33570 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 106 / Thursday, June 2, 2022 / Notices 

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 

Small Business Size Standards: 

Notification of Two Virtual Public 

Forums on Size Standards 

AGENCY: Small Business Administration. 

ACTION: Notification of virtual public 

forums on size standards. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Small Business 

Administration (SBA) is holding a series 

of two virtual public forums on size 

standards to update the public on the 

status of the ongoing second 5-year 

review of size standards as mandated by 

the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 and 

to consider public testimony on 

proposed changes contained in the 

proposed rule titled Small Business Size 

Standards: Manufacturing and 

Industries With Employee-Based Size 

Standards in Other Sectors Except 

Wholesale Trade and Retail Trade. 

Testimony presented at these forums 

will become part of the administrative 

record for SBA’s consideration when 

developing the final rule. 

DATES: The virtual forum dates are as 

follows: 

• Tuesday, June 14, 2022, from 1:00 

p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT 

• Thursday, June 16, 2022, from 1:00 

p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT 

ADDRESSES: The forums will be held via 

the Microsoft Teams platform. 

Registration is required to attend these 

virtual events. Visit SBA’s size 

standards web page at http://

www.sba.gov/size to register. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Samuel Castilla, Economist, Office of 

Size Standards, (202) 619–0389 or 

sizestandards@sba.gov. The phone 

number above may also be reached by 

individuals who are deaf or hard of 

hearing, or who have speech 

disabilities, through the Federal 

Communications Commission’s TTYBased Telecommunications Relay 

Service teletype service at 711. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

SBA is seeking public comments on a 

proposed rule (Small Business Size 

Standards: Manufacturing and 

Industries With Employee-Based Size 

Standards in Other Sectors Except 

Wholesale Trade and Retail Trade (87 

FR 24752, April 26, 2022)) that would 

revise the employee-based small 

business size standards for businesses in 

nine North American Industrial 

Classification System (NAICS) sectors. 

The comment period ends on June 27, 

2022. 

The proposed changes in nine 

industrial sectors, including 

manufacturing, mining and 

transportation, will enable some midsized businesses to regain small 

business status and allow some 

advanced small businesses to retain 

small business status for a longer 

period, thereby allowing them to benefit 

from SBA’s procurement and loan 

programs. These proposed revisions 

come on the heels of an SBA 

announcement (https://www.sba.gov/ 

article/2022/apr/04/sba-revises-smallbusiness-size-standards-16-industrialsectors-increase-eligibility-its-federal) 

on April 4, 2022 in which the Agency 

discussed the issuance of four final 

rules to modify revenue-based small 

business size standards in 16 NAICS 

sectors to help increase small business 

eligibility for SBA’s Federal contracting 

and loan programs. 

In the April 26, 2022, proposed rule, 

SBA proposes to increase 150 employeebased size standards in nine NAICS 

sectors. SBA also proposes to retain the 

current 500-employee size standard for 

Federal procurement of supplies set 

aside for small businesses under the 

nonmanufacturer rule, which requires 

that small businesses qualifying as 

nonmanufacturers must have an average 

of 500 or fewer employees over the past 

12 months, be primarily engaged in the 

wholesale or retail trade activities, take 

ownership or possession of the item 

with its personnel, equipment or 

facilities, consistent with industry 

practice, and supply the product of a 

U.S. small manufacturer. 

The changes contained in the 

proposed rule are part of SBA’s second 

five-year review of size standards, as 

required under the Small Business Jobs 

Act of 2010 (Sec. 1344, Pub. L. 111–240, 

124 Stat. 2545 (September 27, 2010)). 

The revised size standards reflect SBA’s 

considerations of the relevant industry 

and programmatic data and impacts of 

the ongoing COVID–19 pandemic on 

small businesses and the overall 

economy and Government response. In 

response to the pandemic, SBA is 

retaining current size standards where 

data otherwise suggests that size 

standards should be lowered. 

As part of the review of size 

standards, SBA considers the structural 

characteristics of individual industries, 

including average firm size, the degree 

of competition, and Federal Government 

contracting trends. This ensures that 

small business size standards reflect 

current economic conditions in those 

industries. SBA’s proposed size 

standards revisions rely on the ‘‘Size 

Standards Methodology’’ issued on 

April 11, 2019, and available at http:// 

www.sba.gov/size. 

II. Virtual Public Forums on Size 

Standards 

Under this notice, SBA is advising the 

public that it is hosting a series of two 

virtual public forums on size standards 

to update the public on the status of the 

ongoing second five-year 

comprehensive review of size standards 

and consider public testimony on 

proposed changes contained in the 

April 2022 proposed rule. These forums 

also conform to the requirements of 

section 1344 of the Small Business Jobs 

Act of 2010 which requires SBA to hold 

not less than two public forums during 

its quinquennial review of size 

standards. 

SBA considers public forums on size 

standards as a valuable component of its 

deliberations and believes that these 

forums will allow for constructive 

dialogue with small businesses and 

their representatives, industry trade 

associations, participants in SBA’s 

contracting and financial assistance 

programs, and other stakeholders. 

The format of these forums will 

consist of a panel of SBA 

representatives who will preside over 

the session. The oral and written 

testimony as well as any comments SBA 

receives will become part of the 

administrative record for SBA’s 

consideration. Written testimony may 

be submitted in lieu of oral testimony 

on or before June 27, 2022, at 

www.regulations.gov, using the 

following RIN number: RIN 3245–AH09; 

by email to Sizestandards@sba.gov with 

subject line ‘‘Comments to RIN 3245– 

AH09’’; or by mail to Khem R. Sharma, 

Chief, Office of Size Standards, 409 3rd 

Street SW, Mail Code 6530, Washington, 

DC, 20416. SBA will analyze the 

testimony, both oral and written, along 

with any written comments received 

and respond to all comments in the final 

rule. However, during the public forum, 

SBA officials will not provide comment 

on the testimony of speakers. SBA 

requests that commenters focus on 

SBA’s April 26, 2022, proposed 

rulemaking and the impacted industries 

described therein. SBA requests that 

commenters do not raise issues 

pertaining to industries not covered 

under the proposed rule, or issues 

outside the scope of the rule. Presenters 

are encouraged to provide a written 

copy of their testimony. SBA will accept 

written material that the presenter 

wishes to provide that further 

supplements his or her testimony. 

Electronic or digitized copies are 

encouraged. 

The two virtual public forums on size 

standards will be held on Tuesday, June 

14, 2022 and Thursday, June 16, 2022 


jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 106 / Thursday, June 2, 2022 / Notices 33571 

beginning at 1:00 p.m. and ending at 

3:00 p.m. (EDT); SBA will adjourn early 

if all testimony has been delivered 

before the end time. 

III. Registration 

Participants must pre-register to 

attend either of the two virtual public 

forums on size standards by visiting 

SBA’s size standards web page at http:// 

www.sba.gov/size and registering at the 

link provided. On the registration form, 

participants may indicate whether they 

would like to testify at the forum. After 

registering, participants will receive an 

email with an access to link and call-in 

information which can be used to access 

the forum on the scheduled date and 

time. Additional information about the 

forum is provided on SBA’s 

announcements about updating size 

standards web page, available at https:// 

www.sba.gov/ 

article?sortBy=Authored%20on

%20Date&search=&article

Category=All&

program=Contracting&page=1, and in 

the invitation that participants receive 

upon registration. SBA will attempt to 

accommodate all interested parties that 

wish to present testimony. Based on the 

number of registrants it may be 

necessary to impose time limits to 

ensure that everyone who wishes to 

testify can do so. 

IV. Information on Service for 

Individuals With Disabilities 

For information on services for 

individuals with disabilities or to 

request special assistance contact 

Samuel Castilla at the telephone number 

or email address indicated under the 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

section of this notice. 

Sam Le, 

Director, Office of Policy, Planning and 

Liaison. 

[FR Doc. 2022–11858 Filed 6–1–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8026–09–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice: 11751] 

60-Day Notice of Proposed Information 

Collection: Nonimmigrant Visa 

Application 

ACTION: Notice of request for public 

comment. 

SUMMARY: The Department of State is 

seeking Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) approval for the 

information collection described below. 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, we are 

requesting comments on this collection 

from all interested individuals and 

organizations. The purpose of this 

notice is to allow 60 days for public 

comment preceding submission of the 

collection to OMB. 

DATES: The Department will accept 

comments from the public up to August 

1, 2022. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by any of the following methods: 

• Web: Persons with access to the 

internet may comment on this notice by 

going to www.Regulations.gov. You can 

search for the document by entering 

‘‘Docket Number: DOS–2022–0012’’ in 

the Search field. Then click the 

‘‘Comment Now’’ button and complete 

the comment form. 

• Email: You may comment on this 

notice by emailing 

PRA_BurdenComments@state.gov. 

• Phone: You may leave a voicemail 

comment by calling (202) 485–7586. 

You must mention that your message is 

a Comment on ‘‘Application for 

Nonimmigrant Visa’’ in your voicemail. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Direct requests for additional 

information regarding the collection 

listed in this notice, including requests 

for copies of the proposed collection 

instrument, and supporting documents 

to Tonya Whigham, who may be 

reached at (202) 485–7586 or PRA_

BurdenComments@state.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

• Title of Information Collection: 

Nonimmigrant Visa Application; Online 

Nonimmigrant Visa Application. 

• OMB Control Number: 1405–0182. 

• Type of Request: Revision of a 

Currently Approved Collection. 

• Originating Office: Bureau of 

Consular Affairs, Visa Services (CA/ 

VO). 

• Form Number: DS–156; DS–160. 

• Respondents: Nonimmigrant Visa 

Applicants; Individuals Seeking 

Boarding Foils for Purposes of Parole. 

• Estimated Number of Respondents: 

5,190,967. 

• Estimated Number of Responses: 

5,190,967. 

• Average Time Per Response: 90 

minutes. 

• Total Estimated Burden Time: 

7,786,450 hours. 

• Frequency: Once per respondent’s 

application for a nonimmigrant visa; 

once per respondent’s request for a 

boarding foil. 

• Obligation to respond: Required to 

Obtain Benefit. 

We are soliciting public comments to 

permit the Department to: 

• Evaluate whether the proposed 

information collection is necessary for 

the proper functions of the Department. 

• Evaluate the accuracy of our 

estimate of the time and cost burden for 

this proposed collection, including the 

validity of the methodology and 

assumptions used. 

• Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected. 

• Minimize the reporting burden on 

those who are to respond, including the 

use of automated collection techniques 

or other forms of information 

technology. 

Please note that comments submitted 

in response to this Notice are public 

record. Before including any detailed 

personal information, you should be 

aware that your comments as submitted, 

including your personal information, 

will be available for public review. 

Abstract of Proposed Collection 

The DS–160 and DS–156 collect 

biographical and other information from 

individuals seeking a nonimmigrant 

visa or individuals seeking a boarding 

foil for purposes of traveling to the 

United States to seek parole from the 

Department of Homeland Security. The 

consular officer uses the information 

collected to elicit information necessary 

to determine an applicant’s eligibility 

for a nonimmigrant visa. The consular 

officer uses the information collected on 

the form to screen individuals seeking a 

boarding foil for purposes of obtaining 

parole pursuant to an agreement 

between the Department of State and the 

Department of Homeland Security. Most 

respondents use the DS–160; however, 

posts may authorize an individual to 

use the paper-based DS–156 in limited 

circumstances as outlined below. 

Methodology 

Respondents submit the DS–160 

electronically over an encrypted 

connection to the Department via the 

internet. The respondent will be 

instructed to print the confirmation 

page containing bar code record 

locators, which the consular officer will 

use to the locate the form during 

processing. 

The DS–156 is the paper-based 

version of the DS–160. In order to obtain 

a copy of the DS–156, an individual 

must contact the Embassy or consulate 

at which they are applying and request 

a copy. A consular officer may allow an 

individual to submit the DS–156 in the 

following limited circumstances when 

the DS–160 cannot be accessed and the: 

• Respondent has an urgent medical 

or humanitarian travel need, and the 

consular officer has received explicit 

permission from the Visa Office to 

accept form DS–156. 


jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES1