[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3755-3756]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-945]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Bureau of Labor Statistics


Proposed Collection, Comment Request

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to 
ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, 
reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, 
collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of 
collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. The 
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments concerning the 
proposed extension of the ``Consumer Price Index Commodities and 
Services Survey.'' A copy of the proposed information collection 
request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the individual listed below 
in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
Addresses section of this notice on or before March 24, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Amy A. Hobby, BLS Clearance Officer, 
Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 4080, 
2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE., Washington, DC 20212, 202-691-7628. (This 
is not a toll free number.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy A. Hobby, BLS Clearance Officer, 
202-691-7628. (See ADDRESSES section.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    Under the direction of the Secretary of Labor, the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics (BLS) is directed by law to collect, collate, and report 
full and complete statistics on the conditions of labor and

[[Page 3756]]

the products and distribution of the products of the same; the Consumer 
Price Index (CPI) is one of these statistics. The collection of data 
from a wide spectrum of retail establishments and government agencies 
is essential for the timely and accurate calculation of the Commodities 
and Services (C&S) component of the CPI.
    The CPI is the only index compiled by the U.S. Government that is 
designed to measure changes in the purchasing power of the urban 
consumer's dollar. The CPI is a measure of the average change in prices 
over time paid by urban consumers for a market basket of goods and 
services. The CPI is used most widely as a measure of inflation, and 
serves as an indicator of the effectiveness of government economic 
policy. It is also used as a deflator of other economic series, that 
is, to adjust other series for price changes and to translate these 
series into inflation-free dollars. Examples include retail sales, 
hourly and weekly earnings, and components of the Gross Domestic 
Product. A third major use of the CPI is to adjust income payments. 
Almost 2 million workers are covered by collective bargaining 
contracts, which provide for increases in wage rates based on increases 
in the CPI. Similarly, nine states have laws that link the adjustment 
in state minimum wage to the changes in the CPI. In addition to private 
sector workers whose wages or pensions are adjusted according to 
changes in the CPI, the index also affects the income of nearly 80 
million persons, largely as a result of statutory action: About 53 
million social security beneficiaries; about 4.5 million retired 
military and Federal Civil Service employees and survivors, and about 
25.7 million food stamp recipients. Changes in the CPI also affect the 
29.6 million children who eat lunch at school. Under the National 
School Lunch Act and Child Nutrition Act, national average payments for 
those lunches and breakfasts are adjusted annually by the Secretary of 
Agriculture on the basis of the change in the CPI series, ``Food away 
from Home.'' Since 1985, the CPI has been used to adjust the Federal 
income tax structure to prevent inflation-induced tax rate increases.

II. Current Action

    Office of Management and Budget clearance is being sought for the 
Consumer Price Index Commodities and Services Survey. The continuation 
of the collection of prices for the CPI is essential since the CPI is 
the nation's chief source of information on retail price changes. If 
the information on C&S prices were not collected, Federal fiscal and 
monetary policies would be hampered due to the lack of information on 
price changes in a major sector of the U.S. economy, and estimates of 
the real value of the Gross National Product could not be made. The 
consequences to both the Federal and private sectors would be far 
reaching and would have serious repercussions on Federal government 
policy and institutions.

III. Desired Focus of Comments

    The Bureau of Labor Statistics is particularly interested in 
comments that:
     Evaluate 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.
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used.
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected.
     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, e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.
    Type of Review: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Title: Consumer Price Index Commodities and Services Survey.
    OMB Number: 1220-0039.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not for profit 
institutions; and State, Local or Tribal Government.

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                                       Total                           Total       Average time      Estimated
                                    respondents      Frequency       responses     per response    total burden
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PRICING.........................          37,000          8.7838         325,000            0.33         107,250
OUTLET ROTATION: Ongoing and              15,000          1               15,000            1.0           15,000
 Geographical...................
ITEM ROTATION...................           1,600          1                1,600            1.0            1,600
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    Total.......................          53,600        n/a              341,600          n/a            123,850
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    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.0.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): $0.0.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the information collection request; they also will become a 
matter of public record.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 15th day of January 2008.
Cathy Kazanowski,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. E8-945 Filed 1-18-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P