2022-03956. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Federal Trade Commission.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC” or “Commission”) requests that the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) extend for an additional three years the current Paperwork Reduction Act (“PRA”) clearance for the information collection requirements in the Alternative Fuels Rule (“Rule”). That clearance expires on March 30, 2022.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted by March 28, 2022.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Hampton Newsome, Attorney, [phone], Division of Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Labeling Requirements for Alternative Fuels and Alternative Fueled Vehicles (“Alternative Fuels Rule”), 16 CFR part 309.

OMB Control Number: 3084-0094.

Type of Review: Extension without change of currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Private Sector: Businesses and other for-profit entities.

Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 6,000 hours.

Estimated Annual Labor Costs: $175,298.

Estimated Non-Labor Costs: $3,040.

Abstract: The Energy Policy Act of 1992 established federal programs to encourage the development of alternative fuels and alternative fueled vehicles (“AFVs”). Section 406(a) of the Act directed the Commission to establish uniform labeling requirements for alternative fuels and AFVs. 42 U.S.C. 13232(a). Such labels must provide “appropriate information with respect to costs and benefits [of alternative fuels and AFVs], so as to reasonably enable the consumer to make choices and comparisons.” The required labels must be “simple and, where appropriate, consolidated with other labels providing information to the consumer.”

Pursuant to the Act, the Commission published the Alternative Fuels Rule in 1995, and the Rule was later amended in 2013. The Rule requires disclosure of specific information on labels posted on fuel dispensers for non-liquid alternative fuels. To ensure the accuracy of these disclosures, the Rule also requires that sellers maintain records substantiating product-specific disclosures they include on these labels. In addition, the Rule requires that distributors of non-liquid alternative vehicle fuel provide certifications of the fuel rating in each transfer to anyone who is not a consumer.

Request for Comment: On October 6, 2021, the Commission sought comment on the information collection requirements associated with the Privacy Rule. 86 FR 55607 (Oct. 6, 2021). No relevant comments were received. Pursuant to the OMB regulations, 5 CFR part 1320, the FTC is providing this second opportunity for public comment while seeking OMB approval to renew clearance for the Rule's information collection requirements.

Your comment—including your name and your state—will be placed on the public record of this proceeding. Because your comment will be made public, you are solely responsible for making sure that your comment does not include any sensitive personal information, like anyone's Social Security number, date of birth, driver's license number or other state identification number or foreign country equivalent, passport number, financial account number, or credit or debit card number. You are also solely responsible for making sure that your comment does not include any sensitive health information, like medical records or other individually identifiable health information. In addition, do not include any “[t]rade secret or any commercial or financial information which is . . . privileged or confidential” as provided in Section 6(f) of the FTC Act 15 U.S.C. 46(f), and FTC Rule 4.10(a)(2), 16 CFR 4.10(a)(2). In particular, do not include competitively sensitive information such as costs, sales statistics, inventories, formulas, patterns devices, manufacturing processes, or customer names.

Josephine Liu,

Assistant General Counsel for Legal Counsel.