01-22209. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DOC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13.

Bureau: International Trade Administration.

Title: SABIT: Applications and Questionnaires.

Agency Form Number: N/A.

OMB Number: 0625-0225.

Type of Request: Revision-Regular Submission.

Burden: 6,088.

Number of Respondents: 2,800.

Avg. Hours Per Response: 2 hours.

Needs and Uses: The Special American Business Internship Training (SABIT) programs of the Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration (ITA), are a key element in the U.S. Government's efforts to support the economic transition of the Newly Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union. SABIT places business executives and scientists from the Independent States in U.S. firms for one-to-six month internships to gain firsthand experiences working in a market economy. This unique private sector-U.S. Government partnership was created in order to tap the U.S. private sector's expertise in assisting the NIS's transition to a market economy while boosting U.S.-NIS long-term trade.

Under the “regular” (grants) SABIT program, qualified U.S. firms will receive funds through a cooperative agreement with ITA to help defray the cost of hosting interns. The information collected by the Application is needed by the SABIT staff to recruit and screen respondents and provide U.S. firms with a pool of eligible candidates from which to select interns. Intern applications are required to determine the suitability of candidates for SABIT internships. Feedback surveys and end-of-internship reports are needed to enable SABIT to track the success of the program as regards trade between the U.S. and NIS, as well as to improve the content and administration of the programs.

Affected Public: Business or other non-profit, individuals (non-U.S. citizens).

Frequency: On occasion.

Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit, voluntary.

OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker, [phone].

Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained by calling or writing Madeleine Clayton, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, [phone], Department of Commerce, Room 6086, 14th and Constitution, NW., Washington, DC 20230 or via internet at [e-mail].

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent to David Rostker, OMB Desk Officer, Room 10202, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503 within 30 days of the publication of this notice in the Federal Register.

Dated: August 30, 2001.

Madeleine Clayton,

Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer.