Notice2022-01245
Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Unemployment Insurance Data Validation (DV) Program
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 24, 2022
Issuing agencies
Labor DepartmentEmployment and Training Administration
Abstract
The Department of Labor's (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed extension for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled, "Unemployment Insurance Data Validation (DV) Program." This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 15 (Monday, January 24, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 15 (Monday, January 24, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3588-3589]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-01245]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request;
Unemployment Insurance Data Validation (DV) Program
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor's (DOL) Employment and Training
Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed
extension for the authority to conduct the information collection
request (ICR) titled, ``Unemployment Insurance Data Validation (DV)
Program.'' This comment request is part of continuing Departmental
efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).
DATES: Consideration will be given to all written comments received by
March 25, 2022.
ADDRESSES: A copy of this ICR with applicable supporting documentation,
including a description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency
of response, and estimated total burden, may be obtained free by
contacting Rachel Beistel by telephone at 202-693-2736 (this is not a
toll-free number), TTY 1-877-889-5627 (this is not a toll-free number),
or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dc9eb9b5afa8b9b0f28ebdbfb4b9b09cb8b3b0f2bbb3aa"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2260474b5156474e0c7043414a474e62464d4e0c454d54">[email protected]</span></a>.
Submit written comments about, or requests for a copy of, this ICR
by mail or courier to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and
Training Administration, Office of Unemployment Insurance Room S-4519,
200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210, by email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#82c0e7ebf1f6e7eeacd0e3e1eae7eec2e6edeeace5edf4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0b496e62787f6e6725596a68636e674b6f6467256c647d">[email protected]</span></a>, or by Fax 202-693-3975.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Beistel by telephone at 202-
693-2746 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection" class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0a686f63797e6f6624786b69626f664a6e6566246d657c">[email protected]</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOL, as part of continuing efforts to reduce
paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation
program to provide the general public and Federal agencies an
opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of
information before submitting them to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for final approval. This program helps to ensure requested
data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and
financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly
understood, and the impact of collection requirements can be properly
assessed.
Section 303(a)(6) of the Social Security Act specifies that the
Secretary of Labor will not certify State UI programs to receive
administrative grants unless the State's law includes provisions for
``making of such reports . . . as the Secretary of Labor may from time
to time require, and compliance with such provisions as the Secretary
may from time to time find necessary to assure the correctness and
verification of such reports.'' DOL considers DV to be one of those
``provisions . . . necessary to assure the correctness and
verification'' of the reports submitted by states.
The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) requires
Federal agencies to develop annual and strategic performance plans that
establish performance goals, have concrete indicators of the extent
that goals are achieved, and set performance targets. Each year, the
agency is to issue a report that ``evaluate[s] the performance plan for
the current fiscal year relative to the performance achieved toward the
performance goals in the fiscal year covered by the report.'' DOL
emphasizes the importance of complete and accurate information for
program monitoring and improving program performance ``. . . as a
framework for agencies to communicate progress in achieving their
missions.'' (OMB Circular A-11, Section 15.5).
The UI DV program employs a refined and automated approach to
review 363 elements reported on 15 UI Benefits reports and 1 UI Tax
report. DOL uses many of these elements for key performance measures
and for workload analysis.
The validation process assesses the accuracy of the counts of
transactions. Guided by a detailed handbook, the state UI agency first
constructs extract files containing all pertinent individual
transactions for the desired report period to be validated. These
transactions are grouped into 16 UI Benefits and 5 UI Tax populations.
Each transaction record contains the necessary characteristics or
dimensions that enable it to be summed into an independent recount of
what the state has already reported. DOL provides state agencies with
software that edits the extract file (to identify and remove duplicate
transactions and improperly built records, for example), then
aggregates the transactions to produce an independent reconstruction or
``validation count'' of the reported figure. The reported count is
considered valid by this ``quantity'' validation test if it is within
plus or minus two percent
[[Page 3589]]
of the validation count (plus or minus one percent for a GPRA-related
element).
The software also draws samples of most transaction types from the
extract files. Guided by a state-specific handbook, the validators
review these sample records against documentation in the state's
management information system to determine whether the transactions in
the extract file are supported by system documentation. This
qualitative check determines whether the state management information
system accurately reflects data elements of UI transactions. The UI
Benefits extract files are considered to pass this ``quality'' review
if random samples indicate that no more than five percent of the
records contain errors. The UI Tax extract files are subjected to
different ``quality'' tests. An extract file of a population is
considered valid only if the reported count differs from the
reconstructed (validation) count by no more than the appropriate
criterion of plus or minus two percent or plus or minus one percent and
the samples of transactions have satisfied all quality tests.
For Federal fiscal years 2011 and beyond, all states are required
to conduct a complete validation every three years. In the following
three cases, the three-year rule does not apply and a re-validation
must occur within one year: (1) Groups of reported counts that are
summed for purposes of making a Pass/Fail determination and do not pass
validation by being within plus or minus two percent of the
reconstructed counts or the extract file does not pass all quality
tests; (2) the validation applies to the two UI Benefits populations
and one UI Tax population used for GPRA measures; and (3) reports are
produced by new reporting software following a state's information
technology modernization effort. Every year, states must also certify
that Module 3, the state specific validation manual of the UI Benefits
and UI Tax information systems, are up to date. Section 303(a)(6) of
the Social Security Act authorizes this information collection.
This information collection is subject to the PRA. A Federal agency
generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and
the public is generally not required to respond to an information
collection, unless it is approved by OMB under the PRA and displays a
currently valid OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any
other provisions of law, no person shall generally be subject to
penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information that
does not display a valid Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and
1320.6.
Interested parties are encouraged to provide comments to the
contact shown in the ADDRESSES section. Comments must be written to
receive consideration, and they will be summarized and included in the
request for OMB approval of the final ICR. In order to help ensure
appropriate consideration, comments should mention OMB control number
1205-0431.
Submitted comments will also be a matter of public record for this
ICR and posted on the internet, without redaction. DOL encourages
commenters not to include personally identifiable information,
confidential business data, or other sensitive statements/information
in any comments.
DOL is particularly interested in comments that:
<bullet> Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
<bullet> Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
<bullet> Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
<bullet> Minimize the burden of the collection of 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).
Agency: DOL-ETA.
Type of Review: Extension without changes.
Title of Collection: Unemployment Insurance (UI) Data Validation
(DV).
Form: ETA Handbooks 361 and 411.
OMB Control Number: 1205-0431.
Affected Public: State Workforce Agencies.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
Frequency: Varies.
Total Estimated Annual Responses: 53.
Estimated Average Time per Response: Varies.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 23,644.
Total Estimated Annual Other Cost Burden: $0.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A).
Angela Hanks,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.
[FR Doc. 2022-01245 Filed 1-21-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FW-P
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