[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 177 (Thursday, September 12, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57855-57856]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-23205]


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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 (ETA) is 
soliciting comments concerning the proposed new collection of 
information for the proposed revision and extension of the Unemployment 
Insurance (UI) ``Summaries UI Trust Fund Activities'' reports.
    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 November 12, 2002.

ADDRESSES: James E. Herbert, Room C4526, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20210, (202) 693-2926 (this is not a toll-free number). 
E-mail address is [email protected] and the fax number is (202) 693-
3229.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Section 303(a)(4) of the Social Security Act (SSA) and Section 
3304(a)(3) of the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) require that all 
money received in the unemployment fund of a state be paid immediately 
to the Secretary of Treasury to the credit of the Unemployment Trust 
Fund (UTF). This is the ``immediate deposit'' standard.
    Section 303(a)(5) of the SSA and Section 3304(a)(4) of the FUTA 
require that all money withdrawn from the UTF be used solely for the 
payment of unemployment compensation, exclusive of the expenses of 
administration. This is the ``limited withdrawal standard''.
    Federal law (Section 303(a)(6) of the SSA) gives the Secretary of 
Labor the authority to require the reporting of information deemed 
necessary to assure state compliance with the provisions of the SSA.
    Under this authority, the Secretary of Labor requires the following 
reports to monitor state compliance with the immediate deposit and 
limited withdrawal standards:

ETA 2112: UI Financial Transactions Summary, Unemployment Fund
ETA 8401: Monthly Analysis of Benefit Payment Account
ETA 8405: Monthly Analysis of Clearing Account
ETA 8413: Income--Expense Analysis UC Fund, Benefit Payment Account
ETA 8414: Income--Expense Analysis UC Fund, Clearing Account
ETA 8403: Summary of Financial Transactions--Title IX Funds

    These reports are submitted to the Office of Workforce Security 
(OWS) in the ETA which uses them to:
    [sbull] Monitor cash flows into and out of the UTF to determine 
state compliance

[[Page 57856]]

with the immediate deposit and limited withdrawal standards.
    [sbull] Assure proper accounting for unemployment funds, an 
integral part of preparing the Department's consolidated financial 
statements, required by the Chief Financial Officer Act of 1990. The 
UTF is the single largest asset and liability on the statements.
    [sbull] Reconcile the Department's records with the U.S. Treasury 
records.
    [sbull] Develop UI research and actuarial reports, especially to 
monitor the solvency of the UTF.
    The cited reports have been submitted monthly by the States the 
past several years in electronic format (with the exception of the ETA 
8403). The Department is working with the U.S. Treasury to convert the 
ETA 8403 to an electronic format by December 31, 2003.
    Since the reports are essential to the Department's financial 
statements and program oversight responsibilities, and the Department 
seeks Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for a three year 
extension to January 1, 2006.

II. Review Focus

    The Department is particularly interested in comments which:
    [sbull] 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;
    [sbull] 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;
    [sbull] Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    [sbull] Minimize the burden of the collection of the 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 action is requested to provide information the Department 
needs to exercise oversight and to assure the security, solvency, and 
integrity of the unemployment fund. Furthermore, the Department needs 
the information to prepare the annual consolidated financial statements 
and UI statistical reports.
    This information is not available from any other source. Because 
the reporting system has been operational on-line for several years, 
there is negligible burden on the states. The Department intends to 
expand the ETA 2112 by four lines to report deposits and withdrawals 
for current Federal emergency programs, e.g., the Temporary Extended 
Unemployment Compensation program, and for future programs. This will 
disaggregate information currently reported on one line and explained 
in the ``Comments'' section of the report. It will not increase the 
amount of information collected.
    Type of review: Extension.
    Agency: Labor, employment and training administration.
    Title: ETA Summaries UI Trust Fund Activities.
    OMB Number: 1205-0154.
    Agency Number: 1205.
    Affected Public: 50 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, and the 
Virgin Islands.
    Total respondents: 53 states.
    Frequency: ETA 8403: As needed. This report is submitted only when 
there is activity requiring update of the state's Reed Act account. ETA 
2112, 8401, 8405, 8413, 8414: Monthly.
    Total Responses: 53 states x 12 months = 636 responses.
    Average time Per Response: ETA 2112, 8401, 8405, 8413, 8414: 636 x 
2.5 hours = 1,590 hours. ETA 8403: 53 states x 6 annual responses x 30 
minutes per response = 159 reporting hours.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 1,749 hours.
    Estimated Total Burden Cost: $25 x 1,749 = $43,725.
    Comments in response to this notice will be summarized and/or 
included in the request to the OMB for approval; they will also become 
part of the public record.

    Dated: September 5, 2002.
Grace A. Kilbane,
Administrator, Office of Workforce Security.
[FR Doc. 02-23205 Filed 9-11-02; 8:45 am]
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