Notice2026-00336
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Notice Requirements of the Health Care Continuation Coverage Provisions
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 12, 2026
Issuing agencies
Labor Department
Abstract
The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)-sponsored information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 7 (Monday, January 12, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 7 (Monday, January 12, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 1199]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00336]
[[Page 1199]]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request; Notice Requirements of the Health Care
Continuation Coverage Provisions
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Employee
Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)-sponsored information
collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.
DATES: The OMB will consider all written comments that the agency
receives on or before February 11, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find this particular
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Howell by telephone at 202-
693-6782, or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#52161d1e0d0200130d0207101e1b1112363d3e7c353d24"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0743484b58575546585752454b4e444763686b29606871">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Consolidated Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) provides that under certain
circumstances participants and beneficiaries of group health plans that
satisfy the definition of ``qualified beneficiaries'' under COBRA may
elect to continue group health coverage temporarily following events
known as ``qualifying events'' that would otherwise result in loss of
coverage.
Under the regulatory guidelines, plan administrators are required
to distribute notices: a general notice to be distributed to all
participants in group health plans subject to COBRA; an employer notice
that must be completed by the employer upon the occurrence of a
qualifying event; a notice and election form to be sent to a
participant upon the occurrence of a qualifying event that might cause
the participant to lose group health coverage; an employee notice that
may be completed by a qualified beneficiary upon the occurrence of
certain qualifying events such as divorce or disability; and, two other
notices, one of early termination and the other a notice of
unavailability. Also included in the ICR are two model notices that the
Department believes will help reduce costs for service providers in
preparing and delivering notices to comply with the regulations. For
additional substantive information about this ICR, see the related
notice published in the Federal Register on July 11, 2025 (90 FR
30984).
Comments are invited on: (1) whether the collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the
Department, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimates of the burden and
cost of the collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information collection; and (4) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
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 the OMB approves it 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
OMB Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6.
DOL seeks PRA authorization for this information collection for
three (3) years. OMB authorization for an ICR cannot be for more than
three (3) years without renewal. The DOL notes that information
collection requirements submitted to the OMB for existing ICRs receive
a month-to-month extension while they undergo review.
Agency: DOL-EBSA.
Title of Collection: Notice Requirements of the Health Care
Continuation Coverage Provisions.
OMB Control Number: 1210-0123.
Affected Public: Private sector.
Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 750,213.
Total Estimated Number of Responses: 24,351,126.
Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 524,890 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $ 19,237,389.
(Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D))
Michael Howell,
Senior Paperwork Reduction Act Analyst.
[FR Doc. 2026-00336 Filed 1-9-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-29-P
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