2016-31888. Reports, Forms, and Record Keeping Requirements

AGENCY:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation.

ACTION:

Request for public comment on a proposed collection of information.

SUMMARY:

Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information, including extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections.

This document describes one collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

DATES:

Comments must be received on or before March 6, 2017.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments [identified by DOT Docket No. NHTSA-2016-0134] by any of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail: Docket Management Facility: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
• Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Telephone: [phone].
• Fax: [phone].

Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and docket number for this proposed collection of information. Note that all comments received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov,, including any personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading below.

Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78) or you may visit http://DocketInfo.dot.gov.

Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for accessing the dockets. Alternately, you may visit in person the Docket Management Facility at the street address listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Coleman Sachs, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance (NEF-230), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, West Building—4th Floor—Room W45-205, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. Mr. Sachs' telephone number is [phone]. Please identify the relevant collection of information by referring to its OMB Control Number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, before an agency submits a proposed collection of information to OMB for approval, it must first publish a document in the Federal Register providing a 60-day comment period and otherwise consult with members of the public and affected agencies concerning each proposed collection of information. The OMB has promulgated regulations describing what must be included in such a document. Under OMB's regulation (at 5 CFR 1320.8(d)), an agency must ask for public comment on the following:

i. 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;

ii. 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;

iii. How to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;

iv. How to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g. permitting electronic submission of responses.

In compliance with these requirements, NHTSA asks for public comments on the following proposed collection of information:

Title: 49 CFR part 566 Manufacturer Identification.

Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.

OMB Control Number: 2127-0043.

Affected Public: New manufacturers of motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment subject to the Federal motor vehicle safety standards.

Requested Expiration Date of Approval: July 31, 2020.

Form Number: None.

Abstract: If a motor vehicle or item of replacement motor vehicle equipment contains a defect related to motor vehicle safety or fails to comply with an applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS), the manufacturer is required under 49 U.S.C. 30118 to furnish notification of the defect or noncompliance to the Secretary of Transportation, as well as to owners, purchasers, and dealers of the motor vehicle or replacement equipment, and to remedy the defect or noncompliance without charge to the owner. To ensure that manufacturers are meeting these and other responsibilities under the statutes and regulations administered by NHTSA, the agency issued 49 CFR part 566, Manufacturer Identification. The regulations in part 566 require manufacturers of motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment to which a FMVSS applies, to submit to NHTSA, on a one-time basis, identifying information on themselves and a description of the products that they manufacture to those standards. With changes implemented in 2015, manufacturers have been able to make these submissions using an online portal on the agency's Web site at https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/​.

The information that must be submitted includes: (a) The full individual, partnership, or corporate name of the manufacturer; (b) the business name of the manufacturer commonly known to the public; (c) the residence address of the manufacturer and State of incorporation if applicable; (d) full contact information for the manufacturer and the submitting official; and (e) a description of each type of motor vehicle or of covered equipment manufactured by the manufacturer, including, for motor vehicles, the approximate ranges of gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR) for each vehicle type. The regulations specify that the description may be of a general type, such as “passenger cars” or “brake fluid,” but that in the case of multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, and trailers, the description shall be specific enough to indicate the types of use for which the vehicles are intended, such as “tank trailer,” “motor home,” or “cargo van.” See 49 CFR 566.5(c)(1) and (2).

The regulations further specify that in the case of motor vehicles produced in two or more stages, if the manufacturer is an incomplete vehicle manufacturer, the description shall so state and include a description indicating the stage of completion of the vehicle and, where known, the types of use for which the vehicles are intended, such as “Incomplete vehicle manufacturer—Chassis-cab intended for completion as a van-type truck.” See 49 CFR 566.5(c)(3). The regulations also specify that if the manufacturer is an intermediate manufacturer, or a final stage manufacturer of a vehicle manufactured in two or more stages, the description shall so state and include a brief description of the work performed, such as “Multipurpose passenger vehicles: Motor homes with GVWR from 8,000 to 12,000 pounds. Final-stage manufacturer—add body to bare chassis.” Ibid.

The information must be submitted no later than 30 days after the manufacturer begins to manufacture motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment subject to the FMVSS. No specific form need be used for the submission of this information. NHTSA provides an online portal with a fillable web-based format for use in submitting the required information. This is described in a handbook entitled Requirements for Manufacturers of Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Equipment that can be accessed on the agency's Web site at https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/​. A description of the reporting requirement is included on pages 8 and 9 of the handbook.

Manufacturers who have previously submitted identifying information must ensure that the information on file is accurate and complete by submitting revised information no later than 30 days after a change in the business that affects the validity of that information has occurred.

In 2013, NHTSA received submissions of manufacturer identifying information under 49 CFR part 566 from 523 manufacturers. In 2014, the agency received 507 such submissions. In 2015, the agency received 540. Based on this volume of submissions, the agency projects that it will receive approximately 523 part 566 submissions from manufacturers in each of the next three years. Assuming that it will take a manufacturer on average 15 minutes to prepare an online submittal, the agency estimates that 131 hours will be expended on an annual basis by all manufacturers required to submit part 566 identifying information.

Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number and Proposed Frequency of Responses to the Collection of Information): The agency estimates that it will receive new submissions of manufacturer identifying information under part 566 from approximately 523 manufacturers of motor vehicles and regulated items of motor vehicle equipment per year. The manufacturers need only submit the required information on a one-time basis, with the proviso that they refile their information through the online portal in the event of any changes in the information on file within 30 days from the date that any change in that information occurs.

Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden of the Collection of Information: 131 hours.

Estimate of the Total Annual Costs of the Collection of Information: Assuming that the part 566 information that needs to be submitted through the online portal is entered by company officers or employees compensated at an average rate of $30.00 per hour, the agency estimates that $3,930 will be expended on an annual basis by all manufacturers required to submit that information.

Comments are invited on: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Department, including whether the information will have practical utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Jeffrey M. Giuseppe,

Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.