2020-21790. Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness (DEEOIC) Authorization Forms

AGENCY:

Office of Workers' Compensation, Department of Labor.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Labor (DOL) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed extension for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled, “DEEOIC Authorization Request Forms”. This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

DATES:

Consideration will be given to all written comments received December 1, 2020.

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 Anjanette Suggs by telephone at 202-354-9660 or by email at [e-mail].

Submit written comments about, or requests for a copy of, this ICR by mail or courier to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, Room S3323, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210; by email: [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Anjanette Suggs by telephone at 202-354-9660 or by email at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The 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 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.

Background: The Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) is the primary agency responsible for administration of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000, as amended (EEOICPA), 42 U.S.C. 7384 et seq. EEOICPA provides for the payment of compensation to covered employees and, where applicable, survivors of deceased employees, who sustained either an “occupational illness” or a “covered illness” in the performance of duty for the Department of Energy and certain of its contractors and subcontractors. One element of the compensation provided to covered employees is medical benefits for the treatment of their occupational or covered illnesses that are accepted as compensable. OWCP contracts with a private sector bill processing agent that handles many of the tasks associated with paying bills for medical treatment provided to covered employees under EEOICPA. This bill processing agent uses an automated system that matches incoming bills with the authorized medical treatment of covered employees before it issues payments, and a provider of medical treatment, supplies or services to covered employees must provide the bill processing agent with information necessary for creation of an authorization within the agent's automated system before a bill can be paid. The collection of this information is authorized by 20 CFR 30.400(a) and (c), 30.403, 30.404(b) and 30.700. The information collections in this ICR collect demographic, factual and medical information that OWCP and/or its bill processing agent needs to process bills for medical treatment, supplies or services.

DOL authorizes this information collection. 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 the OMB under the PRA approves it 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. Written comments will receive consideration, and summarized and included in the request for OMB approval of the final ICR. In order to help ensure appropriate consideration, comments should mention OMB# 1240-0NEW.

Submitted comments will also be a matter of public record for this ICR and posted on the internet, without redaction. The DOL encourages commenters not to include personally identifiable information, confidential business data, or other sensitive statements/information in any comments.

The DOL 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: DOL-Office of Workers' Compensation Programs

Type of Review: New Collection.

Title of Collection: DEEOIC Authorization Forms

Agency Form Number: EE-22, EE-24, EE-26, EE-28, EE-30, EE-32

OMB Control Number: 1240-0NEW.

Affected Public: Individuals or households; businesses or other for-profit.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 12,890.

Frequency: Varies by form.

Total Estimated Annual Responses: 66,770.

Estimated Average Time per Response: 10 minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 11,129.

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.

Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A).

Anjanette Suggs,

Agency Clearance Officer, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, U.S. Department of Labor.