[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 159 (Thursday, August 15, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42442-42444]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-20792]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Proposed Collection; 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 collection of data to 
update the Compendium of State Unemployment Insurance Operations, 
Organizations and Relationships.
    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.


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DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee section below on or before October 15, 1996. 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: Jack Bright, Unemployment Insurance Service, United States 
Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Room S-
4231 FPB, Attn: TEUPDI, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20210. Telephone No. (202) 219-5616 (this is not a toll-free number), 
FAX No. (202) 219-8506.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Compendium of State Unemployment Insurance Operations, 
Organizations, and Relationships (the Compendium) was originally 
prepared in July 1989 and was updated in July 1990 and July 1995. The 
Compendium and the updates were developed to provide previously 
unavailable information on State operations useful for State and 
Federal policy development, program planning, and oversight activities. 
The data collection in 1994 for the 1995 update was made under OMB 
Approval No. 2305-0333, which expires September 30, 1996. That data is 
beginning to become dated and consequently lacks complete reliability. 
There is a need to collect information in early 1997 to publish a 1997 
update of the Compendium to keep the information current and to 
preserve its utility.
    The Unemployment Insurance Service (UIS) has a need to know how 
each of the 53 State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs) uniquely 
operates. The Compendium provides information on initial claim filing, 
claimant interviews, continued claim reporting, benefit payment 
procedures and controls, claim verification, job bank usage, 
crossmatches with other agencies, tax collection procedures, appeals 
procedures, roles played by advisory councils, and organizational and 
functional relationships. It has provided information useful in UI 
performance measurement studies, evaluation of corrective action plans 
and in quality control reviews. The information is also used to analyze 
proposed legislative and policy changes, as well as to respond to 
Administration, Congressional and public inquiries. The SESAs are able 
to use the Compendium to respond to inquiries from their State 
legislators about how their methods of administration compare with 
other States. It is also useful to a SESA for planning purposes, 
because the States that use a particular methodology can be identified 
so advice can be sought from a SESA that has implemented an innovative 
approach or new technology.
    The information is in a data base of SESA operations, 
organizations, and procedures. UIS has the capability to relate this 
data to other data (e.g., fiscal, statutes, workload reports, trust 
fund balances, etc.) so that analysis of the relationships between 
practice and performance, using all relevant factors, can be conducted. 
By using the information, UIS has been able to answer inquiries 
regarding nationwide practices which it could not do prior to 
preparation of the Compendium.

II. Current Actions

    The regular use of the Compendium by UIS, the Regional Offices, and 
the SESAs since 1989 has established it as a useful tool. Consequently, 
it needs to be kept as current as possible. Having it continuously 
updated and available electronically will make it an even more useful 
tool.
    The 1995 Edition of the Compendium is currently accessible on the 
Internet through the Home Pages of the Employment and Training 
Administration and the Information Technology Support Center (ITSC). 
The ITSC is a joint project of UIS and the Maryland Department of 
Labor, Licensing and Regulation established to support the needs of the 
53 State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs) in applying automation 
and technology solutions to meet the needs of the UI program. UIS 
intends, in cooperation with the ITSC, to institute procedures for 
SESAs to provide information about changes to the ITSC so that the 
Compendium can be updated whenever SESAs implement changes in any of 
the activities or structures encompassed by the Compendium. This will 
give UIS, Regional Offices, SESAs, and the public electronic access to 
the Compendium, and it can result in a Compendium that will continually 
be updated and never out-of-date. SESAs will be reminded annually to 
notify the ITSC of any changes that have occurred in the past year that 
should be included in the Compendium.
    As soon as all the details of the procedures for electronic 
updating have been completed, the SESAs will be asked to report, on an 
exception basis, any changes that have occurred since the last data 
collection in 1994. Users are encouraged to offer suggestions for 
improvement of the Compendium, e.g., new tables to provide information 
desired about the use of new technology, the deletion of current tables 
containing unnecessary or obsoleted information, and reformating tables 
to make them easier to understand. Instructions will also be provided 
to the SESAs, so they can notify the ITSC of future changes as they 
occur. Ongoing changes will then be made to the Compendium so that 
current information will be available and accessible through the ITSC 
or ETA Home Page.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title: Compendium of State Unemployment Insurance Operations, 
Organizations, and Relationships.
    OMB Number: 1205-0333.
    Affected Public: State Government (State Employment Security 
Agencies).
    Total Respondents: 53 State Employment Security Agencies.
    Frequency: On occasion, as changes occur and annual review.
    Total Responses: 53.
    Average Time Per Response: One hour or less for a SESA if and when 
a change takes place. Three hours annually to verify that all changes 
have been incorporated.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 225 (159 for annual review and 
balance for periodic updates).
     Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): none.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): The estimated cost to 
the Federal Government is $4,000 annually for updating and maintaining 
the Compendium on the ITSC Web site. Annual cost to each of the 53 
SESAs is approximately 4 hours of staff time ($30 per hour) for 
reviewing the Compendium and reporting needed changes.
    Comments submitted in response to this comment request will be

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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 8, 1996.
Mary Ann Wyrsch,
Director, Unemployment Insurance Service, United States Department of 
Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
[FR Doc. 96-20792 Filed 8-14-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-P