[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 24 (Monday, February 5, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4290-4292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-2343]
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[[Page 4291]]
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Public
Comment and Recommendations; Unemployment Insurance Benefits Quality
Control Program; 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 and Training Administration is soliciting
comments concerning the proposed revision of the collection of the
Unemployment Insurance Benefits Quality Control program data.
A copy of the proposed changes to the information collection
Handbook (ETA Handbook 395) can be obtained by contacting the employee
listed below in the contact section of this notice.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before April 5, 1996.
Written comments should:
--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.
ADDRESSES: Burman H. Skrable, Unemployment Insurance Service,
Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room
S-4015, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, 202-219-
5220 (this is not a toll-free number); FAX, 202-219-8506; Internet:
eta.sao.skrablebdoleta.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
I. Background
Since 1987, all State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs) except
the Virgin Islands have been required by regulation at 20 CFR 602 to
operate a Benefits Quality Control (BQC) program to assess the accuracy
of their Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefit payments. The Department's
authority is found at Sections 303(a)(1) and 303(b)(1) of the Social
Security Act. The BQC programs operate as follows. Each State draws a
weekly sample of payments; annual samples presently average slightly
over 800 cases per State, with a range of 480 to 1800. A specially
trained staff reviews agency records and contacts the claimant,
employers and third parties to verify all the information pertinent to
the benefit amount for the sampled week. Since July 1993, investigators
have been able to use a mix of in-person and telephone/fax contacts.
Using the verified information, they determine what the benefit payment
should have been to accord fully with State law and policy. Any
differences between the actual and reconstructed payment are
underpayment or overpayment errors and are coded into a specially-
provided computer along with their types, causes and responsibilities.
This information is used by the State and the Department of Labor to
estimate the extent of mispayments to monitor program quality, guide
possible future program improvements, inform system stakeholders and
perform various policy analyses. The program costs approximately $26
million each year to operate.
The typical investigation requires about 10.5 hours per case and in
total the 42,240 cases are estimated to impose a paperwork burden of
133,900 hours. The program is operated under OMB approval number 1205-
0245; approval expires 8/31/96.
This fall, as part of a larger effort to put UI performance
improvement systems on a consistent basis, a joint workgroup of senior
State Employment Security Agency (SESA) managers and Federal staff
developed a proposal for modifying BQC to bring it into better balance
with other UI performance measurement systems. This proposal also
responds to the Department's commitment to the Vice President's
National Performance Review (NPR) to ``reexamine . . . the BQC
program'' and determine how BQC's resources can ``best be divided
between measurement, analysis and direct support for program
improvement'' in the context of the larger UI Performance system.
II. Current Actions
This is a request for OMB approval [under the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)] to revise an existing collection
of information previously approved and assigned OMB Control No. 1205-
0245. The proposed revision would reduce burden hours by 58,581.
The following changes in BQC are proposed:
Reductions in sample sizes to 360 cases in the 10 smallest
SESAs and 480 in the remainder. This change will cut the annual
paperwork burden from 133,900 hours to 75,319. It will also reduce
precision: standard errors will increase, ranging from about 10 percent
in the smallest States to as much as 100 percent in the largest.
Greater flexibility in how States verify claims data.
Instead of being required to investigate certain portions of UI claims
in person, they will have the option of using whatever method is
appropriate in the circumstances--in-person, mail, phone, or fax. This
should reduce average time to complete a case to about 7.5 hours. It is
estimated, however, that if States completely cease in-person
investigations, BQC will detect up to 14 percent less dollars overpaid
compared with the present protocol.
Type of Review: Revision.
Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
Title: Unemployment Insurance Benefits Quality Control Program.
OMB Number: 1205-0245.
Frequency: Weekly.
Recordkeeping: States are required to follow their State laws
regarding public record retention in retaining BQC records.
Affected Public: Individuals; Business; other for-profit/Not-for-
profit institutions; Farms; Federal, State, Local, or Tribal
Governments.
Number of Respondents: 52.
Estimated Time Per Respondent: 3.17 hours.
Total Estimated Cost: $26 million.
Total Burden Hours: 75,319 hours.
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.
[[Page 4292]]
Dated: January 30, 1996.
Mary Ann Wyrsch,
Director, Unemployment Insurance Service.
[FR Doc. 96-2343 Filed 2-2-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-M
