Submission For OMB Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

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 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).

Agency: Bureau of the Census.

Title: Current Industrial Reports Program--Wave I (Mandatory).

Form Number(s): Total of 23 individual CIR reports.

Agency Approval Number: 0607-0392.

Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Burden: 18,252 hours.

Number of Respondents: 14,650.

Avg Hours Per Response: 1 hour 15 minutes.

Needs and Uses: The Current Industrial Reports (CIR) program is a

series of monthly, quarterly, and annual surveys which provide key

measures of production, shipments, and/or inventories on a national

basis for selected manufactured products. Government agencies, business

firms, trade associations, and private research and consulting

organizations use these data to make trade policy, production, and

investment decisions.

For clearance purposes, the approximately 72 CIR surveys are

divided into ``waves.'' Each wave has an associated voluntary and

mandatory clearance package, making 6 separate clearances. Each year,

one wave (2 clearance packages) is submitted for review.

In this request, we are moving 3 CIR reports (Air Conditioning &

Refrigeration; Steel Mill; and Computer and Office Equipment) from

other waves into this wave because of changes in survey content and

moving 3 others (Confectionery; Coin Operated Vending Machines; and

Electric Lighting Fixtures) into this wave because of a change in

reporting status. These 3 annual reports, normally conducted as

voluntary, are being done on a mandatory basis this year in conjunction

with the economic

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censuses. Additionally, a CIR report on Fluid Power Products (intended

for conversion from mandatory to voluntary this year) which is already

contained in this wave will continue to be conducted on a mandatory

basis this year in conjunction with the economic censuses.

These planned changes were not made public in our presubmission

Federal Register notice published February 26, 1997 announcing our

plans to submit this request. The changes are non-controversial and

will not result in any overall increase in reporting burden.

Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit organizations.

Frequency: This request contains monthly, quarterly, and annual

counterpart reports.

Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

Legal Authority: Title 13 USC, Sections 61, 131, 182, 224, and 225.

OMB Desk Officer: Jerry Coffey, (202) 395-7314.

Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained

by calling or writing Linda Engelmeier, DOC Forms Clearance Officer,

(202) 482-3272, Department of Commerce, room 5327, 14th and

Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information

collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice

to Jerry Coffey, OMB Desk Officer, room 10201, New Executive Office

Building, Washington, DC 20503.

Dated: August 7, 1997.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of Management and

Organization.

[FR Doc. 97-21387 Filed 8-12-97; 8:45 am]

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