[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]
BILLING CODE 4510-79-M