[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 25 (Thursday, February 6, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7008-7011]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-02297]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket Number NHTSA-2019-0146]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for 
Comment; Platform Lift Systems for Motor Vehicles

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments on a reinstatement of a 
previously-approved information collection.

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[[Page 7009]]

SUMMARY: Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from 
the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB). Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction 
Act, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit public 
comment on proposed collections of information, including extensions 
and reinstatements of previously approved collections. This document 
describes an Information Collection Request (ICR) for which NHTSA 
intends to seek OMB approval.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 6, 2020.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. DOT-
NHTSA-2019-0146 through any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket Management, U.S. Department 
of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-
140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except on Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Pyne, 202-366-4171, Office of 
Rulemaking (NRM230), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 
U.S. Dept. of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W43-457, 
Washington, DC 20590. Please identify the relevant collection of 
information by referring to its OMB Control Number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
before an agency submits a proposed collection of information to OMB 
for approval, it must first publish a document in the Federal Register 
providing a 60-day comment period and otherwise consult with members of 
the public and affected agencies concerning each proposed collection of 
information.
    In compliance with these requirements, NHTSA asks for public 
comments on the following proposed collection of information:
    Title: 49 CFR 571.403, Platform lift systems for motor vehicles, 
and 49 CFR 571.404, Platform lift installations in motor vehicles.
    OMB Control Number: 2127-0621.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement without change of a previously 
approved information collection.
    Type of Review: Regular.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval: 3 years from date of 
approval.
    Abstract: Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 403, 
Platform lift systems for motor vehicles, establishes minimum 
performance standards for platform lifts intended for installation in 
motor vehicles to assist wheelchair users and other persons of limited 
mobility in entering and exiting a vehicle. The standard's purpose is 
to prevent injuries and fatalities to passengers and bystanders during 
the operation of platform lifts. The related standard FMVSS No. 404, 
Platform lift installations in motor vehicles, establishes specific 
requirements for vehicle manufacturers or alterers that install 
platform lifts in new vehicles. Lift manufacturers must certify that 
their lifts meet the requirements of FMVSS No. 403 and must declare in 
the owner's manual, in the installation instructions, and on the 
operating instruction label that the lift is certified. Certification 
of compliance with FMVSS No. 404 is included on the vehicle 
certification label required on all motor vehicles under 49 CFR part 
567. Both FMVSS No. 403 and FMVSS No. 404 contain requirements related 
to information collections. FMVSS No. 403 requires lift manufacturers 
to produce an insert that is placed in the vehicle owner's manual and 
lift installation instructions. Additionally, lift manufacturers must 
affix either one or two labels to be placed near the controls for the 
lift. The latter illustrate and describe procedures for operating the 
lift. Our estimates of burden and cost to lift manufacturers to meet 
these requirements are described below. FMVSS No. 404 requires 
manufacturers or alterers that install platform lifts to insert the 
instructions provided by the lift manufacturer into the vehicle owners' 
manuals and ensure that labels with lift operating procedures are 
affixed to a location adjacent to the controls.
    Affected Public: Platform lift manufacturers and vehicle 
manufacturers or alterers that install platform lifts in motor vehicles 
prior to first vehicle sale. There is no burden to the general public.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 10.
    NHTSA estimates that there are 10 platform lift manufacturers doing 
business at a given time. Platform lift manufacturers typically have a 
design cycle of approximately 5 years. Therefore, there are aspects of 
the information collection that only require the manufacturers to incur 
burden every 5 years, such as changing the owner's manual inserts and 
labels. However, other aspects of the information collection, such as 
printing the inserts and labeling the lifts, require manufacturers to 
incur burden every year.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,562 hours.
    NHTSA estimates that a total of 10 lift manufacturers will incur 
1,562 hours of burden annually. This estimate is comprised of time to 
make changes to required language and the time to distribute that 
information by affixing labels or placards, placing inserts into 
owners' manuals, and providing installation instructions.
    NHTSA estimates that every year approximately two lift 
manufacturers will need to change the language of the insert for the 
vehicle owners' manual stating the lift's platform operating volume, 
maintenance schedule, and operating procedures. NHTSA estimates that it 
will take manufacturers approximately 24 hours to make those changes. 
Therefore, NHTSA estimates that changes to the owners' manual inserts 
will take 48 hours annually (2 manufacturers x 24 hrs = 48 hours per 
year).
    NHTSA estimates that every year approximately two manufacturers 
will need to change the installation instructions identifying the types 
of vehicles on which each lift is designed to be installed. NHTSA 
estimates that it will take manufacturers approximately 24 hours to 
make those changes. Therefore, NHTSA estimates that changes to the 
installation instructions will take 48 hours annually (2 manufacturers 
x 24 hrs = 48 hours per year).
    NHTSA estimates that every year approximately two manufacturers 
will need to make changes to labels or placards which identify the 
operating functions of the lift. NHTSA estimates that it will take 
manufacturers approximately 24 hours to make those changes. Therefore, 
NHTSA estimates that changes to the labels or placards for lift 
functions will take 48 hours annually (2 manufacturers x 24 hrs = 48 
hours per year).
    NHTSA estimates that every year approximately two lift 
manufacturers will need to make changes to labels and placards 
detailing back-up operating procedures. NHTSA estimates that it will 
take manufacturers approximately 24 hours to make those changes. 
Therefore, NHTSA estimates that changes to the language of labels or 
placards for back-up operating procedures will take 48 hours annually 
(2 manufacturers x 24 hrs = 48 hours per year).
    In addition to making periodic changes to the wording of the 
owners' manual inserts, installation instructions, label or placard for 
lift operating procedures, and the label or placard for lift back-up 
operation, lift

[[Page 7010]]

manufacturers also incur burden associated with distributing that 
information by affixing labels or placards, placing inserts into 
owners' manuals, and providing installation instructions.
    NHTSA estimates that there will be 27,398 lifts manufactured in 
each of the next three years. NHTSA estimates that distributing the 
required information will take approximately 3 minutes per lift or 
approximately 1,370 hours for all lifts annually (27,398 lifts x 3 
minutes per lift = 82,194 minutes, 82,194 minutes / 60 = 1,370 hours).

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                                                                       Lift       Hours to  make
                                                                   manufacturers      change       Annual  hours
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Per Year Insert Language........................................               2              24              48
Per Year Install Instruct.......................................               2              24              48
Per Year Label Change/Operating.................................               2              24              48
Per Year Label Change/Back-up...................................               2              24              48
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                                                                      Lifts-each        Mins. to     Total hours
                                                                            year      distribute
                                                                    next 3 years
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Distribution....................................................          27,398               3           1,370
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Estimated Total Burden Hours................................  ..............  ..............           1,562
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Estimated Cost for This Information Collection:

    The cost of this collection of information will comprise printing 
costs and hourly labor costs. NHTSA's estimate of printing costs can be 
broken down as follows:

[ssquf] Owner's manual insert--27,398 lifts x $0.04 per page x 1 page = 
$1,095.92
[ssquf] Installation instructions--27,398 lifts x $0.04 per page x 1 
page = $1,095.92
[ssquf] Label/placard for lift operating procedures--27,398 lifts x 
$0.13 per label = $3,561.74
[ssquf] Label/placard for lift backup operation--27,398 lifts x $0.13 
per label = $3,561.74
    Based on this breakdown, NHTSA estimates the total printing cost 
associated with this information collection is $9,315.32 annually.

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                                                                    Lifts-each
                                                                   year next  3      Per unit       Total cost
                                                                       years
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Owner's Manual Insert...........................................          27,398           $0.04       $1,095.92
Install Instructions............................................          27,398            0.04        1,095.92
Label Change/Operating Procedure................................          27,398            0.13        3,561.74
Label Change/Back-up Operation..................................          27,398            0.13        3,561.74
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Estimated Annual Printing Cost for This Information           ..............  ..............        9,315.32
     Collection.................................................
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    The labor cost is derived by applying appropriate hourly labor 
rates published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics \1\ (BLS) to the 
hourly burden discussed previously in this notice. There are two 
categories of labor involved. First, for ``Assemblers and Fabricators'' 
(Occupation code 51-2000) with an average wage of $22.94/hour, the 
labor rate is $32.72/hour (based on BLS statistics showing wages for 
private industry workers are 70.1 percent of total compensation \2\). 
Multiplying that hourly labor rate by the estimated 1,370 labor hours 
needed annually to affix and distribute the required informational 
materials yields an annual labor cost of $44,832.81. Second, for 
``Technical Writers'' (Occupation code 27-3042) with an average wage of 
$33.98/hour, the labor rate is $47.47/hour. Multiplying that hourly 
labor rate by the estimated 192 labor hours needed for revisions to 
labels and printed materials yields an annual labor cost of $9,306.93.
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    \1\ Available online at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics4_336100.htm.
    \2\ See Table 1 at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecec.pdf.
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    The total annual labor cost is thus estimated to be $54,139.74.

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                                                    Percent of
                                   Average wage        total        Labor  rate    Annual  hours   Annual  labor
                                                   compensation                                        cost
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Assemblers and Fabricators......          $22.94            70.1          $32.72           1,370      $44,832.81
Technical Writers...............           33.98            70.1           48.47             192        9,306.93
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
    Estimated Annual Labor Cost   ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............       54,139.74
     for This Information
     Collection.................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Combining the above estimated printing costs and estimated labor 
costs, NHTSA estimates that the total cost of this information 
collection is $63,455.06 per year.

[[Page 7011]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Annual Printing Cost for This Information            $9,315.32
 Collection.............................................
Estimated Annual Labor Cost for This Information               54,139.74
 Collection.............................................
                                                         ---------------
    Combined Estimated Annual Printing Cost & Labor Cost       63,455.06
     for This Information Collection....................
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    Public Comments Invited: The OMB has promulgated regulations 
describing what must be included in such a document. Under OMB's 
regulation at 5 CFR 1320.8(d), an agency must ask for public comment on 
the following: (1) 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; (2) 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; (3) how to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) how to minimize the 
burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, 
including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or 
other technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

    Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. 
chapter 35; and delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.95 and 501.8.

Raymond R. Posten,
Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 2020-02297 Filed 2-5-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P


