Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping Requirements; Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping Requirements; Agency Information

Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (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 collection and its expected cost and

burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period

soliciting comments on the following collections of information was

published on April 23, 1997 [62 FR 19854].

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before September 2, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernie Stankus, Office of Airline

Information, K-25, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 400 Seventh

Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-4387.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)

Title: Part 249 Preservation of Records.

Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information

collection.

OMB Control Number: 2138-0006.

Affected Public: Certificated air carriers and public charter

operators.

Abstract: Part 249 requires the retention of such records as

general and subsidiary ledgers, journals and journal vouchers, voucher

distribution registers, accounts receivable and payable journals and

ledgers, subsidy records documenting underlying financial and

statistical reports to the Department, funds reports, consumer records,

sales reports, auditors and flight coupons, airway bills, etc.

Depending on the nature of the document, it may be retained for a

period of 30 days to 3 years. Public charter operators and overseas

military personnel charter operators must retain documents which

evidence or reflect deposits made by each charter participant and

commissions received by, paid to, or deducted by travel agents, and all

statements, invoices, bills and receipts from suppliers or furnishers

of goods and services in connection with the tour

[[Page 41120]]

or charter. These records are retained for 6 months after completion of

the charter program. Not only is it imperative that carriers and

charter operators retain source documentation, but it is critical that

we ensure that DOT has access to these records. Given DOT's established

information needs for such reports, the underlying support

documentation must be retained for a reasonable period of time. Absent

the retention requirements, the documentary support for such reports

may or may not exist for audit/validation purposes and the relevance

and usefulness of carrier submissions would be impaired, since the data

could not be verified to the source on a test basis.

Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 678 hours.

Number of Respondents: 470.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725-17th Street, NW.,

Washington, DC 20503, Attention DOT Desk Officer. 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.

Issued in Washington, DC, on July 24, 1997.

Vanester M. Williams,

Clearance Officer, United States Department of Transportation.

[FR Doc. 97-20110 Filed 7-30-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-62-P