[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 171 (Tuesday, September 4, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46291-46292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-22141]



[[Page 46291]]

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR 1218-TWOW (2001)]


State Plans for the Development and Enforcement of Standards; 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Approval of Information-
Collection (Paperwork) Requirements; 29 CFR Parts 1902, 1952, 1953, 
1954, 1955, 1956

ACTION:  Notice of opportunity for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 
solicits public comment concerning its request for Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements 
associated with its regulations regarding State Plans for the 
development and enforcement of standards. Section 18 of the 
Occupational Safety and Health Act offers an opportunity to the States 
to assume responsibility for the development and enforcement of State 
standards through the mechanism of an OSHA-approved State Plan. Absent 
an approved plan States are precluded from enforcing occupational 
safety and health standards with respect to an issue that is addressed 
by OSHA. In order to obtain and maintain State Plan approval, a State 
must submit various documents to OSHA describing its program operation 
under 29 CFR Parts 1902, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, and 1956.

DATES: Submit written comments on or before November 5, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. ICR 
1218-TWOW (2001), Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. 
Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20210. Telephone: (202) 693-2350. Commenters may 
transmit written comments of 10 pages or less by facsimile to (202) 
693-1648.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diane Price, Directorate of Federal-
State Operations, Office of State Programs, Occupational Safety and 
Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3700, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, telephone; (202) 693-
2244, e-mail [email protected]. A copy of the agency's Information 
Collection Request (ICR) supporting the need for the information 
collections specified in these regulations is available for inspection 
and copying in the Docket Office, or by requesting a copy from Todd 
Owen at (202) 693-2444. For electronic copies of the ICR contact OSHA 
on the Internet at http://www.osha.gov/comp-links.html and select 
``Information Collection Requests.''

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce 
paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation 
program to provide the general public with an opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance 
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA 95) (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)). This program ensures that information is in the desired 
format, has practical utility, reporting burden (time and cost) is 
minimized, collection instruments are understandable, and OSHA's 
estimate of the information collection burden is correct. Currently, 
OSHA is soliciting comments concerning the information collection 
requirements contained in the series of regulations establishing 
requirements for the initial approval, continuing approval, final 
approval, monitoring and evaluation of OSHA-approved State Plans:

29 CFR part 1902, State Plans for the Development and Enforcement of 
State Standards;
29 CFR part 1952, Approved State Plans for Enforcement of State 
Standards;
29 CFR part 1953, Changes to State Plans for the Development and 
Enforcement of State Standards;
29 CFR part 1954, Procedures for the Evaluation and Monitoring of 
Approved State Plans;
29 CFR part 1955, Procedures for Withdrawal of Approval of State Plans;
29 CFR part 1956, State Plans for the Development and Enforcement of 
State Standards Applicable to State and Local Government Employees in 
States without Approved Private Employee Plans

II. Special Issues for Comment

    OSHA has a particular interest in comments on the following issues:
     Whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of OSHA's functions, including 
whether the information is useful;
     The accuracy of OSHA's estimate of the burden (time and 
cost) of the information collection requirements, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     The quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
collected; and
     Ways to minimize the burden on participating States, for 
example, by using automated or other technological information 
collection and transmission techniques.
III. Proposed Actions
    OSHA is requesting OMB approval of the collection-of-information 
requirements associated with its State Plan regulations. Specifically, 
OSHA is requesting approval of a total burden-hour estimate of 9,874 
hours affecting the 26 States that currently operate OSHA-approved 
State plans:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Estimated
             Information collection requirement                 burden
                                                                hours
------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Plan Submission and Approval 29 CFR 1902, 1952,              \1\ 0
 Subparts A-C, 1952, Subpart A.............................
State Plan Changes 29 CFR 1953.............................        2,360
State Plan Monitoring Activities 29 CFR 1954...............        7,514
                                                            ------------
    Total..................................................       9,874
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ No State Plans currently pending; 2000 burden hours for active
  collection.

    The Agency will summarize the comments submitted in response to 
this notice. OSHA will then include this summary in its request to OMB 
to approve these information collection requirements.
    Type of Review: New.
    Agency: U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration.
    Title: State Plans for the Development and Enforcement of 
Standards.
    OMB Number: 1218-0NEW.
    Agency Number: Docket Number ICR-1218-TWOW (2001).
    Affected Public: Designated State government agencies which have 
submitted and obtained approval for State Plans for the development and 
enforcement of occupational safety and health standards.
    Number of Respondents: 26.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion; quarterly; annually.
    Average Time Per Response: Varies from 1 hour to respond to an 
information survey to 80 hours to document State annual performance 
goals.
    Estimated total burden hours: 9,874.
    Estimated Cost: 0. There are no capital or start-up costs.

IV. Authority and Signature

    John L. Henshaw, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational 
Safety and Health, directed the preparation of this notice. The 
authority for this notice is

[[Page 46292]]

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506) and Secretary of 
Labor's Order No. 3-2000 (65 FR 50017).

    Signed at Washington, D.C., on August 28, 2001.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 01-22141 Filed 8-31-01; 8:45 am]
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