[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 242 (Thursday, December 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69706-69707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-33470]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary


Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping Requirements; Agency Information 
Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information 
Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR 
describes the nature of the information collections and their expected 
burden. The Federal Register Notice soliciting comments on an interim 
final rule was published on September 1, 1998 [63 FR 46389-46394].

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 19, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The following persons at the National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590: For program issues, Joan Catherine Tetrault, 
State and Community Services, NSC-01, (202) 366-2674; For legal issues, 
John Donaldson, Office of the Chief Counsel, NCC-30, (202) 366-1834.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

    Title: Uniform Criteria for State Observational Surveys of Seat 
Belt Use.
    OMB Number: 2127-0597.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection
    Abstract: Section 1403 of the recently enacted Transportation 
Equity Act for the 21st Century (Pub. L. 105-178) added a new Section 
157 to Title 23 of the United States Code (replacing a predecessor 
Section 157). The new section authorizes a State seat belt incentive 
grant program covering fiscal years 1999 through 2003. Under this 
program, the Secretary of Transportation is directed to allocate funds 
to the States (beginning in fiscal year 1999) based on

[[Page 69707]]

their seat belt use rates. The interim rule published on September 1, 
1998 promulgates the Uniform Criteria for State Observational Surveys 
of Seat Belt Use (hereafter, Uniform Criteria) to provide guidance to 
the States on the seat belt use rate information to be submitted under 
this new program for calendar year 1998 and beyond.
    Section 157 requires the Secretary to allocate funds to States that 
achieve a seat belt use rate in the preceding two years that is higher 
than the national average use rate or, failing that, a seat belt use 
rate that is higher than the highest seat belt use rate achieved by the 
State during specified previous calendar years. In order to make the 
calculations necessary to allocate funds under this provision, State 
seat belt use rate information extending back to calendar year 1996 is 
needed. For calendar years 1996 and 1997, seat belt use rate 
information submitted by the States is required to be weighted by the 
Secretary to ensure national consistency in methods of measurement. 
Beginning in calendar year 1998, States must measure seat belt use 
rates following criteria established by the Secretary, to ensure that 
the measurements are ``accurate and representative.'' In accordance 
with that mandate, this interim final rule establishes uniform criteria 
for States to follow in conducting surveys of seat belt use, starting 
with surveys conducted in calendar year 1998.
    Affected Public: State agencies, District of Columbia, and Puerto 
Rico.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 17,942.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael Robinson, NHTSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, at 202/366-9456.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, within 30 days, to the Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725-17th 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention DOT Desk Officer. Comments 
are invited on: whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the 
Department, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and 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.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on December 14, 1998.
Vanester M. Williams,
Clearance Officer, United States Department of Transportation.
[FR Doc. 98-33470 Filed 12-16-98; 8:45 am]
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