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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 63 / Monday, April 2, 2018 / Notices

review process to better interpret the
sanctuary/monument system and engage
with constituents and the larger
community on resource protection and
conservation topics. Survey results will
be used by sanctuary/monument site
superintendents to improve visitor
services where the survey is
administered and will also aide
sanctuary/monument headquarters
communication and education staff to
more effectively communicate key
messages. In addition, the survey data
will contribute to NOAA and DOC
performance reports and year end
summaries.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration

National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration

Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request

Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether
the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance
of the functions of the agency, including
whether the information shall have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden
(including hours and cost) of the
proposed collection of information; (c)
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on respondents, including through the
use of automated collection techniques
or other forms of information
technology.
Comments submitted in response to
this notice will be summarized and/or
included in the request for OMB
approval of this information collection;
they also will become a matter of public
record.

The Department of Commerce will
submit 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.
Agency: National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Title: Weather Modification Activities
Reports.
OMB Control Number: 0648–0025.
Form Number(s): NOAA Forms 17–4
and 17–4a.
Type of Request: Regular
(reinstatement, without changes, of a
current information collection).
Number of Respondents: 30.
Average Hours per Response: 1 hour
per report (2 reports per respondent).
Burden Hours: 60.
Needs and Uses: This request is for
reinstatement, without changes, of a
current information collection.
Section 6(b) of Public Law 92–205
requires that persons who engage in
weather modification activities (e.g.,
cloud seeding) provide reports prior to
and after the activity. They are also
required to maintain certain records.
The requirements are detailed in 15 CFR
part 908. NOAA uses the data for
scientific research, historical statistics,
international reports and other
purposes.
Affected Public: Business or other
non-profit organizations; not-for-profit
institutions; state, local or tribal
government; federal government;
individuals or households.
Frequency: Annually and on occasion.
Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.
This information collection request
may be viewed at reginfo.gov. Follow
the instructions to view Department of
Commerce collections currently under
review by OMB.
Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to OIRA_Submission@
omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395–5806.

Dated: March 28, 2018.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.

Dated: March 28, 2018.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 2018–06605 Filed 3–30–18; 8:45 am]

[FR Doc. 2018–06603 Filed 3–30–18; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–NK–P

BILLING CODE 3510–KD–P

The Department of Commerce will
submit 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.
Agency: National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Title: Economic Value of Wildlife
Viewing Passengers in Stellwagen Bank
National Marine Sanctuary.
OMB Control Number: 0648-xxxx.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Regular (request for
a new information collection).
Number of Respondents: 2,000.
Average Hours per Response:
Screening survey, 2 minutes; full
survey, 30 minutes.
Burden Hours: 568.
Needs and Uses: Stellwagen Bank
National Marine Sanctuary is currently
in the process of updating the 2010
Management Plan, and has identified a
lack of baseline socioeconomic
information on ocean recreation
businesses. The information is not
available to assess the possible
economic benefits of marine wildlife
protection to the local economy, or the
potential impact on ocean recreation
businesses. The type of data targeted for
this collection; that is, user
demographic profiles, importance/
satisfaction of wildlife viewing trips and
expenditures of trips that involve
wildlife viewing has never been
collected in this region. Thus, current
information on the importance/
satisfaction of marine wildlife viewing
and the expenditures generated from
these activities is needed. The primary
focus for the survey will be to gather
data on the non-consumptive,
importance/satisfaction and
expenditures of marine wildlife viewing
passengers. Specifically, researchers
will collect data to help determine the
contribution of marine wildlife
watching passengers to the economy in
the Stellwagen Bank region.
Expenditures will be used in IMPLAN
to estimate the economic contributions
of the activity (jobs, income, GDP and
value-added).
Affected Public: Individuals or
households.
Frequency: Once or twice during a
three-year period.
Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.
This information collection request
may be viewed at reginfo.gov. Follow

II. Method of Collection
The surveys will be conducted in
person or through web applications at
kiosks.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648–xxxx.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Regular submission
(new information collection).
Affected Public: Individuals or
households.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
2,000.
Estimated Time per Response: 5
minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 166.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: $0 in recordkeeping/reporting
costs.

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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 63 / Monday, April 2, 2018 / Notices
the instructions to view Department of
Commerce collections currently under
review by OMB.
Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to OIRA_Submission@
omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395–5806.
Dated: March 28, 2018.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018–06604 Filed 3–30–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–NK–P

BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL
PROTECTION
[Docket No. CFPB–2018–0013]

Request for Information Regarding
Bureau Guidance and Implementation
Support
Bureau of Consumer Financial
Protection.
ACTION: Notice and request for
information.
AGENCY:

The Bureau of Consumer
Financial Protection (Bureau) is seeking
comments and information from
interested parties to assist the Bureau in
assessing the overall effectiveness and
accessibility of its guidance materials
and activities (including
implementation support) to members of
the general public, including regulated
entities. The Bureau is also considering
whether it would be appropriate to
make changes, consistent with law, to
the formats, processes, and delivery
methods for providing such guidance.
DATES: Comments must be received by
July 2, 2018.
ADDRESSES: You may submit responsive
information and other comments,
identified by Docket No. CFPB–2018–
0013, by any of the following methods:
• Electronic: Go to http://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
• Email: FederalRegisterComments@
cfpb.gov. Include Docket No. CFPB–
2018–0013 in the subject line of the
message.
• Mail: Comment Intake, Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau, 1700 G
Street NW, Washington, DC 20552.
• Hand Delivery/Courier: Comment
Intake, Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau, 1700 G Street NW, Washington,
DC 20552.
Instructions: The Bureau encourages
the early submission of comments. All
submissions must include the document
title and docket number. Please note the

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SUMMARY:

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number of the topic on which you are
commenting at the top of each response
(you do not need to address all topics).
Because paper mail in the Washington
DC area and at the Bureau is subject to
delay, commenters are encouraged to
submit comments electronically. In
general, all comments received will be
posted without change to http://
www.regulations.gov. In addition,
comments will be available for public
inspection and copying at 1700 G Street
NW, Washington, DC 20552, on official
business days between the hours of
10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. eastern time.
You can make an appointment to
inspect the documents by telephoning
202–435–7275.
All submissions in response to this
request for information, including
attachments and other supporting
materials, will become part of the public
record and subject to public disclosure.
Proprietary information or sensitive
personal information, such as account
numbers or Social Security numbers, or
names of other individuals, should not
be included. Submissions will not be
edited to remove any identifying or
contact information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kristin Switzer, Regulatory
Implementation Program Manager;
Angela Fox and Eliott C. Ponte,
Attorneys (Regulatory Guidance and
Implementation); and Brian Shearer,
Counsel, at 202–435–7700. If you
require this document in an alternative
electronic format, please contact CFPB_
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DoddFrank Act transferred to the Bureau
rulemaking authority that previously
had been exercised by seven other
Federal agencies. Those agencies used a
variety of methods for providing
guidance to industry on interpretive
questions arising under the statutes and
regulations they administered. Such
guidance is ‘‘widely understood to be an
essential instrument of [F]ederal
administration’’ 1 and facilitates
compliance with Federal law. In
particular, it allows agencies to
articulate their positions in a ‘‘relatively
low cost and flexible’’ 2 way and
facilitates stakeholders’ knowledge of
agency positions and intentions ahead
of enforcement or similar actions.3
1 Nicholas R. Parrillo, ‘‘Federal Agency Guidance:
An Institutional Perspective,’’ at 28 (Oct. 12, 2017)
(Yale L. Sch.), available at https://www.acus.gov/
report/agency-guidance-final-report (report on
guidance submitted to the Admin. Conf. of the U.S.)
[hereinafter ACUS Guidance Report].
2 John F. Manning, ‘‘Nonlegislative Rules,’’ 72
Geo. Wash. L. Rev. 893, at 914–15 (2004).
3 See, e.g., Hoctor v. USDA, 82 F.3d 165, 167 (7th
Cir. 1996) (‘‘It would be no favor to the public to

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13959

For example, the Board of Governors
of the Federal Reserve System (‘‘Board’’)
primarily relied upon what it
denominated as ‘‘Official Staff
Interpretations,’’ which were published
in the Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR) as an appendix to the Board’s
rules, typically following a notice-andcomment process.4 Board staff also
provided informal guidance orally in
response to individual inquiries. Other
agencies, such as the Department of
Housing and Urban Development and
the Federal Trade Commission, used
various other forms of written guidance
(such as standalone interpretive rules,
letters or advisory opinions, and
frequently asked questions), while also
providing some informal oral guidance
in response to individual inquiries.
As described further below, the
Bureau, since its inception, has
provided guidance through a variety of
means, and its guidance and
implementation support functions are
continuing to evolve in response to
feedback from industry and other
stakeholders. This Request for
Information (RFI) seeks input on a
number of aspects of the Bureau’s
guidance activities to date and
suggestions for future improvements.
Legal Background
Unless specified otherwise by statute,
agency rulemaking activities and many
guidance activities are governed by the
Administrative Procedure Act (APA). 5
U.S.C. 551 et seq. The APA
distinguishes among several types of
agency issuances, including rules.5 The
discourage the announcement of agencies’
interpretations by burdening the interpretive
process with cumbersome formalities.’’); Cmty.
Nutrition Inst. v. Young, 818 F.2d 943, 949 (D.C.
Cir. 1987) (‘‘We recognize that such guidelines have
the not inconsiderable benefits of apprising the
regulated community of the agency’s intentions as
well as informing the exercise of discretion by
agents and officers in the field.’’).
4 The Board’s practice has evolved over time. For
example, before the Truth in Lending
Simplification and Reform Act of 1980, the Board
generally issued three different kinds of guidance
under the Truth in Lending Act and its
implementing rules, known as Regulation Z:
Official Board Interpretations; Official Staff
Interpretations; and Public Information Letters.
Official Board Interpretations had the most weight
of these guidance documents; Official Staff
Interpretations had less weight but did provide a
safe harbor from private liability under Regulation
Z; and Public Information Letters were unofficial
staff interpretations and therefore did not provide
a safe harbor from private liability. In doing so, the
Board noted that the volume of the varying
interpretations and letters published by the Board
(over 1,500, of which only 60 were Official Board
Interpretations) complicated rather than facilitated
compliance. See Truth in Lending; Proposed
Official Staff Commentary, 46 FR 28560 (May 27,
1981).
5 5 U.S.C. 551(4) (defining ‘‘rule’’ in relevant part
as ‘‘the whole or part of an agency statement of

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