[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28216-28217]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-13187]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Revision of Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) Handbook and 
Program Operating Forms, Including the ETA 90-2, Disaster Payment 
Activities Under the ``Stafford Disaster Relief Act''; 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 (ETA) is 
soliciting comments concerning the proposed revision of a currently 
approved collection of the Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) 
Handbook and Program Operating forms, including the ETA 90-2, Disaster 
Payment Activities Under the ``Stafford Disaster Relief Act.'' A copy 
of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by 
contacting the office listed below in the addresses section of this 
notice.

dates: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addresses section below on or before July 26, 1999.

addresses: Sterling Green, Unemployment Insurance Service, Employment 
and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room S4231, 200 
Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210, telephone: 202-219-
7301 (this is not a toll-free number).

for further information contact: Sterling Green, telephone number (202) 
219-7301, ext. 186 (this is not a toll-free number).

supplementary information:

I. Background

    Public Law 100-707 (Sections 410 and 423) provide for benefit 
assistance to ``any individual unemployed as a result of a major 
disaster.'' State Employment Security Agencies (SESA's), through 
agreements between the States and the Secretary of Labor, act as agents 
of the Secretary for the purpose of providing assistance to applicants 
in the various States who are unemployed as a result of a major 
disaster. The forms in Chapters III through V, VII and X of the DUA 
Handbook are used in connection with the provision of this benefit 
assistance. In the revised DUA Handbook, as approved by OMB on 8/26/98, 
we have eliminated the use of Federally-mandated DUE initial claims, 
weekly claims, determinations of entitlement and overpayment forms. We 
have permitted the SESA's to adopt forms to better accommodate the 
types of disasters involved and the requirements of their automated 
eligibility determination and payment systems. The President is 
directed by the Act to provide DUA through agreements with States which 
in his judgment have an adequate system for administering such 
assistance through existing State agencies. Without the data obtained 
from these reports, ETA would have no grasp on the program as it is 
administered by the States.

II. Current Actions

    The data obtained from the Form ETA 90-2 are used by at least three 
organizational units within ETA. The Umemployment Insurance Service 
uses the data for evaluation of State agency performance on making 
payments and providing claimant services and for making required 
reports. The Employment Service uses the data to project funding needs 
in the areas of counseling, referrals to suitable work opportunities 
and suitable training. The Office of Financial and Administrative 
Management (OFAM) uses the data in accounting for the financial 
management of the program funds and fund transfers. In addition, the 
data are also used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 
to whom the President has delegated the responsibility by Executive 
Order No. 12148, for administering the Act. All other forms (described 
above) are used by SESA's in operating the program and are not reports 
per se. Use of these forms by SESA's is essential to the operation of 
the DUA program. 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.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title: Employment and Training Administration (ETA) Disaster 
Unemployment Assistance (DUA) Handbook and Program Operating Forms, 
Including the ETA 90-2, Disaster Payment Activities Under the 
``Stafford Disaster Relief Act.''
    OMB Number: 1205-0051.

[[Page 28217]]

    Agency Number(s): DUA Handbook and Program Operating Forms, 
Including the ETA 90-2.
    Affected Public: Individuals/State Governments.

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                                                                                                                           Average time
                 Cite/reference                       Total                     Frequency                      Total       per response    Burden hours
                                                   respondents                                               responses        (hour)
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Initial Application............................          11,000  Annually...............................          11,000           \1/6\           1,833
Supplemental/Self-emp..........................           3,800  Annually...............................           3,800           \1/6\             633
Weekly Claim...................................          11,000  6......................................          66,000          \1/12\           5,500
Notice of Overpayment..........................             235  Annually...............................             235           \1/4\              59
ETA 90-2.......................................              50  6......................................             300           \1/6\              50
    Totals.....................................          26,035  .......................................          81,035  ..............           8,075
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    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.00.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $124,193.00.
    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: May 19, 1999.
Grace A. Kilbane,
Director, Unemployment Insurance Service.
[FR Doc. 99-13187 Filed 5-24-99; 8:45 am]
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