[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 159 (Thursday, August 15, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42442-42444]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-20792]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Proposed Collection; Comment Request
ACTION: Notice.
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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 extension of collection of data to
update the Compendium of State Unemployment Insurance Operations,
Organizations and Relationships.
A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be
obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addressee section
of this notice.
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DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the
addressee section below on or before October 15, 1996. 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.
ADDRESSES: Jack Bright, Unemployment Insurance Service, United States
Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Room S-
4231 FPB, Attn: TEUPDI, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC
20210. Telephone No. (202) 219-5616 (this is not a toll-free number),
FAX No. (202) 219-8506.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Compendium of State Unemployment Insurance Operations,
Organizations, and Relationships (the Compendium) was originally
prepared in July 1989 and was updated in July 1990 and July 1995. The
Compendium and the updates were developed to provide previously
unavailable information on State operations useful for State and
Federal policy development, program planning, and oversight activities.
The data collection in 1994 for the 1995 update was made under OMB
Approval No. 2305-0333, which expires September 30, 1996. That data is
beginning to become dated and consequently lacks complete reliability.
There is a need to collect information in early 1997 to publish a 1997
update of the Compendium to keep the information current and to
preserve its utility.
The Unemployment Insurance Service (UIS) has a need to know how
each of the 53 State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs) uniquely
operates. The Compendium provides information on initial claim filing,
claimant interviews, continued claim reporting, benefit payment
procedures and controls, claim verification, job bank usage,
crossmatches with other agencies, tax collection procedures, appeals
procedures, roles played by advisory councils, and organizational and
functional relationships. It has provided information useful in UI
performance measurement studies, evaluation of corrective action plans
and in quality control reviews. The information is also used to analyze
proposed legislative and policy changes, as well as to respond to
Administration, Congressional and public inquiries. The SESAs are able
to use the Compendium to respond to inquiries from their State
legislators about how their methods of administration compare with
other States. It is also useful to a SESA for planning purposes,
because the States that use a particular methodology can be identified
so advice can be sought from a SESA that has implemented an innovative
approach or new technology.
The information is in a data base of SESA operations,
organizations, and procedures. UIS has the capability to relate this
data to other data (e.g., fiscal, statutes, workload reports, trust
fund balances, etc.) so that analysis of the relationships between
practice and performance, using all relevant factors, can be conducted.
By using the information, UIS has been able to answer inquiries
regarding nationwide practices which it could not do prior to
preparation of the Compendium.
II. Current Actions
The regular use of the Compendium by UIS, the Regional Offices, and
the SESAs since 1989 has established it as a useful tool. Consequently,
it needs to be kept as current as possible. Having it continuously
updated and available electronically will make it an even more useful
tool.
The 1995 Edition of the Compendium is currently accessible on the
Internet through the Home Pages of the Employment and Training
Administration and the Information Technology Support Center (ITSC).
The ITSC is a joint project of UIS and the Maryland Department of
Labor, Licensing and Regulation established to support the needs of the
53 State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs) in applying automation
and technology solutions to meet the needs of the UI program. UIS
intends, in cooperation with the ITSC, to institute procedures for
SESAs to provide information about changes to the ITSC so that the
Compendium can be updated whenever SESAs implement changes in any of
the activities or structures encompassed by the Compendium. This will
give UIS, Regional Offices, SESAs, and the public electronic access to
the Compendium, and it can result in a Compendium that will continually
be updated and never out-of-date. SESAs will be reminded annually to
notify the ITSC of any changes that have occurred in the past year that
should be included in the Compendium.
As soon as all the details of the procedures for electronic
updating have been completed, the SESAs will be asked to report, on an
exception basis, any changes that have occurred since the last data
collection in 1994. Users are encouraged to offer suggestions for
improvement of the Compendium, e.g., new tables to provide information
desired about the use of new technology, the deletion of current tables
containing unnecessary or obsoleted information, and reformating tables
to make them easier to understand. Instructions will also be provided
to the SESAs, so they can notify the ITSC of future changes as they
occur. Ongoing changes will then be made to the Compendium so that
current information will be available and accessible through the ITSC
or ETA Home Page.
Type of Review: Extension.
Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
Title: Compendium of State Unemployment Insurance Operations,
Organizations, and Relationships.
OMB Number: 1205-0333.
Affected Public: State Government (State Employment Security
Agencies).
Total Respondents: 53 State Employment Security Agencies.
Frequency: On occasion, as changes occur and annual review.
Total Responses: 53.
Average Time Per Response: One hour or less for a SESA if and when
a change takes place. Three hours annually to verify that all changes
have been incorporated.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 225 (159 for annual review and
balance for periodic updates).
Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): none.
Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): The estimated cost to
the Federal Government is $4,000 annually for updating and maintaining
the Compendium on the ITSC Web site. Annual cost to each of the 53
SESAs is approximately 4 hours of staff time ($30 per hour) for
reviewing the Compendium and reporting needed changes.
Comments submitted in response to this comment request will be
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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: August 8, 1996.
Mary Ann Wyrsch,
Director, Unemployment Insurance Service, United States Department of
Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
[FR Doc. 96-20792 Filed 8-14-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-P
