Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Notice of Final Payment or Suspension of Compensation Benefits

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, “Notice of Final Payment or Suspension of Compensation Benefits,” as proposed to be revised, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

DATES:

Submit comments on or before February 13, 2012.

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,, on the day following publication of this notice or by contacting Michel Smyth by telephone at (202) 693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or sending an email 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, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP), Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, Telephone: (202) 395-6929/Fax: (202) 395-6881 (these are not toll-free numbers), email: 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 email at DOL_PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Notice of Final Payment or Suspension of Compensation Benefits, Form LS-208, is used by insurance carriers and self-insured employers to report the payment of benefits under the Longshore and Harbors Workers Compensation Act. While not affecting the public burden estimates, the OWCP intends to make this collection available on the Internet as fillable/printable and not fileable. The OWCP is also making certain cosmetic changes to Form LS-208, such as replacing a no longer used logo with the DOL seal. These cosmetic changes are not expected to affect the public burden; however, they do make it that this submission must be characterized as a revision under the PRA.

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 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 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 1240-0041. The current OMB approval is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2012; 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 November 1, 2011 (76 FR 67481).

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 help ensure appropriate consideration, comments should reference OMB Control Number 1240-0041. 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: Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP).

Title of Collection: Notice of Final Payment or Suspension of Compensation Benefits.

OMB Control Number: 1240-0041.

Affected Public: Private Sector—Businesses or other for-profits.

Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 600.

Total Estimated Number of Responses: 21,000.

Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 5,250.

Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $16,590.