81 FR 35810 - 60-Day Notice of Intent to Seek Extension of Approval: Household Goods Movers' Disclosure Requirements

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 107 (June 3, 2016)

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3521 (PRA), the Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board) gives notice of its intent to seek approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an extension of the information collections (here, third-party disclosures) required by the Board's decisions in Released Rates of Motor Common Carriers of Household Goods, RR 999 (Amendment No. 5) (STB served Jan. 21, 2011); Released Rates of Motor Common Carriers of Household Goods, RR 999 (Amendment No. 5) (STB served Jan.10, 2012). Congress, in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, section 4215, Public Law 109-59, 119 Stat. 1144, 1760 (2005), directed the Board to review consumer protection regulations concerning the loss or damage that occurs during interstate household goods moves. In Docket No. RR 999, the Board required household goods motor carriers and freight forwarders (together, Movers) to provide their customers with clear written information concerning the two available cargo-liability options, if they desired to offer a rate limiting their liability on interstate moves to anything less than replacement value of the goods. Movers were required to provide this information on the standard written estimate form, which the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) already required Movers to provide to their household goods moving customers. See 49 CFR 375.213(c).

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 107 (Friday, June 3, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35810-35811]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-12897]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD


60-Day Notice of Intent to Seek Extension of Approval: Household 
Goods Movers' Disclosure Requirements

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.
SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 
3501-3521 (PRA), the Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board) gives 
notice of its intent to seek approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for an extension of the information collections (here, 
third-party disclosures) required by the Board's decisions in Released 
Rates of Motor Common Carriers of Household Goods, RR 999 (Amendment 
No. 5) (STB served Jan. 21, 2011); Released Rates of Motor Common 
Carriers of Household Goods, RR 999 (Amendment No. 5) (STB served 
Jan.10, 2012).
    Congress, in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient 
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, section 4215, Public Law 
109-59, 119 Stat. 1144, 1760 (2005), directed the Board to review 
consumer protection regulations concerning the loss or damage that 
occurs during interstate household goods moves. In Docket No. RR 999, 
the Board required household goods motor carriers and freight 
forwarders (together, Movers) to provide their customers with clear 
written information concerning the two available cargo-liability 
options, if they desired to offer a rate limiting their liability on 
interstate moves to anything less than replacement value of the goods. 
Movers were required to provide this information on the standard 
written estimate form, which the Federal Motor Carrier Safety 
Administration (FMCSA) already required Movers to provide to their 
household goods moving customers. See 49 CFR 375.213(c).

DATES: Comments on this information collection should be submitted by 
August 2, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Direct all comments to Chris Oehrle, Surface Transportation 
Board, 395 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20423-0001, or to 
[email protected]. When submitting comments, please refer to ``Paperwork 
Reduction Act Comments, Household Goods Movers' Disclosure 
Requirements.'' For further information regarding this collection, 
contact Michael Higgins at (202) 245-0284 or at 
[email protected]. [Assistance for the hearing impaired is 
available through the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339.]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA, a federal agency that 
conducts or sponsors a collection of information must display a 
currently valid OMB control number. A collection of information, which 
is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c), includes agency 
requirements that persons submit reports, keep records, or provide 
information to the agency, third parties, or the public. Under 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A), federal agencies are required to provide, prior 
to an agency's submitting a collection to OMB for approval, a 60-day 
notice and comment period through publication in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each 
proposed extension of an existing collection of information.
    Comments are requested concerning: (1) The accuracy of the Board's 
burden estimates; (2) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 
of the information collected; (3) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on the respondents, including the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology, when appropriate; and (4) whether the collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Board, including whether the collection has practical utility. 
Submitted comments will be summarized and included in the Board's 
request for OMB approval.

Description of Collections

    Title: Household Goods Movers' Disclosure Requirements.
    OMB Control Number: 2140-0027.
    STB Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension with change.
    Respondents: Movers that desire to offer a rate limiting their 
liability on interstate moves to anything less than replacement value 
of the goods.
    Number of Respondents: 7,000 (approximate number of Movers involved 
in authorized for-hire household goods carriage in the United States 
according to American Moving and Storage Association).
    Frequency: Occasionally.
    Total Burden Hours: None. The change to the estimate form was a 
one-time, start-up cost, which was considered in the cost analysis of 
the Board's previous approval for this collection. Therefore, there is 
no longer an hourly burden.
    Total ``Non-hour Burden'' Cost: None. Movers may provide these 
forms to shippers electronically. Further, as with the burden hours 
above, the one-time, start-up costs that were previously considered no 
longer apply. Therefore, there is no non-hourly burden to respondents.
    Needs and Uses: Moving companies must inform consumers of their 
rights and obtain a signed waiver if the consumer elects anything other 
than full-value protection. See Released Rates of Motor Common Carriers 
of Household Goods, RR 999 (Amendment No. 4) (STB served June 13, 
2007). Previously, consumers were sometimes confused and did not 
realize that they had waived full-value protection until after they had 
experienced damage to or loss of their goods. The information 
collection that is the subject of this notice is intended to correct 
this problem by providing early notice regarding the two liability 
options (full-value protection and the lower released-rate protection), 
as well as adequate time and information to help consumers decide which 
option to choose.


[[Page 35811]]


    Dated: May 26, 2016.
Brendetta S. Jones,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2016-12897 Filed 6-2-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4915-01-P