[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 250 (Friday, December 27, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68303-68304]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-33023]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training
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 Office of the Assistant Secretary for Veterans'
Employment and Training is soliciting comments concerning the proposed
revision of the collection of the Federal Contractor Veterans'
Employment Report (VETS-100).
A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be
obtained by contacting the office listed in the addressee section of
this notice.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the
addressee section on or before February 25, 1997.
The Department of labor is particularly interested in comments
which:
* 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 technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submissions of responses.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted to Jeffrey C. Crandall,
Director of Planning, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Veterans'
Employment and Training, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room S-1313,
Washington D.C. 20210. Telephone: (202) 219-9110; fax: (202) 219-4773.
Copies of comments submitted by the public will be available for
review at the Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room S-
1316, Washington, D.C. 20210 between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 5:00
p.m.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rob M. Wilson, Chief, Division of Enforcement, at the address
immediately above, (202) 219-9110.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Veterans' Employment and Training Service is required by 38 USC
4212(d) to collect information from Federal contractors and
subcontractors on the number of Vietnam era veterans and the number of
special disabled veterans in their workforce, as well as the number of
new hires during the reporting period who are Vietnam era or special
disabled veterans. Pursuant to this statute, employers with Federal
contracts or subcontracts of $10,000 or more must file VETS-100 reports
annually. The VETS-100 data collection program has existed since 1987.
Regulations to implement the statute were published on March 4, 1987.
The VETS-100 data are used by the Veterans' Employment and Training
Service (VETS) to monitor compliance with the statute. The information
is also shared with the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs,
Employment Standards Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, and
other Federal procurement officials.
II. Current Actions
Through this information collection request, the Veterans'
Employment and Training Service (VETS) seeks to reinstate the
collection of the Employer Identification Number (EIN). The
implementing regulation for the VETS-100 data collection program
instructed respondents to provide the EIN number with other company
identifiers. Practice over the years has led to the use of an
identification number which is unique to this data collection.
Currently, employers are assigned a specific identification number for
purposes of this report only. The system in place is incompatible with
other data base information pertaining to Federal contractors
maintained by other Federal agencies such as the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the General Services Administration
(GSA).
Also, at its inception, the VETS-100 form was modeled after the
EEO-1 form and the reports were completed on the same time cycle.
Federal contractors and subcontractors with fifty or more employees
and contracts or subcontracts of $50,000 or more are required to submit
the EEO-1 form. The threshold for the VETS-100 submission is $10,000 or
more regardless of employment levels. Thus almost all larger
contractors are currently filling out both forms but for a different
time period and submission date. This request, if approved, will change
the VETS-100 file date to September 30 of each current year to commence
in 1998. Currently the date for filing the VETS-100 is March 31. The
EEOC form currently collects the Employer Identification number and the
Dun & Bradstreet number from Federal contractor respondents. The
inclusion of these numbers on the VETS-100 form would be consistent
with existing practice for the EEO-1 report collection. The Dun and
Bradstreet number is a standard business identifier used in the Federal
Procurement Database system, maintained by GSA as well as in common
procurement practice. VETS proposal would facilitate the sharing of
information through use of common identifier(s).
With the proposed changes, information derived from the VETS-100
collection process would be more useful to veteran staff in local
employment service offices who call upon Federal contractors for
purposes of job development for veterans.
The proposed cycle change and use of common identifiers should not
place an undue burden on Federal contractors who already provide the
EIN and Dun & Bradstreet number to EEOC on the EEO-1 form. Reporting on
the same cycle will further facilitate completing the reports, as the
same pay period may be used for each. The EEO-1 and the VETS-100 each
stand on their own, but common identifiers will enable efficient
information sharing to occur.
Type of Review: Revision/Extension.
[[Page 68304]]
Agency: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment
and Training.
Title: Federal Contractor Veterans Employment Report (VETS-100).
OMB Number: 1293-0005.
Agency Number: 1291.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit/not-for-profit
institutions who have Federal contracts of at least $10,000.
Total Respondents: 190,000.
Frequency: Annually.
Total Responses: 291,000.
Average Time per Response: 30 minutes.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 145,500.
Total Burden Cost: $727,500.
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: December 20, 1996.
Jeffrey C. Crandall,
Director of Planning.
[FR Doc. 96-33023 Filed 12-26-96; 8:45 am]
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