[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 41 (Friday, March 3, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12471-12472]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-04098]


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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). 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 revision 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 May 2, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Nora Kincaid, BLS Clearance Officer, 
Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 4080, 
2 Massachusetts Avenue NE., Washington, DC 20212. Written comments also 
may be transmitted by fax to, 202-691-5111. (This is not a toll free 
number.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nora Kincaid, BLS Clearance Officer, 
202-691-7628 (this is not a toll free number). (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 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. Over 2 
million workers are covered by collective bargaining contracts, which 
provide for increases in wage rates based on increases in the CPI. At 
least eleven states have laws that link the adjustment in state minimum 
wage to the changes in the CPI. In addition, as a result of statutory 
action, the CPI affects the income of millions of Americans. Over 51 
million Social Security beneficiaries, and millions of military and 
Federal Civil Service retirees, have cost-of-living adjustments tied to 
the CPI. In addition, eligibility criteria for millions of food stamps 
recipients and millions of children who eat lunch at school are 
affected by changes in the CPI. 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 
proposed revision of the Consumer Price Index Commodities and Services 
Survey.
    In January 2018 a new geographic sample redesign will be 
implemented. The new sample design will expand the

[[Page 12472]]

coverage of the CPI-U from 89% to 94% of the U.S. population. The CPI 
will rotate its sample to new geographic areas on a continuous basis, 
over a 4-year transition period, until all new areas have been brought 
into the sample. A few of the notable methodological changes are the 
sample classification structure will change from four Census regions 
(Northeast, Midwest, South, and West) to nine Census divisions (New 
England, Middle Atlantic, East North Central, West South Central, South 
Atlantic, East South Central, West South Central, Mountain, and 
Pacific); PSU area definitions have been updated using the Office of 
Management and Budget's (OMB) Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) 
definitions; and the number of sampled PSUs in the CPI will be reduced 
from 87 to 75. This change will increase the average number of price 
quotes per index area.
    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.........................          35,552           8.775         311,968            0.33         102,949
Outlet Rotation.................          11,543               1          11,543             1.0          11,543
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    Total.......................          47,095             n/a         323,511             n/a         114,492
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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 February 2017.
Kimberley Hill,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 2017-04098 Filed 3-2-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-24-P