OMB Desk Officer: Nancy Kirkendall,

(202) 395–7313.

Copies of the above information

collection proposal can be obtained by

calling or writing Linda Engelmeier,

DOC Forms Clearance Officer, (202)

482–3272, Department of Commerce,

room 5327, 14th and Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

Written comments and

recommendations for the proposed

information collection should be sent

within 30 days of publication of this

notice to Nancy Kirkendall, OMB Desk

Officer, room 10201, New Executive

Office Building, 725 17th Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20503.

Dated: December 30, 1997.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office

of Management and Organization.

[FR Doc. 98–220 Filed 1–5–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–07–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census

[Docket No. 971230316–7316–01]

Annual Retail Trade Survey

AGENCY: Bureau of the Census,

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Determination.

SUMMARY: In accordance with Title 13,

United States Code, Sections 182, 224,

and 225, I have determined that the

Census Bureau needs to collect data

covering annual sales, purchases, yearend inventories, and accounts

receivables to provide a sound statistical

basis for the formation of policy by

various Government agencies. These

data also apply to a variety of public

and business needs. This annual survey

is a continuation of similar retail trade

surveys conducted each year since 1951

(except 1954). It provides on a

comparable classification basis annual

sales, purchases, and accounts

receivables for 1997 and year-end

inventories for 1996 and 1997. These

data are not available publicly on a

timely basis from nongovernmental or

other governmental sources.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ronald Piencykoski or Dorothy

Engleking on (301) 457–2713.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Census Bureau is authorized to take

surveys necessary to furnish current

data on the subjects covered by the

major censuses authorized by Title 13,

United States Code. This survey will

provide continuing and timely national

statistical data on retail trade for the

period between economic censuses. The

data collected in this survey will be

within the general scope and nature of

those inquiries covered in the economic

census.

The Census Bureau will require a

selected sample of firms operating retail

establishments in the United States

(with sales size determining the

probability of selection) to report in the

1997 Annual Retail Trade Survey. We

will furnish report forms to the firms

covered by this survey and will require

their submissions within thirty days

after receipt. The sample will provide,

with measurable reliability, statistics on

the subjects specified above.

This survey was submitted to the

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) in accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act, Public Law

96–511, as amended, and approved

under OMB Control No. 0607–0013. We

will provide copies of the form upon

written request to the Director, Bureau

of the Census, Washington, DC 20233–

0001.

Based upon the foregoing, I have

directed that an annual survey be

conducted for the purpose of collecting

these data.

Dated: December 23, 1997.

Martha Farnsworth Riche,

Director, Bureau of the Census.

[FR Doc. 98–215 Filed 1–5–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–07–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census

[Docket No. 971230314–7314–01]

Annual Trade Survey

AGENCY: Bureau of the Census,

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of determination.

SUMMARY: In accordance with Title 13,

United States Code, Sections 182, 224,

and 225, I have determined that the

Census Bureau needs to collect data

covering year-end inventories, annual

sales, and purchases to provide a sound