[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 24 (Monday, February 5, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4290-4292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-2343]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 4291]]



DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Public 
Comment and Recommendations; Unemployment Insurance Benefits Quality 
Control Program; 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 revision of the collection of the 
Unemployment Insurance Benefits Quality Control program data.
    A copy of the proposed changes to the information collection 
Handbook (ETA Handbook 395) can be obtained by contacting the employee 
listed below in the contact section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before April 5, 1996. 
Written comments should:

--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.

ADDRESSES: Burman H. Skrable, Unemployment Insurance Service, 
Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room 
S-4015, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, 202-219-
5220 (this is not a toll-free number); FAX, 202-219-8506; Internet: 
eta.sao.skrablebdoleta.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

I. Background

    Since 1987, all State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs) except 
the Virgin Islands have been required by regulation at 20 CFR 602 to 
operate a Benefits Quality Control (BQC) program to assess the accuracy 
of their Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefit payments. The Department's 
authority is found at Sections 303(a)(1) and 303(b)(1) of the Social 
Security Act. The BQC programs operate as follows. Each State draws a 
weekly sample of payments; annual samples presently average slightly 
over 800 cases per State, with a range of 480 to 1800. A specially 
trained staff reviews agency records and contacts the claimant, 
employers and third parties to verify all the information pertinent to 
the benefit amount for the sampled week. Since July 1993, investigators 
have been able to use a mix of in-person and telephone/fax contacts. 
Using the verified information, they determine what the benefit payment 
should have been to accord fully with State law and policy. Any 
differences between the actual and reconstructed payment are 
underpayment or overpayment errors and are coded into a specially-
provided computer along with their types, causes and responsibilities. 
This information is used by the State and the Department of Labor to 
estimate the extent of mispayments to monitor program quality, guide 
possible future program improvements, inform system stakeholders and 
perform various policy analyses. The program costs approximately $26 
million each year to operate.
    The typical investigation requires about 10.5 hours per case and in 
total the 42,240 cases are estimated to impose a paperwork burden of 
133,900 hours. The program is operated under OMB approval number 1205-
0245; approval expires 8/31/96.
    This fall, as part of a larger effort to put UI performance 
improvement systems on a consistent basis, a joint workgroup of senior 
State Employment Security Agency (SESA) managers and Federal staff 
developed a proposal for modifying BQC to bring it into better balance 
with other UI performance measurement systems. This proposal also 
responds to the Department's commitment to the Vice President's 
National Performance Review (NPR) to ``reexamine . . . the BQC 
program'' and determine how BQC's resources can ``best be divided 
between measurement, analysis and direct support for program 
improvement'' in the context of the larger UI Performance system.

II. Current Actions

    This is a request for OMB approval [under the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)] to revise an existing collection 
of information previously approved and assigned OMB Control No. 1205-
0245. The proposed revision would reduce burden hours by 58,581.
    The following changes in BQC are proposed:
     Reductions in sample sizes to 360 cases in the 10 smallest 
SESAs and 480 in the remainder. This change will cut the annual 
paperwork burden from 133,900 hours to 75,319. It will also reduce 
precision: standard errors will increase, ranging from about 10 percent 
in the smallest States to as much as 100 percent in the largest.
     Greater flexibility in how States verify claims data. 
Instead of being required to investigate certain portions of UI claims 
in person, they will have the option of using whatever method is 
appropriate in the circumstances--in-person, mail, phone, or fax. This 
should reduce average time to complete a case to about 7.5 hours. It is 
estimated, however, that if States completely cease in-person 
investigations, BQC will detect up to 14 percent less dollars overpaid 
compared with the present protocol.
    Type of Review: Revision.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title: Unemployment Insurance Benefits Quality Control Program.
    OMB Number: 1205-0245.
    Frequency: Weekly.
    Recordkeeping: States are required to follow their State laws 
regarding public record retention in retaining BQC records.
    Affected Public: Individuals; Business; other for-profit/Not-for-
profit institutions; Farms; Federal, State, Local, or Tribal 
Governments.
    Number of Respondents: 52.
    Estimated Time Per Respondent: 3.17 hours.
    Total Estimated Cost: $26 million.
    Total Burden Hours: 75,319 hours.
    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.


[[Page 4292]]

    Dated: January 30, 1996.
Mary Ann Wyrsch,
Director, Unemployment Insurance Service.
[FR Doc. 96-2343 Filed 2-2-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-M