[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 63 (Monday, April 3, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19678-19679]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-06794]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Bureau of Labor Statistics


Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

AGENCY: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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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. 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 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 June 2, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Nora Kincaid, BLS Clearance Officer, 
Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room G225, 
2 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20212. Written comments also 
may be transmitted by email to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nora Kincaid, BLS Clearance Officer, 
at 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 dollar values. 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 fifteen 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 more than 90 million of 
Americans through cost-of-living adjustments tied to the CPI: over 65 
million Social Security beneficiaries and over 38 million Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, among other programs. 
Changes in the CPI also affect the cost of lunches for over 30 million 
children who eat lunch at school as part of the National School Lunch 
Program (NSLP). 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 based on the change 
in the CPI series, ``Food away from Home.'' Many private firms and 
individuals use the CPI to keep rents, royalties, alimony payments, and 
child support payments in line with changing prices. 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 (CPI) 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.
    Title of Collection: Consumer Price Index Commodities and Services 
Survey.
    OMB Number: 1220-0039.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not for profit 
institutions; and State, Local or Tribal Government.

[[Page 19679]]



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                                       Total                           Total       Average time      Estimated
                                    respondents      Frequency       responses     per response    total burden
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Pricing.........................          35,622         8.78119         312,598            0.33         103,157
Outlet Rotation.................          10,683               1          10,683             1.0          10,683
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    Total.......................          46,305             n/a         323,281             n/a         113,840
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    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, on March 28, 2023.
Eric Molina,
Acting Division Chief, Division of Management Systems.
[FR Doc. 2023-06794 Filed 3-31-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P