2014-05990. Reports, Forms and Record Keeping Requirements

AGENCY:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collections and their expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was published on January 8, 2014 (79 FR 1426).

DATES:

Comments must be submitted to OMB on or before April 18, 2014.

ADDRESSES:

Send comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: Desk Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Alex Ansley, Recall Management Division (NVS-215), Room W46-412, NHTSA, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: [phone].

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, see 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; and

(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 collection of information:

Title: Names and Addresses of First Purchasers of Motor Vehicles.

OMB Number: 2127-0044.

Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information collection.

Affected Public: Businesses or others for profit.

Abstract: Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30117(b), a manufacturer of a motor vehicle or tire (except a retreaded tire) must maintain a record of the name and address of the first purchasers of each vehicle or tire it produces and, to the extent prescribed by regulation of the Secretary, must maintain a record of the name and address of the first purchaser of replacement equipment (except a tire) that the manufacturer produces.

Vehicle manufacturers presently collect and maintain purchaser information for business reasons, such as for warranty claims processing and marketing, and experience with this statutory requirement has shown that manufacturers have retained this information in a manner sufficient to enable them to expeditiously notify vehicle purchasers in the case of a safety recall. Based on industry custom and this experience, NHTSA therefore determined that the regulation mentioned in 49 U.S.C. 30117(b) was unnecessary as to vehicle manufacturers. As an aside, the requirement for maintaining tire purchaser information are contained in 49 CFR part 574, Tire Identification and Recordkeeping, and the burden of that information collection is not part of this information collection.

Estimated annual burden: Zero. As a practical matter, vehicle manufacturers are presently collecting from their dealers and then maintaining first purchaser information for their own commercial reasons. Therefore, the statutory requirement does not impose any additional burden.

Number of respondents: We estimate that there are roughly 1,000 manufacturers of motor vehicles that collect and keep first purchaser 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.

A comment to OMB is most effective if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication.

Issued on: March 13, 2014.

Jennifer T. Timian,

Chief, Recall Management Division.