01-7041. Proposed Collection of Information; Comment Request-Safety Standard for Bicycle Helmets

AGENCY:

Consumer Product Safety Commission.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Consumer Product Safety Commission requests comments on a proposed extension of approval of a collection of information from manufacturers and importers of bicycle helmets. The collection of information is in regulations implementing the Safety Standard for Bicycle Helmets (16 CFR Part 1203). These regulations establish testing and recordkeeping requirements for manufacturers and importers of bicycle helmets subject to the standard. The Commission will consider all comments received in response to this notice before requesting an extension of approval of this collection of information from the Office of Management and Budget.

DATES:

Written comments must be received by the Office of the Secretary not later than May 21, 2001.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments should be mailed to the Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207, or delivered to that office, room 502, 4330 East-West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland, 20814. Alternatively, comments may be filed by telefacsimile to [phone] or by e-mail to [e-mail]. Comments should be captioned “Bicycle Helmets.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For information about the proposed extension of approval of the collection of information, or to obtain a copy of 16 CFR Part 1203, call or write Linda L. Glatz, Office of Planning and Evaluation, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207; telephone [phone], extension 2226, or by e-mail to [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In 1994, Congress passed the “Child Safety Protection Act,” which, among other things, included the “Children's Bicycle Helmet Safety Act of 1994” (Pub. L. 103-267, 108 Stat. 726). This law directed the Commission to issue a final standard applicable to bicycle helmets that would replace several existing voluntary standards with a single uniform standard that would include provisions to protect against the risk of helmets coming off the heads of bicycle riders, address the risk of injury to children, and cover other issues as appropriate. The Commission issued the final bicycle helmet standard in 1998. It is codified at 16 CFR Part 1203.

The standard requires all bicycle helmets manufactured after March 10, 1999, to meet impact-attenuation and other requirements. The standard also contains testing and recordkeeping requirements to ensure that bicycle helmets meet the standard's requirements. Certification regulations implementing the standard require manufacturers, importers, and private labelers of bicycle helmets subject to the standard to (1) perform tests to demonstrate that those products meet the requirements of the standard, (2) maintain records of those tests, and (3) affix permanent labels to the helmets stating that the helmet complies with the applicable standard. The certification regulations are codified at 16 CFR Part 1203, Subpart B.

The Commission uses the information compiled and maintained by manufacturers, importers, and private labelers of bicycle helmets subject to the standard to help protect the public from risks of injury or death associated with head injury associated with bicycle riding. More specifically, this information helps the Commission determine whether bicycle helmets subject to the standard comply with all applicable requirements. The Commission also uses this information to obtain corrective actions if bicycle helmets fail to comply with the standard in a manner that creates a substantial risk of injury to the public.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the collection of information in the certification regulations under control number 3041-0127. OMB's most recent extension of approval will expire on July 31, 2001. The Commission now proposes to request an extension of approval without change for the collection of information in the certification regulations.

B. Estimated Burden

The Commission staff estimates that approximately 30 firms manufacture or import bicycle helmets subject to the standard. The Commission staff estimates that the certification regulations will impose an average annual burden of about 1,000 hours on each of those firms. That burden will result from conducting the testing required by the regulations and maintaining records of the results of that testing. The total annual burden imposed by the regulations on manufacturers and importers of bicycle helmets is approximately 30,000 hours. However, the Commission staff is unable to estimate the total dollar cost incurred by the industry for compliance with the standard.

C. Request for Comments

The Commission solicits written comments from all interested persons about the proposed collection of information. The Commission specifically solicits information relevant to the following topics:

—Whether the collection of information described above is necessary for the proper performance of the Commission's functions, including whether the information would have practical utility;

—Whether the estimated burden of the proposed collection of information is accurate;

—Whether the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected could be enhanced; and

—Whether the burden imposed by the collection of information could be minimized by use of automated, electronic or other technological collection techniques, or other forms of information technology.

Dated: March 15, 2001.

Sadye E. Dunn,

Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission.