Proposed Collection; Comment Request

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to ensure that 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 on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Employment Standards Administration, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed collection entitled Representative Fee Request. A copy of the proposed information collection request can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addressee section of this Notice.

DATES:

Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the addressee section below on or before September 16, 2002.

ADDRESSES:

Ms. Patricia A. Forkel, U. S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave., NW., Room S-3201, Washington, DC 20210, telephone (202) 693-0339, fax (202) 693-1451, EMail pforkel@fenix2.dol-esa.gov. Please use only one method of transmission for comments (mail, fax, or EMail).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

Individuals filing for compensation benefits with the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) may be represented by an attorney or other representative. The representative is entitled to request a fee for services under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) and under the Longhshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LSHWC). The fee must be approved by the OWCP before any demand for payment can be made by the representative. This information collection request sets forth the criteria for the information which must be presented by the respondent in order to have the fee approved by the OWCP. The information collection does not have a particular form or format; the respondent may present the information in any format which is convenient and which meets all the required information criteria. The information collection is currently approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for use through December 2002.

II. Review Focus

The Department of Labor is particularly interested in comments which:

• 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 submissions of responses.

III. Current Actions

The Department of Labor seeks an extension of approval to collect this information in order to carry out its responsibility to approve representative fees under the two Acts. OWCP has reestimated the burden hours per response for FECA representatives only, from 90 minutes to 60 minutes. There is no change in the requirements or method of collection since the last clearance.

Type of Review: Extension.

Agency: Employment Standards Administration.

Titles: Representative Fee Request.

OMB Number: 1215-0078.

Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit; individuals or households.

Total Respondents/Responses: 10,000.

Total Hours: 7,850.

Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.

Total Burden Cost (operation/maintenance): $16,427.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget approval of the information collection request; they will also become a matter of public record.