2010-28619. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).

Agency: Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).

Title: Foreign Availability Procedures.

OMB Control Number: 0694-0004.

Form Number(s): N/A.

Type of Request: Regular submission (extension of a currently approved information collection).

Burden Hours: 510.

Number of Respondents: 2.

Average Hours per Response: 255.

Needs and Uses: BIS's Office of Technology Evaluation (OTE) responds to requests by Congress and industry to make foreign availability determinations. OTE identifies foreign goods and technology analogous to American equipment subject to export controls. The U.S. and foreign equipment, however, must demonstrate a similarity of design or approach to the technical problems as well as exhibit similar performance and reliability characteristics. If the information merits an assessment, then it is used in that specific study of foreign availability. Continued restrictions on U.S. exports when comparable items are available from uncontrollable sources decreases U.S. competitiveness in high technology industries and undermines U.S. national security interests.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; not-for-profit institutions.

Frequency: On occasion.

Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain benefits.

OMB Desk Officer: Jasmeet Seehra, [phone].

Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, [phone], Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at [e-mail]).

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to Jasmeet Seehra, OMB Desk Officer, via e-mail to [e-mail], or Fax to [phone].

Dated: November 9, 2010.

Gwellnar Banks,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.