03-12047. Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping Requirements; Activity Under OMB Review: Report of Extension of Credit to Political Candidates

AGENCY:

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), DOT.

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 extension of currently approved collections. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on February 26, 2003 (68 FR vol. 68, page 8959).

DATES:

Written comments should be submitted by June 16, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Bernie Stankus, Office of Airline Information, K-14, Room 4125, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001, Telephone Number [phone], Fax Number [phone] or e-mail [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)

Title: Report of Extension of Credit to Political Candidates.

Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.

OMB Control Number: 2138-0016.

Forms: 183.

Affected Public: U.S. air carriers that extend credit to political candidates during Federal elections.

Background

The Department uses this Form 183 as the means to fulfill its obligation under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (the Act). The Act's legislative history indicates that one of its statutory goals is to prevent candidates for Federal political office from incurring large amounts of unsecured debt with regulated transportation companies (e.g. airlines). This information collection allows the Department to monitor and disclose the amount of unsecured credit extended by airlines to candidates for Federal office. All certificated air carriers are required to submit this information.

Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 24 hours.

ADDRESSES:

Send comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725—17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention BTS Desk Officer.

Comments are invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Department concerning extension of credit to political candidates by airlines. Comments should address 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.

The Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (44 U.S.C. 3501 note), requires a statistical agency to clearly identify information it collects for non-statistical purposes. BTS hereby notifies the respondents and the public that BTS uses the information it collects under this OMB approval for non-statistical purposes including, but not limited to, publication of both Respondent's identity and its data, submission of the information to agencies outside BTS for review, analysis and possible use in regulatory and other administrative matters.

Issued in Washington, DC, on May 8, 2003.

Donald W. Bright,

Assistant Director, Airline Information, Bureau of Transportation Statistics.