[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 140 (Tuesday, July 21, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 44108]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-15595]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Consumer Price Index Commodities and Services 
Survey

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Bureau of 
Labor Statistics (BLS)-sponsored information collection request (ICR) 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public 
comments on the ICR are invited.

DATES: The OMB will consider all written comments that agency receives 
on or before August 20, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anthony May by telephone at 202-693-
4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the Department, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (2) if the information will be processed and 
used in a timely manner; (3) the accuracy of the agency's estimates of 
the burden and cost of the collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (4) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility and clarity of the information collection; and (5) 
ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    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 eight 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 almost 132 million of Americans: 64 Million Social Security 
beneficiaries, 4 million military and Federal Civil Service retirees, 
and 34 million food stamp recipients have cost-of-living adjustments 
tied to the CPI. Changes in the CPI also affect the cost of lunches for 
30 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. 
For additional substantive information about this ICR, see the related 
notice published in the Federal Register on February 21, 2020 (85 FR 
10190).
    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 the OMB approves it 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 
OMB Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6.
    DOL seeks PRA authorization for this information collection for 
three (3) years. OMB authorization for an ICR cannot be for more than 
three (3) years without renewal. The DOL notes that information 
collection requirements submitted to the OMB for existing ICRs receive 
a month-to-month extension while they undergo review.
    Agency: DOL-BLS.
    Title of Collection: Consumer Price Index Commodities and Services 
Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 1220-0039.
    Affected Public: Private Sector: Businesses or other for-profits, 
individuals and households, state/local/tribal governments.
    Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 52,047.
    Total Estimated Number of Responses: 336,423.
    Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 121,405 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $0.

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

     Dated: July 13, 2020.
Anthony May,
Management and Program Analyst.
[FR Doc. 2020-15595 Filed 7-20-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P