[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 67 (Thursday, April 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18124-18125]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-8444]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

March 30, 2000.
    The Department of Labor (DOL) has submitted the following public 
information collection requests (ICRs) to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). A copy of 
each individual ICR, with applicable supporting documentation, may be 
obtained by calling the Department of Labor. To obtain documentation 
for BLS, ETA, PWBA, and OASAM contact Karin Kurz ((202) 219-5096 ext. 
159 or by E-mail to [email protected]). To obtain documentation for 
ESA, MSHA, OSHA, and VETS contact Darrin King ((202) 219-5096 ext. 151 
or by E-Mail to [email protected]).
    Comments should be sent to Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for BLS, DM, ESA, ETA, MSHA, OSHA, 
PWBA, or VETS, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, Washington, 
DC 20503 ((202) 395-7316), on or before May 8, 2000.
    The OMB 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 submission of responses.
    Agency: Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
    Title: Inorganic Arsenic (29 CFR 1910.1018).
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    OMB Number: 1218-0104.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Federal Government; 
State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Respondents: 42.
    Responses: 58,763.
    Estimated Time Per Respondent: Time per response ranges from 
approximately 5 minutes for employers to maintain employee exposure 
monitoring and medical records to 1.67 hours for an employee to 
complete a medical examination.
    Total Burden Hours: 7,376.
    Total Annualized capital/startup: $0.
    Total annual costs (operating/maintaining systems or purchasing 
services): $1,132,408.
    Description: The information collection requirements in the 
Inorganic Arsenic Standard provide protection for employees from the 
adverse health effects associated with occupational exposure to 
inorganic arsenic. The Inorganic Arsenic Standard requires employers to 
monitor employee exposure to inorganic arsenic; monitor employee 
health; develop and maintain employee exposure-monitoring records; 
notify OSHA area office in writing of regulated areas, and changes to 
these areas; and provide employees with information about their 
exposures and the health effects of exposure to inorganic arsenic.

    Agency: Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
    Title: Coke Oven Emissions (29 CFR 1910.1028).
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    OMB Number: 1218-0128.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Federal Government, 
State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Respondents: 14.
    Responses: 83,111.
    Estimated Time Per Respondent: Time per response ranges from 
approximately 5 minutes for employers to maintain employee exposure 
monitoring and medical records to 4 hours to complete a medical 
examination.
    Total Burden Hours: 60,664.
    Total Annualized capital/startup: $0.
    Total annual costs (operating/maintaining systems or purchasing 
services): $1,365,365.
    Description: The Coke Oven Standard, and its information collection 
requirements, is designed to provide protection for employees from the 
adverse health effects associated with occupational exposure to coke 
oven emissions. The Coke Oven Standard requires employers to monitor 
employee exposure to coke oven emissions, to monitor employee health, 
and to provide employees with information about their exposures and the 
health effects of exposure to coke oven emissions.

    Agency: Occupation Safety and Health Administration.
    Title: 1,3-Butadiene (29 CFR 1910.1051).
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    OMB Number: 1218-0170.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Federal Government; 
State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Respondents: 115.
    Responses: 335,944.
    Estimated Time Per Respondent: Time per response ranges from 
approximately 5 minutes for employers to maintain employee exposure 
monitoring and medical records to 1.5 hours for an employee to complete 
a medical examination.
    Total Burden Hours: 2,909.
    Total Annualized capital/startup: $0.
    Total annual costs (operating/maintaining systems or purchasing 
services): $82,010.
    Description: The information collection requirements in the 1,3-
Butadiene Standard provide protection for employees from the adverse 
health effects associated with occupational exposure to 1,3-Butadiene. 
The 1,3-Butadiene Standard requires employers to monitor employee 
exposure to 1,3-Butadiene; develop and maintain compliance and 
exposure-goal programs if employee exposures to 1,3-Butadiene are above 
the Standard's permissible exposure limits or action level; monitor 
employee health, and to provide employees with information about their 
exposures and the health effects of exposure to 1,3-Butadiene.

    Agency: Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration.
    Title: Notice of Enrollment Rights.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    OMB Number: 1210-0101.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, Not-for-profit 
institutions, Individuals or households.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Respondents: 2,600,000.
    Responses: 9,602,000.
    Total Estimated Burden Hours: 7,200.
    Total Annualized Capital/Startup Costs: $0.

[[Page 18125]]

    Total Annual Cost (Operating and Maintenance): $841,000.
    Total Annualized Cost: $841,000.
    Description: Subtitle B of Title 1 of ERISA, Part 7, section 707, 
added by the Health Care Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 
(Pub. L. 104-191, August 31, 1996) (HIPAA) authorizes the Secretary of 
Labor, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
(HHS) and the Secretary of the Treasury, to promulgate such regulations 
as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the provisions of the 
Statute. Accordingly, Interim Rules Implementing the Portability 
Requirement for Group Health Plans were published on April 8, 1997 (62 
FR 16920 through 16923) (April 8 Interim Rules).
    In order to improve participants' understanding of their rights 
under an employer's group health plan, HIPAA requires that a 
participant be provided with a description of a plan's special 
enrollment rules on or before the time when a participant is offered 
the opportunity to enroll in a group health plan. This ICR covers the 
disclosure of enrollment rights.

    Agency: Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration.
    Title: Notice of Pre-existing Condition Exclusion.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    OMB Number: 1210-0102.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, Not-for-profit 
institutions, Individuals or households.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Respondents: 1,300,000.
    Responses: 8,570,000.
    Total Estimated Burden Hours: 9,004.
    Total Annualized Capital/Startup Costs: $0.
    Total Annual Cost (Operating and Maintenance): $1,088,000.
    Total Annualized Cost: $1,088,000.
    Description: Subtitle B of Title 1 of ERISA, Part 7, section 707, 
added by the Health Care Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 
(Pub. L. 104-191, August 31, 1996) (HIPAA) authorizes the Secretary of 
Labor, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
(HHS) and the Secretary of the Treasury, to promulgate such regulations 
as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the provisions of the 
statute. Accordingly, Interim Rules implementing the Portability 
Requirement for Group Health Plans were published on April 8, 1997 (62 
FR 16920 through 16923) (April 8 Interim Rules).
    In order to meet HIPAA's goal of improving portability of health 
care coverage, participants need to understand their right to 
demonstrate prior creditable coverage when entering a group health plan 
that imposes pre-existing condition exclusion provisions. In addition, 
participants entering plans that use an alternative method of 
determining creditable coverage also need to be informed of the plan's 
provisions. Therefore, the Department has determined that plans that 
contain these provisions must disclose that fact to new participants, 
as well as inform individual participants of the extent to which a pre-
existing condition exclusion applies to them. This ICR covers the 
disclosure of pre-existing condition exclusions.

    Agency: Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration.
    Title: Establishing Prior Creditable Coverage.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    OMB Number: 1210-0103.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, Not-for-profit 
institutions, Individuals or households.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Respondents: 2,600,000.
    Reponses: 44,396,000.
    Total Estimated Burden Hours: 351,150.
    Total Annual Cost (Operating and Maintenance): 429,289,000.
    Total Annualized Cost: $34,689,000.
    Description: Subtitle B of Title 1 of ERISA, Part 7, section 707, 
added by the Health Care Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 
(Pub. L. 104-191, August 31, 1996) (HIPAA) authorizes the Secretary of 
Labor, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
(HHS) and the Secretary of the Treasury, to promulgate such regulations 
as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the provisions of the 
statute. Accordingly, Interim Rules implementing the Portability 
Requirement for Group Health Plans were published on April 8, 1997, (62 
FR 16920 through 16923) (April 8 Interim Rules).
    In order to meet HIPAA's goal of improving access to and 
portability of health care benefits, the statute provides that, after 
the submission of evidence establishing prior creditable coverage, a 
subsequent health insurance provider would be limited to the extent to 
which it could use pre-existing condition exclusions to limit coverage. 
This ICR covers the submission of materials sufficient to establish 
prior creditable coverage.

Ira L. Mills,
Department Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-8444 Filed 4-5-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-29-M