Notice2026-04784
Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Overpayment Detection and Recovery Activities
Primary source
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Published
March 12, 2026
Issuing agencies
Labor DepartmentEmployment and Training Administration
Abstract
The Department of Labor's (DOL's) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed extension for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled, "Overpayment Detection and Recovery Activities", also referred to as the ETA 227 report. This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, as amended (PRA).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 48 (Thursday, March 12, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 48 (Thursday, March 12, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12222-12223]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-04784]
[[Page 12222]]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request;
Overpayment Detection and Recovery Activities
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor's (DOL's) Employment and Training
Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed
extension for the authority to conduct the information collection
request (ICR) titled, ``Overpayment Detection and Recovery
Activities'', also referred to as the ETA 227 report. This comment
request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork
and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, as amended (PRA).
DATES: Consideration will be given to all written comments received by
May 11, 2026.
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 Jordan Penton at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1e514b57334e4c5f5e7a717230797168"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="90dfc5d9bdc0c2d1d0f4fffcbef7ffe6">[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, 200
Constitution Ave. NW, Frances Perkins Bldg., Room S-4519, Washington,
DC 20210; or by email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e0afb5a9cdb0b2a1a0848f8cce878f96"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="48071d0165181a09082c2724662f273e">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rhonda Cowie by telephone at 202-693-
3821 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f3bca6badea3a1b2b3979c9fdd949c85"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f9b6acb0d4a9abb8b99d9695d79e968f">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A).
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.
The ETA 227 contains data reported by each state on the number and
amounts of fraud and non-fraud overpayments established, the methods by
which overpayments were detected, the amounts and methods by which
overpayments were collected, the amounts of overpayments waived and
written off, the accounts receivable for outstanding overpayments, and
data on criminal/civil actions. Each of the 53 State Workforce Agencies
(SWAs) gather this data and report it to DOL following the end of each
calendar quarter. The overall effectiveness of SWAs' UI integrity
efforts can be determined by examining and analyzing the data. SWAs
also use these data as a management tool for effective UI program
administration.
Section 303(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (SSA), Section
303(a)(5) of the SSA, Section 303(a)(6) of the Social Security Act,
Section 3304(a)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) of 1954, and
Section 7511, Part V, of the Employment Security Manual, authorize this
information collection, and states in part: Section 303(a)(1) of the
Social Security Act (SSA) requires a state's unemployment insurance UI
law to include provisions for:
``Such methods of administration . . . as are found by the
Secretary of Labor to be reasonably calculated to insure full payment
of unemployment compensation when due . . .''
Section 303(a)(5) of the SSA further requires a state's UI law to
include provisions for:
``Expenditure of all money withdrawn from an unemployment fund of
such State, in the payment of unemployment compensation . . .''
Section 303(a)(6) also requires a state's UI law to include
provisions to: make ``such reports, in such form and containing such
information, as the Secretary of Labor may from time to time require .
. .''
Section 3304(a)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) of 1954
provides that: ``all money withdrawn from the unemployment fund of the
State shall be used solely in the payment of unemployment compensation
. . .''
The Secretary of Labor has interpreted the above sections of
federal law in Section 7511, Part V, of the Employment Security Manual
to further require a state's UI law to include provisions for such
methods of administration as are, within reason, calculated to: (1)
detect benefits paid through error by the State Workforce Agency (SWA)
or through willful misrepresentation or error by the claimant or
others; (2) deter claimants from obtaining benefits through willful
misrepresentation; and (3) recover benefits overpaid. The ETA 227
report is used to determine whether SWAs meet these requirements.
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
1205-0187.
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: Overpayment Detection and Recovery Activities.
Form: ETA 227.
OMB Control Number: 1205-0187.
[[Page 12223]]
Affected Public: State Workforce Agencies.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
Frequency: Quarterly.
Total Estimated Annual Responses: 212.
Estimated Average Time per Response: 14 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,968 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Other Cost Burden: $0.
Henry Maklakiewicz,
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.
[FR Doc. 2026-04784 Filed 3-11-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FW-P
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