2012-15792. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Rehabilitation Maintenance Certificate

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) sponsored information collection request (ICR) revision titled, “Rehabilitation Maintenance Certificate,” to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

DATES:

Submit comments on or before July 30, 2012.

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 from the RegInfo.gov Web site, http://www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain, 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, Telephone: [phone]/Fax: [phone] (these are not toll-free numbers), 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].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The OWCP administers the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) and the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA). These acts provide vocational rehabilitation services to eligible workers with disabilities. The FECA provides that the OWCP may pay an individual undergoing vocational rehabilitation a maintenance allowance, not to exceed $200 a month. The LHWCA provides that persons undergoing such vocational rehabilitation shall receive maintenance allowances as additional compensation. The Rehabilitation Maintenance Certificate, Form OWCP-17, is used to collect information necessary to determine the amount of any maintenance allowance to be paid. Form OWCP-17, is submitted to the OWCP by program participants or contractors the agency hires to provide vocational rehabilitation services requesting payment of an additional rehabilitation maintenance amount to cover incidental costs of obtaining vocational rehabilitation services. For example, when a disabled worker attends a training program, Form OWCP-17 may be used to request reimbursement of out-of-pocket costs such as travel expenses. This ICR technically qualifies as a revision under the PRA, because the agency has reformatted elements of Form OWCP-17 (e.g., replaced an obsolete logo with the DOL Seal and removed references to the no longer existent Employment Standards Administration).

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 if the collection of information 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 1240-0012. The current approval is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2012; however, it should be noted that existing information collection requirements submitted to the OMB receive a month-to-month extension while they undergo review. For additional information, see the related notices published in the Federal Register on February 9, 2012, (77 FR 6824) and April 5, 2012 (77 FR 20654).

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 1240-0012. 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: Rehabilitation Maintenance Certificate.

OMB Control Number: 1240-0012.

Affected Public: Individuals or Households.

Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 603.

Total Estimated Number of Responses: 5,022.

Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 837.

Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $0.

Dated: June 22, 2012.

Michel Smyth,

Departmental Clearance Officer.