2013-23187. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Securing Financial Obligations Under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act and its Extensions

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, “Securing Financial Obligations Under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act and its Extensions,” to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use, without change, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

DATES:

Submit comments on or before October 24, 2013.

ADDRESSES:

A copy of this ICR with applicable supporting documentation; including a description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency of response, and estimated total burden may be obtained free of charge from the RegInfo.gov Web site at http://www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAViewICR?​ref_​nbr=​201306-1240-003 (this link will only become active on the day following publication of this notice) or by contacting Michel Smyth by telephone at 202-693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or sending an email to [e-mail].

Submit comments about this request to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for DOL-OWCP, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503, Fax: [phone] (this is not a toll-free number), email: [e-mail]. Commenters are encouraged, but not required, to send a courtesy copy of any comments to the U.S. Department of Labor-OASAM, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Attn: Information Management Program, Room N1301, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20210, email: [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Contact Michel Smyth by telephone at 202-693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at [e-mail].

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act requires a covered employer to secure the payment of compensation under the Act and its extensions by purchasing insurance from a carrier authorized by the Secretary of Labor to write Longshore Act insurance, or by becoming an authorized self-insured employer. See 33 U.S.C. 932. Each authorized insurance carrier or carrier seeking authorization is required to establish annually that its Longshore Act obligations are fully secured through an applicable state guaranty or analogous fund, a deposit of security with the Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation (DLHWC), or a combination of both. Similarly, each authorized self-insurer or employer seeking authorization is required fully to secure its Longshore Act obligations by depositing security with the DLHWC. These requirements are designed to assure the prompt and continued payment of compensation and other benefits by the responsible carrier or self-insurer to injured workers and their survivors. Forms associated with this information collection (Forms LS-275 IC, Agreement and Undertaking (Insurance Carrier); LS-275 SI, Agreement and Undertaking (Self-Insured Employer); and LS-276, Application for Security Deposit Determination) obtain information used to determine appropriate security deposit amounts and to insure compliance with the security deposit requirements.

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 it is approved by the OMB under the PRA 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 Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6. The DOL obtains OMB approval for this information collection under Control Number 1240-0005.

OMB authorization for an ICR cannot be for more than three (3) years without renewal, and the current approval for this collection is scheduled to expire on November 30, 2013. The DOL seeks to extend PRA authorization for this information collection for three (3) more years, without any change to existing requirements. It should also be noted that existing information collection requirements submitted to the OMB receive a month-to-month extension while they undergo review. For additional substantive information about this ICR, see the related notice published in the Federal Register on June 12, 2013 (78 FR 35326).

Interested parties are encouraged to send comments to the OMB, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the address shown in the ADDRESSES section within 30 days of publication of this notice in the Federal Register. In order to help ensure appropriate consideration, comments should mention OMB Control Number 1240-0005. The OMB is particularly interested in comments that:

• 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.

Agency: DOL-OWCP.

Title of Collection: Securing Financial Obligations Under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act and its Extensions.

OMB Control Number: 1240-0005.

Affected Public: Private Sector—businesses or other for-profits and not-for-profit institutions.

Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 476.

Total Estimated Number of Responses: 668.

Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 454.

Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $344.

Dated: September 18, 2013.

Michel Smyth,

Departmental Clearance Officer.