98-2353. Agency Recordkeeping/Reporting Requirements Under Emergency Review by the Office of Management and Budget

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 20 (Friday, January 30, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4672-4673]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2353]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Agency Recordkeeping/Reporting Requirements Under Emergency 
Review by the Office of Management and Budget

Janaury 16, 1998.
    The Department of Labor has submitted the following (see below) 
emergency processing public information collection request (ICR) to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 
35). OMB approval has been requested by February 20, 1998. A copy of 
this ICR, with supporting documentation, may be obtained by calling the 
Department of Labor Departmental Clearance Officer, Todd Owen, at (202) 
219-5096, Ext. 143.
    Comments and questions about the ICR listed below should be 
forwarded to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: 
OMB Desk Officer for the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and 
Training Administration, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, 
Washington, D.C. 20503 ([phone]). The Office of Management and 
Budget 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.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration, Labor.
    Title: Trade Adjustment Assistance and NAFTA Transitional 
Adjustment Assistance Program Performance Report.
    OMB Number: 1205-New.
    Frequency: Quarterly.
    Affected Public: State government.
    Total Respondents: 50.
    Estimated Time per Respondent: 80 hours per quarter.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 16,000.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $500,000.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $225,000.
    Description: The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 
1993 requires all federal benefits programs to report on the outcomes 
achieved for benefit recipients and how those outcomes can be 
continuously improved. In addition, public and Congressional awareness 
and concern regarding the effectiveness of assistance provided to U.S. 
workers displaced by imports has created a demand for more information 
on those receiving assistance from TAA and NAFTA-TAA.

[[Page 4673]]

The data currently collected by TAA does not provide sufficient 
information to adequately assess TAA program performance and 
participant outcomes, making it impossible to precisely evaluate 
program effectiveness. In order to comply with Federal law and respond 
to other concerns, the Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance (OTAA) is 
implementing a new system of collecting and reporting performance and 
outcomes data.
    Each quarter, beginning with the quarter ending June 30, 1998, the 
States will provide the Department with reports on demographic data, 
benefits provided, and participant outcomes for each participant who 
has terminated from the TAA or NAFTA-TAA program during the reporting 
quarter. A conference of Regional and State TAA staff concluded that 
many States already collect most, if not all, of the proposed data 
items. Therefore, many State TAA coordinators will only need to access 
existing data and reformat it for submission to the Department, rather 
than creating an entirely new data collection and reporting system. 
States may also take this opportunity to begin to collect additional 
data items for their own program review and improvement purposes.

    Dated: January 27, 1998.
Todd Owen,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 98-2353 Filed 1-29-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-M