[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 200 (Wednesday, October 16, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 63960]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-26201]



[[Page 63960]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA 02-13571]


Motor Vehicle Safety: Reimbursement Prior to Recall

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Request for public comment on a proposed collection of 
information.

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SUMMARY: Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from 
the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB). Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit 
public comment on proposed collection of information.
    This document describes a collection of information for which NHTSA 
intends to seek OMB approval.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 16, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Comments must refer to the docket and notice numbers cited 
at the beginning of this notice and is submitted to Docket Management, 
Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590. Please 
identify the propose collection of information for which a comment is 
provided by referencing its OMB Clearance Number. It is requested, but 
not required, that one (1) original plus two (2) copies of the comments 
be provided. The Docket Section is open on weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 
p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. George Person, Office of Defects 
Investigation, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Room 5326, Washington, 
DC 20590. Mr. Person's telephone number is (202) 366-5210.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
before an agency submits a proposed collection of information to OMB 
for approval, it must publish a document in the Federal Register 
providing a 60-day comment period and otherwise consult with members of 
the public and affected agencies concerning each proposed collection of 
information. The OMB has promulgated regulations describing what must 
be included in such a document. Under OMB's regulations (at 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)), an agency must ask for public comment on the following:
    (i) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility;
    (ii) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions;
    (iii) How to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (iv) How to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including 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.
    In compliance with these requirements, NHTSA asks public comment on 
the following proposed collections of information:

Reimbursement Prior to Recall

    Type of Request--Revision to existing collection.
    OMB Clearance Number--2127-0004.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval--Three years from effective 
date of final rule on reimbursement prior to recall.
    Summary of Collection of Information--The Transportation Recall 
Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation (TREAD) Act, was enacted 
on November 1, 2000, Pub. L. 106-414. Section 6(b) of the TREAD Act 
amended 49 U.S.C. 30120(d) to require a manufacturer's remedy program 
to include a plan for reimbursing an owner or purchaser who incurred 
the cost of the remedy within a reasonable time in advance of the 
manufacturer's notification under subsection (b) or (c) of section 
30118. On December 11, 2001, NHTSA issued a notice of proposed 
rulemaking that would implement this section by amending 49 CFR 573.6 
to require manufacturers to submit reimbursement plans to NHTSA and by 
adding a new section, 49 CFR 573.13, that sets forth what must be 
included in such plans.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the 
Information--This information is necessary to enable NHTSA to review 
manufacturers' reimbursement plans to ensure that they meet the 
requirements of the TREAD Act and 49 CFR 573.13, and to assure that the 
information will be available to the public.
    Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number 
and Proposed Frequency of Responses to the Collection of Information)--
All manufacturers of motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment that 
conduct safety recall campaigns would be required to comply with the 
reporting requirements. Based on recent history, we estimate that fewer 
than 500 safety recall campaigns will be conducted annually by no more 
than 170 different manufacturers. The rule would allow manufacturers to 
submit general reimbursement plans that may be incorporated into defect 
and noncompliance information reports submitted to NHTSA pursuant to 49 
CFR part 573 (part 573 Reports) by reference rather than providing 
detailed plans to NHTSA for each safety recall campaign. Specific 
information regarding a particular campaign, such as the dates for the 
reimbursement period, would be submitted for each recall as part of the 
manufacturer's part 573 Reports.
    Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden 
Resulting from the Collection of Information--In order to provide the 
required information, manufacturers that conduct a recall must prepare 
a reimbursement plan and submit it to NHTSA. Ordinarily, we expect that 
this will consist of a general plan and supplemental information 
specific to each recall. We estimate that preparing the general plan 
would require 8 hours of a combination of types of staff at an average 
hourly rate of $60.00 per hour. Further, we estimate that no more than 
one hour would be required to include the additional information about 
a particular recall into individual part 573 Reports. The total burden 
hours would be 1,860 hours ((8x170)+(1x500)) and the total cost of the 
hours' burden would be $111,600 (1,860x$60).
    Estimate of the Total Annual Costs of the Collection of 
Information--Other than the cost of the hours' burden, we estimate that 
there would be no additional annual costs associated with this 
information collection.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3506(c); delegation of authority at 49 CFR 
1.50. and 501.3(c).

    Issued on: October 9, 2002.
Kenneth N. Weinstein,
Associate Administrator for Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 02-26201 Filed 10-15-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P