Notice2024-14791
Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Claims and Payment Activities
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
July 8, 2024
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, with changes, for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled, "Claims and Payment Activities." 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 89 Issue 130 (Monday, July 8, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 130 (Monday, July 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55987-55988]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-14791]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Claims
and Payment Activities
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, with changes, for the authority to conduct the information
collection request (ICR) titled, ``Claims and Payment Activities.''
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
September 6, 2024.
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) or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c9abaca0babdaca5e7bba8aaa1aca589ada6a5e7aea6bf"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="96f4f3ffe5e2f3fab8e4f7f5fef3fad6f2f9fab8f1f9e0">[email protected]</span></a>. For persons
with a hearing or speech disability who need assistance to use the
telephone system, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay
services.
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 Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20210; by email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3b746e72166b697a7b5f5457155c544d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ca859f83e79a988b8aaea5a6e4ada5bc">[email protected]</span></a>; or by fax 202-693-3975.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin Stapleton by telephone at 202-
693-3009 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0f7c7b6e7f636a7b606121646a7966614f6b606321686079"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7f0c0b1e0f131a0b101151141a0916113f1b101351181009">[email protected]</span></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 (SSA) specifies that
for State Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs to be certified to
receive administrative funding from the Federal Government, the State's
law must include 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 the proposed changes and updates to the ETA 5159 report to be
one of those ``provisions . . . necessary to assure the correctness and
verification'' of the reports submitted by States. ETA is proposing
changes to the ETA 5159 to continue to collect information on claim
activities, number of claims and amount of payments under State UI laws
and Federal unemployment insurance laws for Federal workers and ex-
service members, as well as add additional sections on activities for
claimants that received State UI first payments and final payments by
race or ethnicity, sex and/or gender, level of educational attainment
following the updated definitions proposed for the ETA 203 Report
titled ``Characteristics of the Insured Unemployed'' under OMB Control
Number 1205-0009 and a new field capturing incomplete claims. The
additional demographic report fields for Sex and/or Gender incorporate
the most recent U.S. State Department's updated passport guidelines.
The report fields for Race or Ethnicity follow the updated guidance/
changes set out in the Office of Management and Budget's Revisions to
its Statistical Policy Directive No. 15: Standards for Maintaining,
Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity,\1\ which
became effective on March 29, 2024. The update field for Level of
Educational Attainment aligns with the U.S. Census Bureau.
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\1\ <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-03-29/pdf/2024-06469.pdf">https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-03-29/pdf/2024-06469.pdf</a>.
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These changes will capture characteristics that better reflect
society and the UI population across demographic groups. ETA proposes
adding these categories to increase understanding of interactions
between socio-economic characteristics and unemployment insurance
receipt, benefit exhaustion, and to assist State UI program managers
seeking to identify areas of needs such as barriers to filing an
application for benefits, hence the additional field for ``incomplete
claims''. An individual's refusal to disclose claimant demographic
information will not impact eligibility determinations. Also, any
responses collected and information provided will be treated as
confidential. This data will not be shared beyond aggregate reporting
to ETA and any demographic information associated with a specific
claimant or employer will be masked or hidden from State agency staff.
Furthermore, an individual's disclosure of demographic information is
voluntary and a non-response to questions will continue to be reported
as ``Information Not Available'' or INA. Section 303(a)(6) SSA,
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
[[Page 55988]]
for OMB approval of the final ICR. In order to help ensure appropriate
consideration, comments should mention OMB control number 1205-0010.
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
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: Revision.
Title of Collection: Claims and Payment Activities.
Form: ETA 5159.
OMB Control Number: 1205-0010.
Affected Public: State Workforce Agencies.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
Frequency: Monthly.
Total Estimated Annual Responses: 636.
Estimated Average Time per Response: 40 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 424 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Other Cost Burden: $0.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A).
Jos[eacute] Javier Rodr[iacute]guez,
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.
[FR Doc. 2024-14791 Filed 7-5-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FW-P
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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.