Notice2023-06794
Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 3, 2023
Issuing agencies
Labor DepartmentLabor Statistics Bureau
Abstract
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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 63 (Monday, April 3, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 63 (Monday, April 3, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19678-19679]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#77353b2428272536282702151b1e1437151b0459101801"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b7f5fbe4e8e7e5f6e8e7c2d5dbded4f7d5dbc499d0d8c1">[email protected]</span></a>.
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:
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected.
<bullet> 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
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