[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 230 (Friday, December 1, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56996-56997]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-25925]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Request for Comments; Consumer Expenditure Surveys: Quarterly 
Interview and Diary

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Bureau of 
Labor Statistics (BLS) sponsored information collection request (ICR) 
revision titled, ``Consumer Expenditure Surveys: Quarterly Interview 
and Diary,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review 
and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act 
(PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). Public comments on the ICR are 
invited.

DATES: The OMB will consider all written comments that agency receives 
on or before January 2, 2018.

ADDRESSES: A copy of this ICR with applicable supporting documentation; 
including a description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency 
of response, and estimated total burden may be obtained free of charge 
from the RegInfo.gov Web site at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=201607-1220-002 (this link will only become active 
on the day following publication of this notice) or by contacting 
Michel Smyth by telephone at 202-693-4129, TTY 202-693-8064, (these are 
not toll-free numbers) or sending an email to [email protected].
    Submit comments about this request by mail or courier to the Office 
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for DOL-
BLS, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20503; by Fax: 202-395-5806 (this is not a toll-free 
number); or by email: [email protected]. Commenters are 
encouraged, but not required, to send a courtesy copy of any comments 
by mail or courier to the U.S. Department of Labor-OASAM, Office of the 
Chief Information Officer, Attn: Departmental Information Compliance 
Management Program, Room N1301, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20210; or by email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michel Smyth by telephone at 202-693-
4129, TTY 202-693-8064, (these are not toll-free numbers) or sending an 
email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This ICR seeks approval under the PRA for 
revisions to the Consumer Expenditure Surveys: Quarterly Interview and 
Diary. The BLS uses the Consumer Expenditure Surveys to gather 
information on expenditures, income, and other related subjects. The 
data is updated periodically in the national Consumer Price Index. In 
addition, the data is used by a variety of researchers in academia, 
government agencies, and the private sector. The data is collected from 
a national probability sample of households designed to represent the 
total civilian non-institutional population. The purpose of this 
revision request is to make changes to the two Consumer Expenditure 
(CE) Surveys: The Quarterly Interview Survey (CEQ) and the Diary Survey 
(CED) as part of an ongoing effort to improve data quality, maintain or 
increase response rates, and reduce data collection costs. The Census 
Authorizing Statute and BLS Authorizing Statute authorize this 
information collection. See 13 U.S.C. 8b and 29 U.S.C. 2.
    The ICR has been characterized as a revision for several reasons. 
More specifically, three major changes are proposed for the CED. (1) In 
an effort to alleviate burden and improve response rates, an 
alternative version of the paper CED has been developed. The new 
version consolidates the four main diary categories into two, facing, 
diary pages so that all expenses for a single day can be entered 
without flipping pages. An effort was also made to reduce the amount of 
instructions and examples so that respondents are not confused or 
intimidated. (2) The earliest placement date and last placement date 
restrictions for the Diary will be removed allowing

[[Page 56997]]

Field Representatives to place the diary on any day within the 
collection month. (3) In order to simplify procedures and reduce costs, 
all Diaries will be double placed. As a result, the second Field 
Representative interview to pick up the Week 1 Diary and place the Week 
2 Diary will be eliminated. Additionally, the CE will delete several 
tax questions that were deleted from CEQ in 2015 as data received from 
the IRS have enabled CE to calculate this data rather than collect it. 
Several changes will also be implemented in CEQ in order to keep the 
CEQ questionnaire current. These changes include changes to question 
wording, deletions, additions, and section restructurings.
    This information collection is subject to the PRA. A Federal agency 
generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and 
the public is generally not required to respond to an information 
collection, unless it is approved by the OMB under the PRA and displays 
a currently valid OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any 
other provisions of law, no person shall generally be subject to 
penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information that 
does not display a valid Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 
1320.6. The DOL obtains OMB approval for this information collection 
under Control Number 1220-0050. The current approval is scheduled to 
expire on June 30, 2019; however, the DOL notes that existing 
information collection requirements submitted to the OMB receive a 
month-to-month extension while they undergo review. New requirements 
would only take effect upon OMB approval. For additional substantive 
information about this ICR, see the related notice published in the 
Federal Register on June 30, 2016 (81 FR 42731).
    Interested parties are encouraged to send comments to the OMB, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the address shown in 
the ADDRESSES section within thirty (30) days of publication of this 
notice in the Federal Register. In order to help ensure appropriate 
consideration, comments should mention OMB Control Number 1220-0050. 
The OMB 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; and
     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 submission of responses.
    Agency: DOL-BLS.
    Title of Collection: Consumer Expenditure Surveys: Quarterly 
Interview and Diary.
    OMB Control Number: 1220-0050.
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
    Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 13,927.
    Total Estimated Number of Responses: 57,732.
    Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 56,718 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $0.

    Authority:  44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D).

     Dated: November 28, 2017.
Michel Smyth,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-25925 Filed 11-30-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-24-P