2018-14205. Information Collection Activities, Comment Request

AGENCY:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor.

ACTION:

Notice of information collection; request for comment.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed extension of the “Consumer Price Index Housing Survey.” A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the individual listed below in the Addresses section of this notice.

DATES:

Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the Addresses section of this notice on or before August 31, 2018.

ADDRESSES:

Send comments to Nora Kincaid, BLS Clearance Officer, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 4080, 2 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20212. Written comments also may be transmitted by fax to 202-691-5111 (this is not a toll free number).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nora Kincaid, BLS Clearance Officer, telephone [phone] (this is not a toll free number). (See Addresses Section.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the timeliest instrument compiled by the U.S. Government that is designed to measure changes in the purchasing power of the urban consumer's dollar. The CPI is used most widely as a measure of inflation, and is used in the formulation of economic policy. It also is used as a deflator of other economic series, that is, to adjust other series for price changes and to translate these series into inflation-free dollars.

II. Current Action

Office of Management and Budget clearance is being sought for the CPI Housing Survey. The continuation of the collection of housing rents for the CPI is essential since the CPI is the nation's chief source of information on retail price changes. If the information on rents were not collected, Federal fiscal and monetary policies would be hampered due to the lack of information on price changes in a major sector of the U.S. economy, and estimates of the real value of the Gross Domestic Product could not be made. The consequences to both the Federal and private sectors would be far reaching and would have serious repercussions on Federal government policy and institutions.

III. Desired Focus of Comments

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is particularly interested in comments that:

• Evaluate 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.
• Evaluate 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.
• Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected.
• Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses.

Title of Collection: CPI Housing Survey.

OMB Number: 1220-0163.

Type of Review: Extension.

Affected Public: Individuals or households; business or other for-profit.

Total Respondents: 75,769.

Frequency: Semi-annually.

Total Responses: 129,778.

Average Time per Response: 5.89560 minutes.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 12,752 hours.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget approval of the information collection request; they also will become a matter of public record.

Signed at Washington, DC, this 27th day of June 2018.

Eric P. Molina,

Acting Chief, Division of Management Systems.