[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 132 (Tuesday, July 9, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36090-36091]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-17375]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Trade Adjustment Assistance/NAFTA Financial Status Report/Request 
for Funds; 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 the Trade Adjustment 
Assistance/North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Transitional 
Adjustment Assistance program Financial Status Report/Request for 
Funds. 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.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee section below on or.
    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: Jess Aragon or Joseph Nelson, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W. 
Washington D.C. 20210, 202-219-7979 (this is not a toll free number). 
FAX number 202-219-6564.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The amendments to the Trade Act contained in the Omnibus Trade and 
Competitiveness Act (OTCA) of 1988 (P.L. 100-418) and Title 5 of the 
North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (P.L. 103-182) 
of 1993 made some significant changes which affect the way the Trade 
Adjustment Assistance and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) 
Adjustment Assistance programs are funded and administered. These 
changes made enrollment in training programs an entitlement for workers 
adversely affected by imports (Trade program) or by imports from Canada 
or Mexico (NAFTA program). Thus, the Trade program and NAFTA trade 
program consists of entitlements for trade readjustment allowances, job 
search allowances, job relocation allowances and training. In order for 
workers to continue to receive entitlement to trade adjustment 
allowances, they must be enrolled in a training program approved by the 
Secretary of Labor (1423 of OTCA) for the trade program and (section 
250 of the NAFTA Implementation Act) for the NAFTA program.
    Although training becomes an entitlement under both programs, the 
OTCA imposed a training cap in section 236 for the Trade program and 
under subchapter D for the NAFTA program. The statutory cap is $80 
million for the Trade program and $30 million for the NAFTA program. 
The purpose of the collection of this information on the Form ETA-9023 
is to be able to monitor expenditures for both programs to ensure that 
the statutory ceilings are not exceeded.
    Additionally, the Secretary of Labor is responsible for ensuring 
that resources are equitably distributed to the States. This form 
allows the ETA the ability to evaluate a State's need for resources and 
to redistribute resources among States as necessary.

II. Current Actions

    The ETA-9023 has been successfully utilized by the ETA and the 
States with only minor modifications since FY 1989. The Federal 
Register Notice requests an extension of the ETA-9023 for both the TAA 
and NAFTA programs. Overall, States have done a commendable job in 
completing the form with relatively minor problems or questions raised 
by the States on the form. The ETA-9023 has been extremely important to 
the ETA over the last several years because the entire $80 million 
available, under the statutory cap for the Trade program for training 
was allocated to the States. The ETA-9023 report was critical in 
allowing ETA to be able to redistribute resources equitably among 
States so training activity would not be discontinued in some States.
    Type of Review: Revision.

[[Page 36091]]

    Title: Trade Adjustment Assistance/NAFTA Financial Status Report/
Request for Funds.
    OMB Number: 1205-0275.
    Agency Number: ETA-9023.
    Affected Public: State Government, State Employment Security 
Agencies.
    Cite/Reference/Form/etc: See below.

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                                                                                   Average time                 
         Cite/reference                Total         Frequency         Total       per responses      Burden    
                                    respondents                      responses        (hours)                   
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TAA Rptg........................              50               5             250               2             500
NAFTA Rptg......................              50               5             250               2             500
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    Totals......................  ..............  ..............             500  ..............           1,000
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    The total cost is $26.00 x 100 hours=$26,000.
    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: July 2, 1996.
Jack H. Rapport,
Deputy Comptroller, Employment and Training Administration.
[FR Doc. 96-17375 Filed 7-8-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-M