[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 146 (Monday, July 31, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43104-43105]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-12213]


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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: U.S. Census Bureau.
    Title: Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey.

[[Page 43105]]

    Form Number(s): SM-44(06)A, SM-44(06)AE, SM-44(06)AS, SM-72(06)A, 
SM-44(00)FA, SM-44(00)FAE, SM-44(00)FAS, SM-72(00)FA.
    Agency Approval Number: 0607-0104.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 4,500 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 4,500.
    Avg Hours per Response: 5 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: The Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey was 
developed in response to requests by government, business, and other 
users to provide an early indication of current retail trade activity 
at the United States level. MARTS also provides monthly sales of food 
service establishments and drinking places. Policymakers, such as the 
Federal Reserve Board, need to have the most timely estimates in order 
to anticipate economic trends and act accordingly. Data on sales from 
this survey provide the earliest possible look at consumer spending and 
are necessary for the calculation of the personal consumption portion 
of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Without the Advance Monthly Retail 
Trade Survey, the Census Bureau's earliest measure of retail sales is 
the ``preliminary'' estimate from the full monthly sample, released 
about 40 days after the reference period.
    The Census Bureau tabulates the collected data to provide, with 
measured reliability, statistics on United States retail sales. These 
sales estimates, developed from the Advance Monthly Retail Trade 
Survey, are used by the Council of Economic Advisers, Bureau of 
Economic Analysis (BEA), Federal Reserve Board, and other government 
agencies, as well as business users in formulating economic decisions. 
These estimates have a high priority because of their timeliness. There 
would be approximately a one month delay in the availability of these 
data if this survey were not conducted.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Frequency: Monthly.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C., Section 182.
    OMB Desk Officer: Susan Schechter, (202) 395-5103.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance 
Officer, (202) 482-0266, Department of Commerce, room 6625, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 
[email protected]).
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to Susan Schechter, OMB Desk Officer either by fax (202-395-7245) or e-
mail ([email protected]).

    Dated: July 25, 2006.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
 [FR Doc. E6-12213 Filed 7-28-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P