Reports, Forms, and Record Keeping Requirements

Claude H. Harris
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
May 28, 2014

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 102 (Wednesday, May 28, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30687-30688]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-12306]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration


Reports, Forms, and Record Keeping Requirements

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Notice.

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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) abstract regarding the Petitions for Exemption 
from the Theft Prevention Standard below has been forwarded to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR 
describes the nature of the information collections and their expected 
burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was 
published on March 21, 2014 (79 FR 15799). The agency received no 
comments.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 27, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, within 30 days, to the Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th 
Street NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention NHTSA 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 Departments' 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. Comments to OMB are most effective if OMB 
receives them within 30 days of publication.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carlita Ballard at the National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of International Policy, 
Fuel Economy and Consumer Programs (NVS-131), 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., 
West Building, Room W43-439, NVS-131, Washington, DC 20590. Ms. 
Ballard's telephone number is (202) 366-5222. Please identify the 
relevant collection of information by referring to its OMB Control 
Number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

    Title: Petitions for Exemption from the Vehicle Theft Prevention 
Standard (49 CFR Part 543)
    OMB Control Number: 2127-0542
    Type of Request: Request for public comment on a previously 
approved collection of information.
    Abstract: Manufacturers of passenger vehicle lines may petition the 
agency for an exemption from Part 541 requirements, if the line is 
equipped with an anti-theft device as standard equipment and meets 
agency criteria. Device must be as effective as parts-marking. 49 
U.S.C. Chapter 331 requires the Secretary of Transportation to 
promulgate a theft prevention standard to provide for the 
identification of certain motor vehicles and their major replacement 
parts to impede motor vehicle theft. 49 U.S.C. 33106 provides for an 
exemption to this identification process by petitions from 
manufacturers who equip covered vehicles with standard original 
equipment antitheft devices, which the Secretary determines are likely 
to be as effective in reducing or deterring theft as parts-marking. 
NHTSA may exempt a vehicle line from the parts marking requirement, if 
the manufacturer installs an antitheft device as standard equipment on 
the entire vehicle line for which it seeks an exemption and NHTSA 
determines that

[[Page 30688]]

the antitheft device is likely to be as effective in reducing and 
deterring motor vehicle theft as compliance with the parts-marking 
requirements. In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 33106, after model year (MY) 
2000, the number of new exemptions is contingent on a finding by the 
Attorney General as part of its long-range review of effectiveness. 
After consulting with DOJ, the agency decided it could continue 
granting one exemption per model year pending the results of the long-
term review.
    In a final rule published on April 6, 2004, the Federal Motor 
Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard was extended to include all passenger 
cars and multipurpose passenger vehicles with a gross vehicle rating of 
6,000 pounds or less, and to light duty trucks with major parts that 
are interchangeable with a majority of the covered major parts of 
multipurpose passenger vehicles. Consistent with the DOJ consultation, 
the April 6, 2004 final rule amended the general requirements of 
Section 543.5 of Chapter 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, 
allowing a manufacturer to petition NHTSA to grant an exemption for one 
additional line of its passenger motor vehicles from the requirements 
of the theft prevention standard for each model year after MY 1996. The 
final rule became effective September 1, 2006.
    Prior to September 1, 2006, manufacturers were only allowed to 
petition NHTSA for high-theft vehicles lines. In its April 6, 2004 
final rule, the agency amended part 543 to allow vehicle manufacturers 
to file petitions to exempt all vehicle lines that would become subject 
to parts-marking requirements beginning with the effective date of the 
final rule. As a result of this amendment, vehicle manufacturers are 
allowed to file petitions to exempt all vehicle lines that would become 
subject to the parts-marking requirements regardless of their theft 
status (high or low).
    There are approximately 21 vehicle manufacturers that could request 
an exemption (one exemption per manufacturer per model year), although 
33 petitions for exemption from the parts-marking requirements were 
received by the agency for MYs 2013-2015. This is an average of 
approximately 11 responses per year. NHTSA anticipates that this will 
remain the average number of yearly responses that will be received by 
the agency.
    NHTSA estimates that the average hours per submittal will be 166, 
for a total annual burden of 1,826 hours. This is a slight increase 
from the previous OMB inventory of 1,808 hours. NHTSA estimates that 
the cost associated with the burden hours is $39.49 per hour, for a 
total cost of approximately $72,109.
    Affected Public: Motor vehicle manufacturers.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: NHTSA estimates that vehicle 
manufacturers will incur a total annual reporting hour and cost burden 
of 1,826 hours and $72,109 respectively. There would be no additional 
cost to motor vehicle manufacturers that would require it to comply to 
this regulation.

Claude H. Harris,
Acting Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 2014-12306 Filed 5-27-14; 8:45 am]
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