[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 91 (Friday, May 10, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31827-31829]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-11705]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Proposed Collection; 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 is soliciting 
comments concerning the proposed collection extension of the Work 
Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) Program and the Welfare-to-Work (WtW) Tax 
Credit's reporting and administrative forms, the Third Edition of ETA 
Handbook No. 408, the proposed Training and Employment Guidance Letter 
(TEGL), ``Planning Guidelines for Employment Service (ES) Fiscal Year 
2002 Cost Reimbursable Grants for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit 
Program and the Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit,'' and the Technical 
Assistance (TA) and Review Guide. A copy of the proposed information 
collection request (ICR) 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 July 9, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Gay M. Gilbert, Division Chief, U.S. Employment Service/
ALMIS, Office of Workforce Security, U.S. Department Of Labor, 200 
Constitution Ave., NW., Room C-4514, Washington, DC 20210, (202) 693-
3428

[[Page 31828]]

(this is not a toll-free number) and, at: [email protected] and/or 
fax number: 202/693-2874. The proposed program forms and related 
materials can also be accessed at: http://www.usworkforce.org

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I.

    Data collected on the WOTC and the WtW Tax Credits will be 
collected by the State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) and provided to the 
U.S. Employment Service/ALMIS Division, Office of Workforce Security, 
Washington, DC, through the appropriate Department of Labor regional 
offices. The data will be used, primarily, to supplement IRS Form 8850. 
This data will help expedite the processing of employer requests for 
Certifications generated through IRS Form 8850 or issuance of 
Conditional Certifications (CCs) and employer requests for 
Certifications as a result of hiring individuals who have received 
SWAs' or participating agencies' generated CCs. The data will also help 
streamline SWAs' mandated verification activities, aid and expedite the 
preparation of the quarterly reports, and provide a significant source 
of information for the Secretary's Annual Report to Congress on the 
WOTC program. The data recorded through the use of these forms will 
also help in the preparation of an annual report to the Committee House 
of Ways and Means of the U.S. House of Representatives. Also, the plans 
submitted by the states will tell the regional and national offices how 
the states plan to administer the WOTC and the WtW tax credits and use 
the funds allocated to them. Finally, the data obtained through the use 
of the Technical Assistance and Review Guide will help the Regional 
Coordinators determine if the states are administering the tax credits 
in compliance with the reauthorizing legislation, the IRS Code of 1986, 
as amended and the Program Handbook. If the findings show any deviation 
from the plan or deficiencies, the Regional Coordinator will be able to 
plan, coordinate and deliver remedial assistance with the National and 
corresponding State Coordinators to affected existing and new staff 
members.

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 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 clarify 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

     The Work Opportunity and Welfare-to-Work Tax Credits' 
reporting and administrative forms expire June 30, 2002. Pub. L. 107-
147 reauthorized these two tax credits through December 31, 2003. 
Because the Congress reauthorizes these tax credits regularly for 
periods that range between one and three years, we are requesting a 3-
year expiration date from approval date to continue the existing 
collection of information.
     Further, the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) 
of 1998 (Public Law 105-277) requires that, when feasible, Federal 
agencies design and implement the use of automated systems that 
facilitate the electronic signature and filing of forms (by 
participants) to conduct official business with the public by 2003. To 
comply with this requirement, ETA is currently working with a 
contractor to develop an electronic reporting system for the tax 
credits' program. The electronic system will transfer the WOTC and WtW 
quarterly reports to ETA's Enterprise Information Management System 
(EIMS). The EIMS is a web-based system that will allow states to meet 
the reporting responsibilities in a more efficient manner while 
reducing the reporting burden on the state, regional and national 
levels. Through this system, states will have the choice of manually 
entering or electronically uploading the required quarterly data for 
Reports 1, 2 and 3 (ETA Forms 9057, 9058 and 9059). Implementation of 
the new system is targeted for the reports due in the regional offices 
25 days after the end of the July 1, 2002 to September 30, 2002 period. 
The new electronic reporting system is expected to reduce burden hours 
by 25 percent.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title: Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) and Welfare-to-Work Tax 
(WtW) Credit.
    OMB Number: 1205-0371.
    Agency Number: ETA Forms 9057-59; 9061-63 and 9065.
    Affected Public: State, Local or Tribal Government.
    State Burden:

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                                    Total                           Total \1\     Average time/
        Cite/reference           respondents       Frequency        responses        response       Burden \2\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Form 9057....................              52  Quarterly.......             208  6 hours........            1248
Form 9058....................              52  Quarterly.......             208  6 hours........            1248
Form 9059....................              52  Quarterly.......             208  6 hours........            1248
Form 9062....................              52  As needed.......              40  6 hours........             240
Form 9063....................              52  As needed.......            1000  45 mins........             750
Form 9065....................              52  Quarterly.......             208  6 hours........            1248
Record keeping...............              52  Annually........              52  931 hours......           41844
TA & Review Guide............              52  Annually........              52  8 hours........             416
TEGL No. ## Planning Guidance              52  One time........              52  8 hours........             416
TEGL No. ## Planning Guidance              52  As needed.......              52  1 hour.........              52
 Modification.
 
    Total....................  ..............  ................            2080  ...............      \3\ 49910
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\1\ Numbers of ``Total Responses'' and ``Average Time/Response'' are only estimates and were obtained by calling
  several States and asking for the best possible estimates.
\2\ Also, these numbers represent a 25% decrease in burden hours from those submitted for the 2001 OMB Package.
  The decrease is the direct result of the new Electronic Information Systems (EIMS) to be in place for the
  Fourth Quarter Reports due 25 days after the end of the July 1, 2001--September 20, 2002 period.

[[Page 31829]]

 
\3\ This grand total includes the 1200 burden hours for ETA Form 9061.


                                      Employer/Consultants and Job Seekers
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                                         Total
          Cite/ reference             respondents          Frequency           Total responses        Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Form 9061.........................             200   5 days...............  6 hours.............            1200
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    Total Burden Hours: 49910.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): 0.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): 0.
    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 this information collection request. They will also 
become a matter of public record.

    Dated: April 30, 2002.
Grace A. Kilbane,
Administrator, Office of Workforce Security, Labor.
[FR Doc. 02-11705 Filed 5-9-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-P