2023-05834. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Labor Market Information Cooperative Agreement

ACTION:

Notice of availability; request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)-sponsored information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

DATES:

The OMB will consider all written comments that the agency receives on or before April 21, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function.

Comments are invited on: (1) whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Department, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimates of the burden and cost of the collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information collection; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nicole Bouchet by telephone at 202-693-0213, or by email at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The BLS enters into Cooperative Agreements with State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam, annually to provide financial assistance to the SWAs for the production and operation of one or more of four Labor Market Information (LMI) programs: Current Employment Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. The Cooperative Agreement provides the basis for managing the administrative and financial aspects of these programs. The Cooperative Agreement package includes application instructions and materials, as well as financial reporting, closeout, and other administrative requirements as provided for by the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR 200).

The Department of Labor (DOL) is implementing a new grants management system, GrantSolutions, and the BLS will be transitioning to this new system in June 2023. The BLS is seeking approval to incorporate changes into the fiscal year 2023 LMI Cooperative Agreement application package resulting from the move to GrantSolutions. For additional substantive information about this ICR, see the related notice published in the Federal Register on November 18, 2020 (85 FR 73515).

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 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 OMB Control Number. See5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6. The current approval is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2024.

DOL seeks PRA authorization for this information collection for three (3) years. OMB authorization for an ICR cannot be for more than three (3) years without renewal. The DOL notes that information collection requirements submitted to the OMB for existing ICRs receive a month-to-month extension while they undergo review.

Agency: DOL-BLS.

Title of Collection: Labor Market Information Cooperative Agreement.

OMB Control Number: 1220-0079.

Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments; Private Sector—Businesses or other for-profits.

Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 54.

Total Estimated Number of Responses: 933.

Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 756 hours.

Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $0.

(Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D))

Nicole Bouchet,

Senior PRA Analyst.