06-7346. Proposed Collection for the ETA 227, Overpayment Detection and Recovery Activities; 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 and Training Administration is soliciting comments concerning the proposed extension for collection of the ETA 227 Report, Overpayment Detection and Recovery Activities.

A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the ADDRESSES section of this notice or by accessing: http://www.doleta.gov/​Performance/​guidance/​OMBControlNumber.cfm.

DATES:

Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the addressee section below on or before October 30, 2006.

ADDRESSES:

Nancy Dean, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Room S4231, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, Phone: [phone] (This is not a toll-free number), Fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

Section 303(a)(1) of the Social Security Act requires a state's unemployment insurance (UI) law to include provisions for:

“Such methods of administration * * * as are found by the Secretary of Labor to be reasonably calculated to insure full payment of unemployment compensation when due * * *”

Section 303(a)(5) of the Social Security Act further requires a state's UI law to include provisions for:

“Expenditure of all money withdrawn from an unemployment fund of such State, in the payment of unemployment compensation * * *”

Section 3304(a)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 provides that:

“all money withdrawn from the unemployment fund of the State shall be used solely in the payment of unemployment compensation * * *”

The Secretary of Labor has interpreted the above sections of federal law in Section 7511, Part V, ES Manual to further require a state's UI law to include provisions for such methods of administration as are, within reason, calculated (1) to detect benefits paid through error by the State Workforce Agency (SWA) or through willful misrepresentation or error by the claimant or others, (2) to deter claimants from obtaining benefits through willful misrepresentation, and (3) to recover benefits overpaid. The ETA 227 is used to determine whether SWAs meet these requirements.

The ETA-227 contains data on the number and amounts of fraud and non-fraud overpayments established, the methods by which overpayments were detected, the amounts and methods by which overpayments were collected, the amounts of overpayments waived and written off, the accounts receivable for overpayments outstanding, and data on criminal/civil actions.

These data are gathered by 53 SWAs and reported to the Department of Labor following the end of each calendar quarter. The overall effectiveness of SWAs' UI integrity efforts can be determined by examining and analyzing the data.

These data are also used by SWAs as a management tool for effective UI program administration.

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 UI program paid approximately $42 billion in benefits in 2004. Although the overpayment rate (fraud and non-fraud) derived from the ETA 227 is relatively low (less than 3.25 percent), high amounts of money are involved, and it is in the national interest to maintain the program's integrity. Therefore, we are proposing to extend the authorization to continue collecting data to measure the effectiveness of the benefit payment control programs in the SWAs.

Type of Review: Extension.

Agency: Employment and Training Administration.

Title: Overpayment Detection and Recovery Activities.

OMB Number: 1205-0173.

Agency Form Number: ETA 227.

Affected Public: State Government.

Total Respondents: 53 state agencies.

Frequency: Quarterly.

Total Responses: 212.

Average Time per Response: 14 hours.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 2,968.

Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $0.

Comments submitted in response to this comment request 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: August 24, 2006.

Dale Zeigler,

Deputy Administrator, Office of Workforce Security.