[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 111 (Thursday, June 10, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31318-31319]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-14756]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR


Employment and Training Administration, Unemployment Insurance 
Service: Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Public 
Comment and Recommendations; State Quality Service Plan

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 (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 new State Quality Service Plan (SQSP), which was 
designed in consultation with end users, and will replace the Program 
Budget Plan (PBP), which has been used for more than a decade.
    Guidelines for completion and submittal of the SQSP are contained 
in a handbook, which has been designed not to become obsolete annually, 
as was the case with the PBP. Fiscal year-specific information such as 
Federal Program Focus, or additional budget allocations, will be 
provided annually in an implementation memorandum that will initiate 
the planning process each year. The requirements of the reporting and 
data collection process

[[Page 31319]]

itself will remain unchanged from year to year.
    The SQSP introduces a process which allows the State partner to 
provide a narrative summary of the State focus for the coming fiscal 
year called the State Program Narrative. In addition, the SQSP 
introduces a Tier I/Tier II concept for performance measures which 
reduces from the PBP the number of measures with the potential to 
require mandatory Corrective Action Plans for failure to meet 
criterioned measures (Tier I). At the same time, continuous program 
improvement is enhanced with an expanded array of measures for which 
program performance may be negotiated between a State and ETA (Tier 
II). Finally, the number of required forms has been reduced, and some 
replaced with formats that can be transmitted electronically. Because 
of its length, the SQSP Handbook is not included with the notice. 
Copies of the handbook may be obtained by contacting the addressee 
below. The handbook also is available on the Internet at http://
www.itsc.state.md.us/.
    The proposed information collection request follows.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before August 9, 1999. 
Written comments should:

--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 
submission of responses.

ADDRESSES: William N. Coyne, Unemployment Insurance Service, Employment 
and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-4522, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20210, 202-219-5223, Ext. 142 
(this is not a toll-free number); FAX, 202-219-8506; Internet: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The SQSP is the planning instrument for the Unemployment Insurance 
(UI) system nationwide. The statutory basis for the SQSP is Title III 
of the Social Security Act, which establishes conditions for each State 
to receive grant funds to administer its UI program. Plans are prepared 
annually, since funds for UI operations are appropriated each year. 
ETA's annual budget request for State UI operations contains workload 
assumptions for which a State must plan in order for the Secretary of 
Labor to carry out her responsibilities under Title III. ETA issues 
financial planning targets based on the budget request. States make 
plans based on these assumptions and targets.

II. Current Actions

    ETA proposes to replace the PBP with the State Quality Service 
Plan.
    Type of Review: Revised Process.
    Specifically, we propose the following:
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title: SQSP Handbook.
    Record keeping: States are required to keep records consistent with 
retention and access requirements at 29 CFR 97.42.
    Affected Public: State Employment Security Agencies (SESA's).
    Total Respondents: 53.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Total Responses: 53 plans.
    Average Time Per Response: 40 hours.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 2098.
    Estimated Total Burden Cost: $61,324.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the information collection request; they also will become a 
matter of public record.

    Dated: June 4, 1999.
Grace A. Kilbane,
Director, Unemployment Insurance Service.
[FR Doc. 99-14756 Filed 6-9-99; 8:45 am]
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