Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Benefit Appeals Report

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Labor (DOL) hereby announces the submission of the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, “Benefit Appeals Report,” to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35).

DATES:

Submit comments on or before December 30, 2010.

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 from the RegInfo.gov Web site, http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain or by contacting Michel Smyth by telephone at 202-693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or sending an e-mail to DOL_PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov.

Submit comments about this request to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for the Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, Telephone: 202-395-6929/Fax: 202-395-6881 (these are not toll-free numbers), e-mail: OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michel Smyth by telephone at 202-693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or by e-mail at DOL_PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Benefit Appeals Report contains information on the number of unemployment insurance appeals and the resultant decisions classified by program, appeals level, cases filed and disposed of (workflow), and decisions by level, appellant, and issue. The data in this report are used by the DOL to monitor the benefit appeals process in the State Workforce Agencies and to develop any needed plans for remedial action. The data are also needed for workload forecasts and to determine administrative funding. If this information were not available, developing problems might not be discovered early enough to allow for timely solutions and avoidance of time consuming and costly corrective action.

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 currently approved by the 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 if the collection of information does not display a currently valid OMB control number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6. The DOL obtains OMB approval for this information collection under OMB Control Number 1205-0172. The current OMB approval is scheduled to expire on November 30, 2010; however, it should be noted that information collections submitted to the OMB receive a month-to-month extension while they undergo review. For additional information, see the related notice published in the Federal Register on September 2, 2010 (75 FR 53983).

Interested parties are encouraged to send comments to the OMB, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the address shown in the ADDRESSES section within 30 days of publication of this notice in the Federal Register. In order to ensure the appropriate consideration, comments should reference OMB Control Number 1205-0172. The OMB is particularly interested in comments that:

• 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;
• 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;
• 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: Employment and Training Administration (ETA).

Type of Review: Extension without change of a currently approved collection.

Title of Collection: Benefit Appeals Report.

Form Number: ETA 9130.

OMB Control Number: 1205-0172.

Affected Public: State, local, and tribal governments.

Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.

Total Estimated Number of Responses: 636.

Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 1908.

Total Estimated Annual Costs Burden: $0.