03-28380. Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Interim Capital Construction Fund Agreement and Certificate Family of Forms

AGENCY:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES:

Written comments must be submitted on or before January 12, 2004.

ADDRESSES:

Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at [e-mail]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should be directed to Charles L. Cooper, Financial Services Division, Office of Constituency Services, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 at 301-713-2396, ext. 213, or at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The respondents will be commercial fishing industry individuals, partnerships, and corporations that want to enter into Capital Construction Fund agreements with the Secretary of Commerce. Such agreements allow deferral of Federal taxation on fishing vessel income deposited into a fund for the respondent for use in the acquisition, construction, or reconstruction of a fishing vessel. Deferred taxes are recaptured by reducing an agreement vessel's basis for depreciation by the amount withdrawn from the fund for its acquisition, construction, or reconstruction. The information collected from agreement holders is used to determine their eligibility to participate in the Capital Construction Fund Program pursuant to 50 CFR part 259.

At the completion of the construction/reconstruction, a certificate to that effect must be submitted.

II. Method of Collection

The information will be collected on forms: the Fishing Vessel Capital Construction Fund Application, the Interim Capital Construction Fund Agreement, and the Certificate of Construction/Reconstruction.

III. Data

OMB Number: 0648-0090.

Form Number: NOAA Form 88-14.

Type of Review: Regular submission.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,000.

Estimated Time Per Response: 3.5 hours for agreement; and 1 hour for a certificate.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,250.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $3,145.

IV. Request for Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

Dated: November 4, 2003.

Gwellnar Banks,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.