WASHINGTON—The Rubber Manufacturers Association said it is studying a proposed rule from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that would modify existing procedures for submitting and processing requests for confidential treatment of information.

According to the document printed in the Jan. 4 Federal Register, NHTSA wants to defer acting on requests for confidentiality until:

• It receives a request for the information under the Freedom of Information Act;

• It decides a determination of confidentiality is necessary; or

• It decides making a determination of confidentiality is in the public interest.

“In general, unless and until a determination is made, the information for which confidential treatment is requested will not be disclosed,” the agency said in the Federal Register notice.

NHTSA is also proposing that submitters of information specify whether the materials for which they seek confidential treatment were voluntarily submitted and provide an adequate basis for the claim of voluntariness. The notice contains provisions addressing agency disposition of inadequate or incomplete requests to ensure that submitters comply with NHTSA requirements for requests of confidentiality.

NHTSA and the Office of Management and Budget are accepting comments on the confidentiality proposal until March 4. The document can be found here.

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