[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 2, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 22644-22645]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-07077]


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FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

16 CFR Part 305

RIN 3084-AB15


Energy Labeling Rule; Extension of Comment Period

AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Trade Commission (``FTC'' or ``Commission'') is 
extending the deadline for filing comments on its Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking (``NPRM'') regarding the Energy Labeling Rule.

DATES: The deadline for comments on the NPRM published on February 2, 
2024 (89 FR 7566) is extended. Comments must be received on or before 
April 19, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may file a comment online or on paper by 
following the instructions in the Comment Submissions part of the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below. Write ``Energy Labeling Rule 
(16 CFR part 305) (Matter No. R611004)'' on your comment, and file your 
comment online at https://www.regulations.gov, by following the 
instructions on the web-based form. If you prefer to file your comment 
on paper, mail your comment to the following address: Federal Trade 
Commission, Office of the Secretary, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Mail 
Stop H-144 (Annex L), Washington, DC 20580.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hampton Newsome (202-326-2889), or 
Hong Park (202-326-2158), Attorneys, Division of Enforcement, Bureau of 
Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20580.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Comment Period Extension

    On February 2, 2024 (89 FR 7566), the Commission published in the 
Federal Register an NPRM concerning the Energy Labeling Rule 
(``Rule''), with an April 2, 2024, comment deadline. The Commission 
published the NPRM to seek public comments on potential changes to the 
Rule, including: (1) labels for air cleaners, clothes dryers, 
miscellaneous refrigeration products, and portable electric spas; (2) 
modifications to existing labels for clothes washers, televisions, and 
several heating products; (3) revisions to the current requirements for 
affixing labels on showroom models; and (4) several minor amendments to 
improve the Rule. The Consumer Technology Association (``CTA''), 
representing interested industry members, has subsequently requested a 
17-day extension of the public comment period in order to complete 
consumer research which it intends to submit in this proceeding.\1\ No 
commenters have objected to CTA's request.
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    \1\ See Comment of CTA, Docket ID FTC-2024-0008-0006 and FTC-
2024-0008-0007 (Feb. 20 and 26, 2024) at https://www.regulations.gov/.
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    The Commission agrees that allowing additional time for filing 
comments in response to the NPRM would help facilitate the creation of 
a more complete record. Given the short duration of the extension, the 
specificity of the request, and the lack of opposition to such an 
extension, the Commission has therefore decided to extend the comment 
period to April 19, 2024. This extension will provide CTA adequate time 
to complete its consumer research.

II. Request for Comment

    You can file a comment online or on paper. For the FTC to consider 
your comment, we must receive it on or before April 19, 2024. Write 
``Energy Labeling Rule (16 CFR part 305) (Matter No. R611004)'' on your 
comment. Because of the agency's heightened security screening, postal 
mail addressed to the Commission will be subject to delay. As a result, 
we strongly encourage you to submit your comments online through the 
https://www.regulations.gov website. To ensure that the Commission 
considers your online comment, please follow the instructions on the 
web-based form. Your comment--including your name and your State--will 
be placed on the public record of this proceeding, including the 
https://www.regulations.gov website. As a matter of discretion, the 
Commission tries to remove individuals' home contact information from 
comments before placing them on https://www.regulations.gov.
    If you file your comment on paper, write ``Energy Labeling Rule (16 
CFR part 305) (Matter No. R611004)'' on your comment and on the 
envelope, and mail it to the following address: Federal Trade 
Commission, Office of the Secretary, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Mail 
Stop H-144 (Annex L), Washington, DC 20580. If possible, submit your 
paper comment to the Commission by overnight service.
    Because your comment will be placed on the publicly accessible 
website at www.regulations.gov, you are solely responsible for making 
sure that your comment does not include any sensitive

[[Page 22645]]

or confidential information. In particular, your comment should not 
include any sensitive personal information, such as your or anyone 
else's Social Security number; date of birth; driver's license number 
or other State identification number, or foreign country equivalent; 
passport number; financial account number; or credit or debit card 
number. You are also solely responsible for making sure that your 
comment does not include any sensitive health information, such as 
medical records or other individually identifiable health information. 
In addition, your comment should not include any ``trade secret or any 
commercial or financial information which . . . is privileged or 
confidential''--as provided by section 6(f) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 
46(f), and FTC Rule 4.10(a)(2), 16 CFR 4.10(a)(2)--including 
competitively sensitive information such as costs, sales statistics, 
inventories, formulas, patterns, devices, manufacturing processes, or 
customer names.
    Comments containing material for which confidential treatment is 
requested must be filed in paper form, must be clearly labeled 
``Confidential,'' and must comply with FTC Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c). 
In particular, the written request for confidential treatment that 
accompanies the comment must include the factual and legal basis for 
the request, and must identify the specific portions of the comment to 
be withheld from the public record. See FTC Rule 4.9(c). Your comment 
will be kept confidential only if the General Counsel grants your 
request in accordance with the law and the public interest. Once your 
comment has been posted publicly at www.regulations.gov, we cannot 
redact or remove your comment unless you submit a confidentiality 
request that meets the requirements for such treatment under FTC Rule 
4.9(c), and the General Counsel grants that request.
    Visit the FTC website to read this document and the news release 
describing it, and visit https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FTC-2024-0008 to read a plain-language summary of the proposed rule. The FTC Act 
and other laws that the Commission administers permit the collection of 
public comments to consider and use in this proceeding as appropriate. 
The Commission will consider all timely and responsive public comments 
that it receives on or before April 19, 2024. For information on the 
Commission's privacy policy, including routine uses permitted by the 
Privacy Act, see https://www.ftc.gov/site-information/privacy-policy.

    By direction of the Commission.
Joel Christie,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-07077 Filed 4-1-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6750-01-P