§ 1320.11 - Clearance of collections of information in proposed rules.

§ 1320.11 Clearance of collections of information in proposed rules.

Agencies shall submit collections of information contained in proposed rules published for public comment in the Federal Register in accordance with the following requirements:

(a) The agency shall include, in accordance with the requirements in § 1320.5(a)(1)(iv) and § 1320.8(d)(1) and (3), in the preamble to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking a statement that the collections of information contained in the proposed rule, and identified as such, have been submitted to OMB for review under section 3507(d) of the Act. The notice shall direct comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for [name of agency].

(b) All such submissions shall be made to OMB not later than the day on which the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is published in the Federal Register, in such form and in accordance with such procedures as OMB may direct. Such submissions shall include a copy of the proposed regulation and preamble.

(c) Within 60 days of publication of the proposed rule, but subject to paragraph (e) of this section, OMB may file public comments on collection of information provisions. The OMB comments shall be in the form of an OMB Notice of Action, which shall be sent to the Senior Official or agency head, or their designee, and which shall be made a part of the agency's rulemaking record.

(d) If an agency submission is not in compliance with paragraph (b) of this section, OMB may, subject to paragraph (e) of this section, disapprove the collection of information in the proposed rule within 60 days of receipt of the submission. If an agency fails to submit a collection of information subject to this section, OMB may, subject to paragraph (e) of this section, disapprove it at any time.

(e) OMB shall provide at least 30 days after receipt of the proposed collection of information before submitting its comments or making its decision, except as provided under § 1320.13.

(f) When the final rule is published in the Federal Register, the agency shall explain how any collection of information contained in the final rule responds to any comments received from OMB or the public. The agency shall include an identification and explanation of any modifications made in the rule, or explain why it rejected the comments. If requested by OMB, the agency shall include OMB's comments in the preamble to the final rule.

(g) If OMB has not filed public comments under paragraph (c) of this section, or has approved without conditions the collection of information contained in a rule before the final rule is published in the Federal Register, OMB may assign an OMB control number prior to publication of the final rule.

(h) On or before the date of publication of the final rule, the agency shall submit the final rule to OMB, unless it has been approved under paragraph (g) of this section (and not substantively or materially modified by the agency after approval). Not later than 60 days after publication, but subject to paragraph (e) of this section, OMB shall approve, instruct the agency to make a substantive or material change to, or disapprove, the collection of information contained in the final rule. Any such instruction to change or disapprove may be based on one or more of the following reasons, as determined by OMB:

(1) The agency has failed to comply with paragraph (b) of this section;

(2) The agency had substantially modified the collection of information contained in the final rule from that contained in the proposed rule without providing OMB with notice of the change and sufficient information to make a determination concerning the modified collection of information at least 60 days before publication of the final rule; or

(3) In cases in which OMB had filed public comments under paragraph (c) of this section, the agency's response to such comments was unreasonable, and the collection of information is unnecessary for the proper performance of the agency's functions.

(i) After making such decision to approve, to instruct the agency to make a substantive or material change to, or disapprove, the collection of information, OMB shall so notify the agency. If OMB approves the collection of information or if it has not acted upon the submission within the time limits of this section, the agency may request, and OMB shall assign an OMB control number. If OMB disapproves or instructs the agency to make substantive or material change to the collection of information, it shall make the reasons for its decision publicly available.

(j) OMB shall not approve any collection of information under this section for a period longer than three years. Approval of such collection of information will be for the full three-year period, unless OMB determines that there are special circumstances requiring approval for a shorter period.

(k) After receipt of notification of OMB's approval, instruction to make a substantive or material change to, disapproval of a collection of information, or failure to act, the agency shall publish a notice in the Federal Register to inform the public of OMB's decision.

(l) As provided in § 1320.5(b) and § 1320.6(a), an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information that such persons are not required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.