02-11882. 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 following proposed collection: Representative Payee Report (CM-623), Representative Payee Report, Short Form (CM-623S), and Physician's/Medical Officer's Report (CM-787). 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 July 12, 2002.

ADDRESSES:

Ms. Patricia A. Forkel, U. S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave., NW., Room S-3201, Washington, DC 20210, telephone [phone], fax [phone], EMail [e-mail]. Please use only one method of transmission for comments (mail, fax, or EMail).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Office of Workers' Compensation Programs administers the Federal Black Lung Workers' Compensation Program. Under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act (30 U.S.C. 901) benefits payable to a black lung beneficiary may be paid to a representative payee on behalf of the beneficiary when the beneficiary is unable to manage his/her benefits due to incapability, incompetence, or minority. The CM-623 is used to collect expenditure data regarding the disbursement of the beneficiary's benefits by the representative payee to assure that the beneficiary's needs are being met. The CM-623S is a shortened version of the CM-623 that is used when the representative payee is a family member. The CM-787 is a form used by OWCP to gather information from the beneficiary's physician about the capability of the beneficiary to manage monthly benefits. It is used by OWCP to determine if it is in the beneficiary's best interests to have his/her benefits managed by another party. Regulatory authority for the collection of this information is at 20 CFR 725.506, 510, 511, and 513. The information collection is currently approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for use through October 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 determine if a beneficiary is capable and/or competent to manage his/her black lung benefits, and to assure that the representative payee is using the benefits to meet the beneficiary's needs. There is no change to these forms since the last OMB approval.

Type of Review: Extension.

Agency: Employment Standards Administration.

Titles: Representative Payee Report; Representative Payee Report, Short Form; Physician's Medical Officer's Statement.

OMB Number: 1215-0173.

Agency Numbers: CM-623, CM-623S, CM-787.

Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit; individuals or households; Not-for-profit institutions.

Form	Respondents/responses	Frequency	Average response time	Total hours
CM-623	2,275	Annually	90	3,413
CM-623S	600	Annually	10	100
CM-787	223	On occasion	15	56

Total Respondents/Responses: 3,098.

Total Hours: 3,569.

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

Total Burden Cost (operation/maintenance): $1,064.

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.

Dated: May 6, 2002.

Margaret J. Sherrill,

Chief, Branch of Management Review and Internal Control, Division of Financial Management, Office of Management, Administration and Planning, Employment Standards Administration.