[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 194 (Thursday, October 5, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59470-59471]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25607]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Proposed Collection; Unemployment Compensation for Federal 
Employees (UCFE) Program Forms Comment Request

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL), 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 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 is soliciting 
comments concerning the proposed revision and extension of the 
Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) Handbook.
    A copy of the proposed information collection request can be 
obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addressee section 
of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee's section below on or before December 4, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Merri Baldwin, Office of Workforce Security, U.S. Department 
of Labor, Room S-4231, Frances Perkins Building, 200 Constitution Ave., 
NW, Washington, DC 20210, telephone (202) 219-7301 ext. 185 (this is 
not a toll-free number), fax number (202) 219-8506. E-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The UCFE law (5 U.S.C. 8501-8509) requires State employment 
security agencies (SESAs) to pay UCFE in the same amount and under the 
same terms and conditions as would be payable under the unemployment 
insurance law of the State if claimants' Federal service and Federal 
wages had been included as employment and wages under that State law. 
Each State agency must obtain from the Federal agency wage and 
separation information for each claimant filing a UCFE claim to enable 
it to determine his/her eligibility for benefits. The State agencies 
obtain and record required UCFE information on forms developed by the 
Department of Labor: ES-931, ES-931A, ES-933, ES-934, and ES-935. The 
use of each of these forms is essential to the UCFE claims process.
    Information pertaining to the UCFE claimant may be obtained from 
the individual's former employing Federal agency only by using Form ES-
931, Request for Wage and Separation Information. If the claimant's 
former employer does not provide the information, the next most 
feasible and effective way to obtain this information is by use of Form 
ES-935, claimants' Affidavit of Federal Civilian Service, Wages and 
Reason for Separation, prescribed by the Department of Labor for State 
agency use. Without this information, States could not adequately 
determine the UCFE eligibility of former Federal employees and would 
not be able to properly administer the program.

II. Review Focus

     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 Department'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.

III. Current Actions

     This is a request for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)) of an extension to an existing collection of information 
previously approved and assigned OMB control no. 1205-0179. A current 
inventory of 78,000 UCFE claims was filed in calendar year 1999, and an 
estimated inventory of 78,000 UCFE claims will be reported for fiscal 
year (FY) 2000, reflecting both a significant decrease of 110,000 from 
FY 1997 and a decrease of 10,025 hours toward ETA's Information 
Collection Budget. Following a massive downsizing during FY 1997, the 
Federal Government workforce now has stabilized, and, therefore, there 
are fewer UCFE claims being filed.
    Fifty-three (53) SESAs fill out these forms. Form ES-931 is 
completed by SESAs whenever a Federal civilian employee files a claim 
(UCFE) for unemployment compensation. Form ES-931A is used to request 
separation information or the reason for non-pay status when a claimant 
has a previously established benefit year and is reopening his claim 
after an intervening period of employment in a federal agency. Form ES-
933 is used to obtain information from the Office of Workers' 
Compensation. Form ES-934 is used to obtain information when missing or 
clarified data is needed from a Federal agency. This form is used in 
about 10% of claims. Form ES-935 is used, generally, to overcome delays 
in the normal claims process caused by delayed returns of completed 
Form ES-931 by the employing Federal agency. The ES-935 is required to 
be completed in 100% of all claims. Form ES-936, Request for 
Verification of Wage and Separation Information Furnished on Form ES-
931, is sent to payroll offices to verify a sample of the Forms ES-931 
submitted by that office and to provide the Federal agency with an 
opportunity to request technical assistance concerning the UCFE 
program. This form is used semi-annually. Form ES-939, Federal Agency 
Visits Report, is completed by a SESA representative, on each visit to 
a Federal agency installation in connection with the

[[Page 59471]]

UCFE program. The number of times this form is used varies with each 
State. Form ETA 8-32, Report of UCFE Activities, is used by each SESA 
every 6-months to verify activities and Federal agency visits.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title: Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) 
Handbook.
    OMB Number: 1205-0179.
    Recordkeeping: DOL does not maintain a system of records for the 
UCFE program. UCFE records are maintained by the SESAs acting as agents 
for the Federal Government in the administration of the UCFE program. 
The DOL procedures permit the SESAs, upon request, to dispose of UCFE 
records according to State law provisions, 3 years after final action 
(including appeals or court action) on the claim, or such records may 
be transferred in less than the 3-year period if micro photographed in 
accordance with appropriate micro photography standards.
    Affected Public: State governments (State employment security 
agencies) and Federal Government agencies.
    Cite/Reference/Form/etc.: Forms ES-931, ES-931A, ES-933, ES-934, 
ES-935, ES-936, ES-939, and ETA 8-32.
    Total Respondents: 78,000.
    Frequency: As needed.
    Total Responses: 209,521.
    Average Time per Response: .05 min.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 215.78 hrs.

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                                             Total                     Total
             Cite/reference               respondents   Frequency    responses      Average time per response                     Burden
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ES-931..................................       78,000            1       78,000  .05 min.......................  3,900 min>
                                                                                                                 65 hrs.
ES-931A.................................       19,500            1       19,500  .05...........................  975 min>
                                                                                                                 or 16.25 hrs.
ES-935..................................        78,00            1       78,000  .08...........................  6,240 min>
                                                                                                                 or 104 hrs.
ES-933..................................        3,760            1        1,560  .05...........................  376 min>
                                                                                                                 3.13 hrs.
ES-934..................................       20,680            1       20,680  .05...........................  1,034 min>
                                                                                                                 17.23 hrs.
ES-936..................................        9,400            1        9,400  .05...........................  470 min>
                                                                                                                 or 7.83 hrs.
ES-939..................................           75            1           75  1.75..........................  131.25 min>
                                                                                                                 or 2.2 hrs.
ETA 8-32................................           53            2          106  .08 min.......................  8.48 min>
                                                                                                                 or .14 hrs.
                                                                   -------------                                ----------------------------------------
      Total.............................                                189,721    ............................  215.78 hrs.
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    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): 0.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $65,807.
    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 also will 
become a matter of public record.

    Dated: September 26, 2000.
Grace A. Kilbane,
Administrator, Office of Workforce Security.
[FR Doc. 00-25607 Filed 10-4-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-P