Notices. Notice
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/register/2006/03/15/06-2474A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION Notice of Agreements Filed The Commission hereby gives notice of the filing of the following agreements under the Shipping Act of 1984. Interested parties may submit comments on an agreement to the Secretary, Federal Maritime Commission, Washington, DC 20573, within ten days of the date this notice appears in the **Federal Register** . Copies of agreements are available through the Commission's Office of Agreements (202-523-5793 or *tradeanalysis@fmc.gov* ). *Agreement No.:* 011741-008. *Title:* U.S.
Pacific Coast-Oceania Agreement. *Parties:* A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S; Australia-New Zealand Direct Line/CP Ships USA, LLC; FESCO Ocean Management Limited; Hamburg-Süd; and P&O Nedlloyd Limited/P&O Nedlloyd B.V. *Filing Party:* Wayne R. Rohde, Esq.; Sher & Blackwell; 1850 M Street, NW.; Suite 900; Washington, DC 20036. *Synopsis:* The amendment removes the P&O Nedlloyd companies as parties, changes Maersk's trade name throughout, and deletes obsolete language. *Agreement No.:* 011910-002. *Title:* HSDG/APL Space Charter Agreement. *Parties:* Hamburg-Süd and APL Co.
PTE Ltd. *Filing Party:* Wayne R. Rohde, Esq.; Sher & Blackwell LLP; 1850 M Street, NW.; Suite 900; Washington, DC 20036. *Synopsis:* The amendment extends the duration of the agreement through April 12, 2007. *Agreement No.:* 011926-001. *Title:* Transpacific Space Charter Agreement. *Parties:* CMA CGM, S.A. and COSCO Container Lines Co., Ltd. *Filing Party:* Paul M. Keane, Esq.; Cichanowicz, Callan, Keane, Vengrow & Textor, LLP; 61 Broadway; Suite 3000; New York, NY 10006-2802. *Synopsis:* The amendment extends the duration of the agreement through April 22, 2006.
By Order of the Federal Maritime Commission. Dated: March 10, 2006. Bryant L. VanBrakle, Secretary. [FR Doc. E6-3757 Filed 3-14-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6730-01-P FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION Ocean Transportation Intermediary License Revocations The Federal Maritime Commission hereby gives notice that the following Ocean Transportation Intermediary licenses have been revoked pursuant to section 19 of the Shipping Act of 1984 (46 U.S.C. app. 1718) and the regulations of the Commission pertaining to the licensing of Ocean Transportation Intermediaries, effective on the corresponding date shown below: *License Number:* 002865NF. *Name:* Aces, Ltd. *Address:* 114 Front Street, Scituate, MA 02066. *Date Revoked:* December, 27, 2005. *Reason:* Surrendered license voluntarily. *License Number:* 004337F. *Name:* Air-Land & Sea Transport, Inc. dba Celestial Navigation. *Address:* 3000 Wilcrest, Suite 350, Houston, TX 77042. *Date Revoked:* January 15, 2006. *Reason:* Failed to maintain a valid bond. *License Number:* 002346F. *Name:* All Shore Forwarders, Ltd. *Address:* 159 West 33rd Street, New York, NY 10001. *Date Revoked:* January 15, 2006. *Reason:* Failed to maintain a valid bond. *License Number:* 003709F. *Name:* Amano U.S.A.
Corporation. *Address:* 1140 East Sandhill Avenue, Carson, CA 90746. *Date Revoked:* January 30, 2006. *Reason:* Surrendered license voluntarily. *License Number:* 004529F. *Name:* Cargo U.K. Inc. *Address:* 4790 Aviation Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30349. *Date Revoked:* January 15, 2006. *Reason:* Failed to maintain a valid bond. *License Number:* 001771F. *Name:* Chris T. Banis *Address:* 35 Greenwood Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94112 *Date Revoked:* November 28, 2005. *Reason:* Surrendered license voluntarily. *License Number:* 001694F. *Name:* Constant Shipping Corporation *Address:* 431 North Post Oak Lane, Houston, TX 77024 *Date Revoked:* January 15, 2006. *Reason:* Failed to maintain a valid bond. *License Number:* 004166F. *Name:* Fabius & Co.
Export, Inc. *Address:* 181 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013. *Date Revoked:* January 15, 2006. *Reason:* Surrendered license voluntarily. *License Number:* 016426N. *Name:* First Express International Corp. *Address:* First Bldg., 394-44, Seogyo-Dong, Mapo-Ku, Seoul 212-840, Korea. *Date Revoked:* October 28, 2005. *Reason:* Surrendered license voluntarily. *License Number:* 001728F. *Name:* I.M.S., Inc. dba International Moving Service. *Address:* 4412-4414 Wheeler Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304. *Date Revoked:* February 11, 2006. *Reason:* Failed to maintain a valid bond. *License Number:* 003892F. *Name:* Josephine D.
Mima-Saito. *Address:* 29360 N. Begonias Lane, Canyon Country, CA 91351. *Date Revoked:* January 15, 2006. *Reason:* Failed to maintain a valid bond. *License Number:* 019303F. *Name:* LTR Associated Enterprises, Inc. dba RC Export Packers. *Address:* P.O. Box 6670, Orange, CA 92863-6670. *Date Revoked:* January 15, 2006. *Reason:* Surrendered license voluntarily. *License Number:* 002827F. *Name:* Raymond Express Corporation dba Raymond Express International. *Address:* 320 Harbor Way, So.
San Francisco, CA 94080. *Date Revoked:* January 15, 2006. *Reason:* Failed to maintain a valid bond. *License Number:* 002419F. *Name:* San Pedro, Pacifico D. dba St. Peter Shipping Co. *Address:* 55 New Montgomery St., Suite 526, San Francisco, CA 94105. *Date Revoked:* January 15, 2006. *Reason:* Failed to maintain a valid bond. *License Number:* 011365F. *Name:* Seawinds Freight Services, Inc. *Address:* 601 S. Airport Blvd., Unit B, So. San Francisco, CA 94080. *Date Revoked:* January 15, 2006. *Reason:* Failed to maintain a valid bond. *License Number:* 002890F. *Name:* Sunrise Cargo Services, Inc. *Address:* 7392 NW 35th Terrace, Suite 205, Miami, FL 33122. *Date Revoked:* January 21, 2006. *Reason:* Failed to maintain a valid bond. *License Number:* 003556F. *Name:* Tampa International Forwarding, Inc. *Address:* 2701 North Himes Ave., Suite 104, Tampa, FL 33807. *Date Revoked:* January 15, 2006. *Reason:* Failed to maintain a valid bond. *License Number:* 002704F. *Name:* Traffic Marketing Development Services, U.S.A., Inc. dba TMD U.S.A. *Address:* 7 Howell Drive, Smithtown, NY 11787. *Date Revoked:* January 15, 2006. *Reason:* Failed to maintain a valid bond. *License Number:* 003636N. *Name:* World Connections, Inc. *Address:* 8380 Isis Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90045. *Date Revoked:* January 5, 2006. *Reason:* Failed to maintain a valid bond.
Peter J. King, Deputy Director, Bureau of Certification and Licensing. [FR Doc. E6-3755 Filed 3-14-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6730-01-P FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION Ocean Transportation Intermediary License Applicants Notice is hereby given that the following applicants have filed with the Federal Maritime Commission an application for license as a Non-Vessel—Operating Common Carrier and Ocean Freight Forwarder—Ocean Transportation Intermediary pursuant to section 19 of the Shipping Act of 1984 as amended (46 U.S.C. app. 1718 and 46 CFR part 515).
Persons knowing of any reason why the following applicants should not receive a license are requested to contact the Office of Transportation Intermediaries, Federal Maritime Commission, Washington, DC 20573. Non-Vessel—Operating Common Carrier Ocean Transportation Intermediary Applicant: Apex Shipping Co. (NYC), Inc., One Cross Island Plaza, Suite LL5A, Rosedale, NY 11422, Officers: Vicky Cheung, President (Qualifying Individual), Lena Cheung, Secretary. Non-Vessel—Operating Common Carrier and Ocean Freight Forwarder Transportation Intermediary Applicant:
Triumph Link (USA), Inc., 10 Via Subida, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275, Officers: Stan Chu, President (Qualifying Individual), Derek McDonald, Vice President. Ocean Freight Forwarder—Ocean Transportation Intermediary Applicants: Airwaves Global Logistics LLC, 181-15 Rockaway Blvd., Suite 204, Jamaica, NY 11434, Officer: Gordon Kastin, President (Qualifying Individual). RD Shipping Multy Services Inc., 327 North Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07208, Officers: Julio C. Madrid, President (Qualifying Individual), Bertha Triminio, Vice President.
Dated: March 10, 2006. Bryant L. VanBrakle, Secretary. [FR Doc. E6-3752 Filed 3-14-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6730-01-P FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION Ocean Transportation Intermediary Licenses Correction In the **Federal Register** Notice published March 9, 2006 (71 FR 46) reference to the name of D.M.C. Logistics Incorporated is corrected to read: D.M.G. Logistics, Inc. Dated: March 10, 2006. Bryant L. VanBrakle, Secretary. [FR Doc. E6-3754 Filed 3-14-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6730-01-P FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION Ocean Transportation Intermediary License Reissuances Notice is hereby given that the following Ocean Transportation Intermediary licenses have been reissued by the Federal Maritime Commission pursuant to section 19 of the Shipping Act of 1984, as amended by the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998 (46 U.S.C. app. 1718) and the regulations of the Commission pertaining to the licensing of Ocean Transportation Intermediaries, 46 CFR part 515.
License No. Name/address Date reissued 012345N Home Run Shipping International, Inc., 420 W. Merrick Road, Valley Stream, NY 11580-0459 November 18, 2005. 019170N Seabound Freight, LLC, 12972 133rd Court, Suite A, Miami, FL 33186 October 30, 2005. Peter J. King, Deputy Director, Bureau of Certification and Licensing. [FR Doc. E6-3753 Filed 3-14-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6730-01-P FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request AGENCY:
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. SUMMARY: Background On June 15, 1984, the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB)delegated to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) its approval authority under the Paperwork Reduction Act, as per 5 CFR 1320.16, to approve of and assign OMB control numbers to collection of information requests and requirements conducted or sponsored by the Board under conditions set forth in 5 CFR 1320 Appendix A.1. Board-approved collections of information are incorporated into the official OMB inventory of currently approved collections of information. Copies of the OMB 83-Is and supporting statements and approved collection of information instruments are placed into OMB's public docket files. The Federal Reserve may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection that has been extended, revised, or implemented on or after October 1, 1995, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before May 15, 2006. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by FR 1380, by any of the following methods: • Agency Web Site: *http://www.federalreserve.gov.* Follow the instructions for submitting comments at *http://www.federalreserve.gov/generalinfo/foia/ProposedRegs.cfm.* • Federal eRulemaking Portal: *http://www.regulations.gov.* Follow the instructions for submitting comments. • E-mail: *regs.comments@federalreserve.gov.* Include docket number in the subject line of the message. • Fax: 202/452-3819 or 202/452-3102. • Mail: Jennifer J. Johnson, Secretary, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 20th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20551. All public comments are available from the Board's Web site at *http://www.federalreserve.gov/generalinfo/foia/ProposedRegs.cfm* as submitted, unless modified for technical reasons. Accordingly, your comments will not be edited to remove any identifying or contact information. Public comments may also be viewed electronically or in paper in Room MP-500 of the Board's Martin Building (20th and C Streets, NW.) between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A copy of the Paperwork Reduction Act Submission (OMB 83-I), supporting statement, and other documents that will be placed into OMB's public docket files once approved may be requested from the agency clearance officer, whose name appears below. Michelle Long, Federal Reserve Board Clearance Officer (202-452-3829), Division of Research and Statistics, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Washington, DC 20551. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf
(TDD)users may contact (202-263-4869), Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Washington, DC 20551. Request for Comment on Information Collection Proposal The following information collections, which are being handled under this delegated authority, have received initial Board approval and are hereby published for comment. At the end of the comment period, the proposed information collections, along with an analysis of comments and recommendations received, will be submitted to the Board for final approval under OMB delegated authority. Comments are invited on the following: a. Whether the proposed collections of information is necessary for the proper performance of the Federal Reserve's functions; including whether the information has practical utility; b. The accuracy of the Federal Reserve's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collections, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; c. Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and d. Ways to minimize the burden of information collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Proposal To Approve Under OMB Delegated Authority the Implementation of the Following Collection of Information *Report title:* Studies to Develop and Test Consumer Regulatory Disclosures. *Agency form number:* FR 1380. *OMB control number:* 7100—to be assigned. *Frequency:* Consumer surveys: Qualitative testing, 4; Quantitative testing, 4; Institution surveys: Quantitative testing, 5. *Reporters:* Consumers and financial institutions that engage in consumer lending and provide other financial products. *Estimated annual reporting hours:* 25,434 hours. *Estimated average hours per response:* Consumer surveys: qualitative testing, 1.5 hours; quantitative testing, .33 hours; Institution surveys: quantitative testing, 15 hours. *Estimated number of respondents:* Consumer surveys: qualitative testing, 225; quantitative testing, 1,200; Institution surveys: quantitative testing, 300. *General description of report:* This information collection is authorized pursuant to the: Home Mortgage Section 806 (12 U.S.C. 2804(a)); Community Reinvestment Act, Section 806 (12 U.S.C. 2905); Competitive Equality Banking Act, Section 1204 (12 U.S.C. 3806) (adjustable rate mortgage caps); Expedited Funds Availability Act, Section 609 (12 U.S.C. 4008); Truth in Saving Act, Section 269 (12 U.S.C. 4308); Federal Trade Commission Act, Section 18(f) (15 U.S.C. 57a(f)); Truth in Lending Act, Section 105 (15 U.S.C. 1604); Fair Credit Reporting Act, Section 621 (15 U.S.C. 1681s(e)); Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Section 703 (15 U.S.C. 1691b(a)); Electronic Funds Transfer Act, Section 904 (15 U.S.C. 1693b) and Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, Section 504 (15 U.S.C. 6804). Respondent participation in the survey is voluntary. If the Federal Reserve contracts with an outside firm, no issue of confidentiality would arise because names and any other characteristics that would permit personal identification of respondents would not be reported to the Federal Reserve Board. However, if there is no contractual agreement between the Federal Reserve and the outside firm regarding the reporting of respondent identifying data, or if the Federal Reserve conducts the survey itself, then the information would likely be considered an agency record subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Nevertheless, confidential treatment for consumer identifying data would be warranted under subsection (b)(6) of the FOIA. The confidentiality of the information obtained from financial institutions will be determined on a case-by-case basis when the specific questions to be asked on each particular survey are formulated, but before respondents are contacted. Depending upon the survey questions, confidential treatment could be warranted under subsection (b)(4) of the FOIA. 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4) and (6). *Abstract:* Congress has assigned the Federal Reserve Board the duty of implementing a number of federal laws intended to protect consumers in credit and other financial transactions and to ensure that consumers receive comprehensive information and fair treatment. The Federal Reserve is responsible for drafting regulations and interpretations to carry out the purposes of these consumer protection laws. The Federal Reserve seeks to develop and implement regulatory policies based on information garnered from both consumers and industry entities that would enable consumers to make better financial decisions based on sound information and a clear understanding of how to use that information to meet their personal needs. Accordingly, the Federal Reserve periodically surveys consumers and financial institutions to identify key issues and review and evaluate consumer disclosures for effectiveness. Direct information about consumer knowledge and use of disclosure statements would best be obtained through studies of individuals and financial institutions that engage in consumer lending and provide other financial products. In order to better understand consumer attitudes and knowledge of the Federal Reserve's consumer regulations and to make disclosure statements more comprehensible and usable, the Federal Reserve proposes to conduct studies of consumers and financial institutions. These studies could take the format of focus group discussions, face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, mall intercept testing, written questionnaires (paper or Web based), or controlled experiments. The size of consumer focus groups would vary depending on the topics being discussed and the format of the sessions. Experience has shown that focused discussions of not more than twelve to fifteen participants are most productive. Written surveys or questionnaires could include categorical questions, yes-no questions, ordinal scale (such as Likert scale) or ranking scale questions (which ascertain respondent's views on the degree to which something fits a particular criterion; for example, on a scale of 1, “strongly agree” to 5, “strongly disagree”), and open-ended questions. The studies could be conducted through a private firm, which would be chosen in a competitive bidding process. 1 The research instruments could be developed by the Federal Reserve alone or jointly with the firm selected by the Federal Reserve. The firm would be responsible for following the sampling protocol established by the Federal Reserve, conducting the study, preparing a data file containing the responses, computing analysis weights, and documenting all study procedures. Data editing and analysis of survey results would be conducted solely by the Federal Reserve or jointly with the firm. 1 Some survey firms used by the Federal Reserve to conduct past surveys include the University of Michigan's Survey Research Center (SRC), NORC (a social science and survey research organization at the University of Chicago), and the Research Triangle Institute in Charlotte, NC. In the subject areas covered by the studies, much of the information needs to be obtained via surveys of consumers, either because
(1)personal attitudes, opinions or evidence of understanding are sought, or
(2)the desired information is not compiled by financial institutions, or the information is compiled and is proprietary. In addition, the studies could survey financial institutions to obtain information about their consumer product offerings and disclosure and marketing practices with respect to those products. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, March 10, 2006. Jennifer J. Johnson, Secretary of the Board. [FR Doc. E6-3741 Filed 3-14-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6210-01-P FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM Change in Bank Control Notices; Acquisition of Shares of Bank or Bank Holding Companies The notificants listed below have applied under the Change in Bank Control Act (12 U.S.C. 1817(j)) and § 225.41 of the Board’s Regulation Y (12 CFR 225.41) to acquire a bank or bank holding company. The factors that are considered in acting on the notices are set forth in paragraph 7 of the Act (12 U.S.C. 1817(j)(7)). The notices are available for immediate inspection at the Federal Reserve Bank indicated. The notices also will be available for inspection at the office of the Board of Governors. Interested persons may express their views in writing to the Reserve Bank indicated for that notice or to the offices of the Board of Governors. Comments must be received not later than March 30, 2006. **A. Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco** (Tracy Basinger, Director, Regional and Community Bank Group) 101 Market Street, San Francisco, California 94105-1579: *1. Bruce Hsiu-I Shen family* , Rancho Palos Verdes, California; to retain voting shares of American Premier Bancorp, Arcadia, California, and thereby indirectly control shares of American Premier Bank, Arcadia, California. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, March 10, 2006. Robert deV. Frierson, Deputy Secretary of the Board. [FR Doc. E6-3708 Filed 3-14-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6210-01-S FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission (Commission or FTC). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The FTC intends to conduct consumer research to examine the effectiveness of the FTC's current energy labeling requirements for consumer products and obtain information about alternatives to those labels. This activity is part of the Commission's efforts to examine the current labeling program, as required by section 137 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-58). Before gathering this information, the FTC is seeking public comments on its proposed consumer research. Comments will be considered before the FTC submits a request for Office of Management and Budget
(OMB)review under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520. DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 15, 2006. ADDRESSES: Interested parties are invited to submit written comments. Comments should refer to “Appliance Labeling Survey: No. P064200” to facilitate the organization of comments. A comment filed in paper form should include this reference both in the text and on the envelope and should be mailed or delivered, with two complete copies, to the following address: Federal Trade Commission/Office of the Secretary, Room H-135 (Annex K), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20580. Because paper mail in the Washington area and at the Commission is subject to delay, please consider submitting your comments in electronic form, as prescribed below. However, if the comment contains any material for which confidential treatment is requested, the comment must be filed in paper form, and the first page of the document must be clearly labeled “Confidential.” 1 The FTC is requesting that any comment filed in paper form be sent by courier or overnight service, if possible. 1 Commission Rule 4.2(d), 16 CFR 4.2(d). The comment must be accompanied by an explicit request for confidential treatment, including the factual and legal basis for the request, and must identify the specific portions of the comment to be withheld from the public record. The request will be granted or denied by the Commission's General Counsel, consistent with applicable law and the public interest. *See* Commission Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c). Comments filed in electronic form should be submitted by clicking on the following weblink: *https://secure.commentworks.com/FTC-ApplianceSurvey* and following the instructions on the Web-based form. To ensure that the Commission considers an electronic comment, you must file it on the web-based form at the *https://secure.commentworks.com/FTC-ApplianceSurvey* Web link. If this notice appears at *http://www.regulations.gov,* you may also file an electronic comment through that Web site. The Commission will consider all comments that regulations.gov forwards to it. The FTC Act and other laws the Commission administers permit the collection of public comments to consider and use in this proceeding as appropriate. All timely and responsive public comments will be considered by the Commission and will be available to the public on the FTC Web site, to the extent practicable, at *http://www.ftc.gov.* As a matter of discretion, the FTC makes every effort to remove home contact information for individuals from the public comments it receives before placing those comments on the FTC Web site. More information, including routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, may be found in the FTC's privacy policy at *http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/privacy.htm.* FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information should be addressed to Hampton Newsome, Attorney, Division of Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20580,
(202)326-3228. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA, Federal agencies must obtain approval from OMB for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. “Collection of information” means agency requests or requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party. 44 U.S.C. 3502(3), 5 CFR 1320.3(c). Section 324 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), 42 U.S.C. 6291-6309, requires the FTC to prescribe labeling rules for the disclosure of estimated annual energy cost or alternative energy consumption information for a variety of products covered by the statute, including home appliances ( *e.g.* , refrigerators, dishwashers, air conditioners, and furnaces), lighting, and plumbing products. The Commission's Appliance Labeling Rule (Rule), 16 CFR part 305, implements these requirements by directing manufacturers to disclose energy information about major household appliances. This information enables consumers to compare the energy use or efficiency of competing models. When initially published in 1979, the Rule applied to eight appliance categories: refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, freezers, dishwashers, water heaters, clothes washers, room air conditioners, and furnaces. Since then, the Commission has expanded the Rule's coverage to include central air conditioners, heat pumps, fluorescent lamp ballasts, plumbing products, lighting products, pool heaters, and some other types of water heaters. Section 137 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 amends the EPCA (42 U.S.C. 6294(a)(2)) to require the Commission to initiate a rulemaking to consider “the effectiveness of the consumer products labeling program in assisting consumers in making purchasing decisions and improving energy efficiency.” As part of this effort, EPCA directs the Commission to consider “changes to the labeling rules (including categorical labeling) that would improve the effectiveness of consumer product labels.” On November 2, 2005, the Commission published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
(ANPR)seeking comments on the effectiveness of the FTC's energy labeling regulations for consumer products. 70 FR 66307 (November 2, 2005). In that Notice, the Commission stated that the American Council for an Energy Efficient Environment (ACEEE) released a report in 2002 summarizing its research on the EnergyGuide label's efficacy and on alternative formats and graphical elements for the label. 2 More recently, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
(AHAM)conducted a study that also examined the current label and alternatives. AHAM submitted the study as part of its comments on the ANPR. 3 The conclusions reached by AHAM and ACEEE are not in accord. As part of the ongoing rulemaking on the label's effectiveness, the Commission is considering conducting its own consumer research related to the existing label requirements and possible alternatives. As required by the PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A), the FTC is providing this opportunity for public comment before requesting that OMB grant the clearance for the survey. 2 Thorne, Jennifer and Egan, Christine, “An Evaluation of the Federal Trade Commission's EnergyGuide Label: Final Report and Recommendations,” ACEEE, August 2002. The report is available online at *http://aceee.org/pubs/a021full.pdf.* 3 *See* AHAM Comments in FTC Matter No. R511994, (January 13, 2006) ( *http://www.ftc.gov/os/comments/energylabeling/519870-00016.htm* ). The FTC invites comments on:
(1)Whether the proposed collections of information are necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the FTC, including whether the information will have practical utility;
(2)the accuracy of the FTC's estimate of the burden of the proposed collections of information;
(3)ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
(4)ways to minimize the burden of collecting information on those who are to respond, including through 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. All comments should be filed as prescribed in the ADDRESSES section above, and must be received on or before May 15, 2006. 1. Description of the Collection of Information and Proposed Use The FTC proposes to collect information from up to 3000 consumers in order to gather data on the effectiveness of current energy labels required by the Rule and possible alternatives to those current requirements. All information will be collected on a voluntary basis. Subject to OMB approval for the collection of information, the FTC plans to contract with a consumer research firm to identify consumers and conduct the survey. The results will assist the FTC in determining the effectiveness of the consumer products labeling program in assisting consumers in their purchasing decisions and improving energy efficiency. The results also should aid the Commission in considering changes to the labeling rules that would improve the effectiveness of consumer product labels. 2. Estimated Hours Burden The FTC is considering pretesting the consumer questionnaires on approximately 100 respondents to ensure that all questions are easily understood. The FTC expects that the pretest would take approximately 20 minutes on average per person and approximately 33 hours as a whole (100 respondents × 20 minutes each). Once the pretest is completed, the FTC plans to seek information from approximately 3000 respondents. Answering the FTC's information requests will require approximately 1000 hours as a whole (3000 respondents × 20 minutes each). Thus, cumulative total burden hours for the survey will be approximately 1,000 hours (rounded to the nearest thousand). 3. Estimated Cost Burden The cost per respondent should be negligible. Participation is voluntary and will not require start-up, capital, or labor expenditures by respondents. By direction of the Commission. Donald S. Clark, Secretary. [FR Doc. E6-3700 Filed 3-14-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6750-01-P FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION Granting of Request for Early Termination of the Waiting Period Under the Premerger Notification Rules Section 7A of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. 18a, as added by Title II of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, requires persons contemplating certain mergers or acquisitions to give the Federal Trade Commission and the Assistant Attorney General advance notice and to wait designated periods before consummation of such plans. Section 7A(b)(2) of the Act permits the agencies, in individual cases, to terminate this waiting period prior to its expiration and requires that notice of this action be published in the **Federal Register** . The following transactions were granted early termination of the waiting period provided by law and the premerger notification rules. The grants were made by the Federal Trade Commission and the Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. Neither agency intends to take any action with respect to these proposed acquisitions during the applicable waiting period. Trans No. Acquiring Acquired Entities TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—02/21/2006 20060637 SI International, Inc. Donald E. Reed and Barbara M. Reed Zen Technology, Inc. TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—02/22/2006 20060512 BBA Group PLC Teresa Allred Ontic Engineering & Manufacturing, Inc. 20060596 Stork N.V Ray Theodore Townsend, Jr Townsend Engineering Company. 20060607 Ventiv Health, Inc Adheris, Inc Adheris, Inc. 20060610 Carlyle Venture Partners II, L.P Brazos Equity Fund, L.P Comark Building Systems, Inc. 20060621 H.B. Fuller Company William J. Kyte Chicago Adhesive Products Co., Roanoke Companies Group, Inc. 20060630 AmeriCredit Corp Bay View Capital Corporation Bay View Acceptance Corporation. 20060641 Permira Europe III L.P. 2 Bear Stearns Merchant Banking Partners II, L.P Aearo Technologies Inc. 20060642 Warburg Pincus Private Equity X, L.P JLL Partners Fund II, L.P JLL Building Products, LLC. 20060652 Carlyle Europe Partners II, L.P Water Pik Technologies, Inc Water Pik Technologies Inc. TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—02/23/2006 20060544 Panolam Holding Co Nevamar Holdco, LLC Nevamar Holdco, LLC. 20060603 Crunch Equity Holding, LLC Henkel KGaA The Dial Corporation. 20060614 Grifols, S,A Michael H. Stough and Barbara O. Stough Plasmacare, Inc. 20060638 Canfor Corporation New South Companies, Inc New South Companies, Inc. 20060650 TETRA Technologies, Inc Julie R. Rodriguez and Roger Rodriguez Epic Divers, Inc.; Epic Marine, LLC; Epic Oilfield Services LLC; Seahorse Services, Inc. TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—02/27/2006 20060575 HIP Foundation, Inc Group Health Incorporated Group Health Incorporated. 20060584 Deutsche Post AG Williams Lea Group Limited Williams Lea Group Limited. 20060598 Goldman Sachs Group, Inc Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. 20060623 MMI Investments, L.P ANDRX Corporation ANDRX Corporation. 20060624 MMI Investments, L.P Dendrite Internation, Inc Dendrite International, Inc. 20060657 Kanbay International, Inc Adjoined Consulting, Inc Adjoined Consulting, Inc. 20060658 ValueAct Capital Master Fund, L.P Seitel, Inc Seitel, Inc. 20060660 Bain Capital Fund VIII, L.P Texas Instruments Incorporated Texas Instruments (Changzhou) Co., Ltd.; Texas Instruments (China) Company Limited; Texas Instruments de Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V.; Texas Instruments Electronicos do Brasil Ltda.; Texas Instruments Holland B.V.; Texas Instruments Hong Kong Limited; Texas Instruments Italia S.p.A.; Texas Instruments Japan Limited; Texas Instruments Korea Limited; Texas Instruments Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.; Texas Instruments Semiconductor Tech. (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. 20060661 Nuance Communications, Inc Dictaphone Corporation Dictaphone Corporation. 20060664 Partners Limited Maple Timber Acquisition LLC Rumford Falls Power Company 20060669 GTCR Fund VIII, L.P Automatic Data Processing, Inc ADP Claims Services Group, Inc.; ADP Hollander, Inc.; ADP Integrated Medical Solutions, Inc. c/o Automatic Data Processing, Inc. TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—03/02/2006 20060654 Toppoly Optoelectronics Corp Koninklijke Phillips Electronics N.V TPO Hong Kong Holding Ltd. 20060672 Carlyle Venture Partners II, L.P Vision Research, Inc Vision Research, Inc. TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—03/03/2006 20060628 Emerson Electric Co Artesyn Technologies, Inc Artesyn Technologies, Inc. 20060639 American Capital Strategies, Ltd AAMCO Transmissions, Inc AAMCO Transmissions, Inc. 20060649 Time Warner Inc The CW Network The CW Network. 20060663 Sumner Redstone The CW Network The CW Network. 20060679 BASF Corporation Air Products and Chemicals, Inc Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. 20060683 Marvell Technology Group Ltd Bali Investments S.a.r.l Avago Technologies Imaging IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.; Avago Technologies Imaging (U.S.A.) Inc.; Avago Technologies India Private Limited. 20060687 Lagardere SCA Time Warner Inc iPublish Inc.; Little, Brown and Company (Inc.); Publisher's Advertising LLC; Time Warner Book Group Inc.; TWBG Holdings Inc.; Warner Books, Inc. 20060688 Kenneth D. Peterson, Jr Choice One Communications Inc Choice One Communications Inc. 20060692 Wolseley pic Richard S. Jackson, II K & A Lumber Company, Inc. 20060693 Wolseley pic Richard S. Jackson, III K & A Lumber Company, Inc. 20060695 ArcLight Energy Partners Fund II, L.P FirstEnergy Corp MYR Group, Inc. 20060703 Carlyl Partners IV, L.P Donald Rubin MultiPlan, Inc. 20060705 Darwin Deason, c/o Affiliated Computer Services, Inc Affiliated Computer Services, Inc Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. 20060709 Protective Life Corporation JP Morgan Chase & Co Chase Insurance Direct, Inc.; Chase Insurance Life & Annuity Company; Chase Life & Annuity Company; Chase Life & Annuity Company of New York; Investors Brokerage Services, Inc.; PMG Asset Management, Inc.; PMG Securities Corporation. 20060717 MarineMax, Inc Surfside 3 Marina, Inc Surfside 3 Marina, Inc. *FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:* Sanda M. Peay, Contact Representative or Renee Hallman, Contact Representative. Federal Trade Commission, Premerger Notification Office, Bureau of Competition, Room H-303, Washington, DC 20580.
(202)326-3100. By Direction of the Commission. Donald S. Clark, Secretary. [FR Doc. 06-2474 Filed 3-14-06; 8:45 am]
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Traces to 20 documents
U.S. Code
- Enforcement§ 2804
- Regulations§ 2905
- Adjustable rate mortgage caps§ 3806
- Regulations and reports by Board§ 4008
- Regulations§ 4308
- Unfair or deceptive acts or practices rulemaking proceedings§ 57a
- Disclosure guidelines§ 1604
- Administrative enforcement§ 1681s
- Promulgation of regulations by the Bureau§ 1691b
- Regulations§ 1693b
- Rulemaking§ 6804
- Public information; agency rules, opinions, orders, records, and proceedings§ 552
- Assessments§ 1817
- Definitions§ 3502
- Labeling§ 6294
- Federal agency responsibilities§ 3506
- Premerger notification and waiting period§ 18a
8 references not yet in our index
- 46 CFR 515
- 5 CFR 1320.16
- 5 CFR 1320
- Pub. L. 109-58
- 44 USC 3501-3520
- 5 CFR 1320.3(c)
- 42 USC 6291-6309
- 16 CFR 305
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Cite46 CFR 515
Cite5 CFR 1320.16
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