[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 133 (Tuesday, July 14, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33990-33991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-16522]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit 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.
    Form Number(s): SM-44(06)A, SM-44(06)AE, SM-44(06)AS, SM-72(06)A, 
SM-44(06)FA, SM-44(06)FAE, SM-44(06)FAS, SM-72(06)FA.
    OMB Control Number: 0607-0104.

[[Page 33991]]

    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Burden Hours: 5,000.
    Number of Respondents: 5,000.
    Average Hours per Response: 5 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: The Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey (MARTS) was 
developed in response to requests by government, business, and other 
users to provide an early indication of current retail trade activity 
in the United States. The MARTS also provides an estimate of monthly 
sales at food service establishments and drinking places.
    Policymakers such as the Federal Reserve Board need to have the 
timeliest estimates in order to anticipate economic trends and act 
accordingly. Sales data from this survey provide the earliest possible 
look at consumer spending and are necessary for the calculation of the 
personal consumption expenditures component of 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 month. Advance estimates are released approximately 12 days 
after the reference month.
    The Council of Economic Advisers, Bureau of Economic Analysis 
(BEA), Federal Reserve Board, and other government agencies, as well as 
businesses use sales estimates developed from the Advance Monthly 
Retail Trade Survey in formulating economic decisions. Data users 
especially value these estimates because of their timeliness. There 
would be approximately a one month delay in the availability of these 
data if this survey were not conducted.
    We intend to select a new MARTS sample to be introduced in Fall 
2009. We expect the number of respondents to increase from 4,500 to 
5,000 as a result of selecting the new sample.
    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: Brian Harris-Kojetin, (202) 395-7314.
    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 7845, 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 Brian Harris-Kojetin, OMB Desk Officer either by fax (202-395-7245) 
or e-mail ([email protected]).

    Dated: July 8, 2009.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-16522 Filed 7-13-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P