The Funeral Rule

OMB Control No: 3084-0025	ICR Reference No: 201108-3084-002
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 200807-3084-001
Agency/Subagency: FTC	Agency Tracking No:
Title: The Funeral Rule
Type of Information Collection: Extension without change of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 09/02/2011
Retrieve Notice of Action (NOA)	Date Received in OIRA: 08/04/2011
Terms of Clearance:

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	09/30/2014	36 Months From Approved	09/30/2011
Responses	2,892,270	0	5,307,240
Time Burden (Hours)	160,782	0	162,289
Cost Burden (Dollars)	622,106	0	1,226,390

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Abstract: The Rule ensures that consumers who purchase funeral goods and services have accurate information about the terms and conditions for such goods and services. The Rule requires that funeral providers disclose this information to consumers and maintain records to facilitate enforcement of the Rule.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 15 USC 57a Name of Law: Federal Trade Commission Act

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	76 FR 26297	05/06/2011
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	76 FR 47183	08/04/2011
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 7

IC Title Form No. Form Name Answering Phone Inquiries from Customers Written Disclosures of Funeral Goods & Services Printing & Copying Costs of Written Discl. of Goods & Services Non-labor Costs to Update Price Lists Recordkeeping for Funeral Providers Funeral Provider Updating of Price Lists Training for Funeral Providers & Support Staff

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	2,892,270	5,307,240	0	0	-2,414,970	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	160,782	162,289	0	0	-1,507	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	622,106	1,226,390	0	0	-604,284	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Increase Due to:

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: The estimated annual hours burden has decreased approximately 1,200 hours from prior cleared estimates, largely due to a decline in the estimated number of funeral providers (from 20,300 to 19,902). Cumulative non-labor/capital costs have also declined tied to the reduced estimate of funeral providers. Additional declines are attributable to estimation of non-labor costs for price lists. FTC staff previously estimated for the cost of printing two price lists per funeral per year. The FTC's estimate is now based on the assumption that one copy -- of the general price list -- is provided to consumers for each funeral or cremation conducted. Conversely, while the number of reported deaths, upon which the FTC derives its estimate of the number of funerals per year, have declined relative to data used for the preceding clearance request, the current estimates, in contrast to preceding ones, are not rounded; the net effect is an increased estimate of the number of funerals per year (2,436,682) relative to the preceding estimate (2,400,000).

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $97,500

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Is the Supporting Statement intended to be a Privacy Impact Assessment required by the E-Government Act of 2002? No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Uncollected

Agency Contact: Craig Tregillus 202 326-2970

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Common Form ICR:  No

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On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
		(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;
		(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;
		(c) It reduces burden on small entities;
		(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;
		(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;
		(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;
		(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:
			(i) Why the information is being collected;
			(ii) Use of information;
			(iii) Burden estimate;
			(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
			(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
			(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
		(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.
		(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and
		(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Certification Date: 08/04/2011

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