[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 227 (Friday, November 22, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59463-59464]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-29903]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Proposed Collection of the ETA 5159, Claims and Payment 
Activities; 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 revision and extension of the 
collection of the ETA 5159, Claims and Payment Activities. The proposed 
change is the addition of data which identifies workload connected with 
agent interstate initial claims as well as total agent interstate 
initial claims activity. 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 before January 21, 1997.
    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 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.

ADDRESSEE: Cynthia Ambler, Unemployment Insurance Service, Employment 
and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-4231, 200 
Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, DC, 20210; telephone number (202) 
219-9204; fax (202) 219-8506 (these are not toll free numbers).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The ETA 5159 report contains information on claims activities 
including initial claims, weeks claimed, weeks compensated, and the 
amount of benefit payments. These data are used in budgetary and 
administrative planning, program evaluation, and reports to Congress 
and the public. The change being proposed concerns initial claims filed 
by interstate claimants. The current figure being reported represents 
all such claims. In the past, all claims were filed with the agent 
State and those States were reimbursed for the work associated with 
those claims. Several States have begun using the telephone for 
interstate claimants to file

[[Page 59464]]

directly with liable States, by-passing the agent State. In order to 
reimburse agent States only for work actually done, it is necessary to 
separately report the numbers of interstate agent initial claims which 
the agent State actually took. The request for a change adds that data 
item to the ETA 5159.

II. Current Actions

    The ETA 5159 report continues to be needed for administrative, 
financing, program evaluation and public information.
    Type of Review: Extension with change
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration
    Title: Claims and Payment Activities
    OMB Number: 1205-0010
    Agency Number: ETA 5159
    Affected Public: State Government
    Cite/Reference/Form/etc.: ETA 5159
    Total Respondents: 53
    Frequency: Monthly
    Total Responses: 720
    Average Time per Response: 2.6 hours
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 1359
    Total Burden Cost (capital/start): estimated at $27,180 which is an 
allowable cost under the administrative grants awarded to States by the 
Federal Government.
    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: November 18, 1996.
Mary Ann Wyrsch,
Director, Unemployment Insurance Service.
[FR Doc. 96-29903 Filed 11-21-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-M