[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 243 (Wednesday, December 18, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77517-77518]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-31768]


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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 pre-
clearance 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 
ADDRESSES section below on or before February 18, 2003.

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) 693-3220 (this is not a 
toll-free number), fax number (202) 693-3229. E-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    I. Background: The UCFE law (5 U.S.C. 8501-8509) requires State 
workforce agencies (SWAs) 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 the claimant's Federal service and 
Federal wages had been included as employment and wages under that 
State's 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. As a result of 
reorganization, all the form numbers have been changed from ES to ETA. 
The State agencies obtain and record required UCFE information on the 
following forms (either electronic or paper) developed by the 
Department of Labor: ETA-931, ETA-931A, ETA-933, ETA-934, and ETA-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 
ETA-931, Request for Wage and Separation Information. Form ETA-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 ETA-933 is used to obtain information from the 
Office of Workers' Compensation. Form ETA-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. 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 
ETA-935, the claimantss 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. Form ETA-935 is used, 
generally, to overcome delays in the normal claims process caused by 
delayed returns of completed form ETA-931 by the employing Federal 
agency. The ETA-935 is required to be completed in 100% of all claims. 
Form ETA-936, Request for Verification of Wage and Separation 
Information Furnished on Form ETA-931, is sent to payroll offices to 
verify a sample of the forms ETA-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 ETA-939, Federal Agency Visits Report, is completed by a 
SWA representative, on each visit to a Federal agency installation in 
connection with the 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 SWA every 6 months to verify activities and federal agency 
visits.

[[Page 77518]]

    II. Review Focus: The Department of Labor 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 Department'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 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 the 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 total of 78,000 UCFE claims was filed in fiscal year 
(FY) 2001, and an estimated workload of 87,000 UCFE claims is projected 
for fiscal year (FY) 2002 reflecting a slight workload increase of 
9,000, resulting in an increase of 14.15 hours toward ETA's Information 
Collection Budget.
    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 SWAs acting as agents 
for the federal government in the administration of the UCFE program. 
The DOL procedures permit the SWAs, 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 workforce agencies) and 
Federal government agencies.
    Cite/Reference/Form/etc.: Forms ETA-931, ETA-931A, ETA-933, ETA-
934, ETA-935, ETA-936, ETA-939, and ETA 8-32.

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                                                                                   Average time
         Cite/reference                Total         Frequency         Total       per response     Burden hrs.
                                    respondents                      responses       (minutes)
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ETA-931.........................          87,000               1          87,000             .05           72
ETA-931A........................          21,750               1          21,750             .05           18.0
ETA-935.........................          87,000               1          87,000             .08          116.0
ETA-933.........................           4,350               1           4,350             .05            4.0
ETA-934.........................           8,700               1           8,700             .05            7.0
ETA-936.........................          13,050               1          13,050             .05           11.0
ETA-939.........................              75               1              75            1.75            2.0
ETA-8-32........................              53               2             106             .08             .15
                                 -----------------
      TOTAL.....................  ..............  ..............         213,031  ..............          230.15
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    Total Burden Cost (Capital/Startup): 0.
    Total Burden Cost (Operating/Maintaining): $88,303. The cost of the 
Louisiana Claims Control Center (LCCC) for FY 2002 was about $883,035 
for UCFE/UCX claims processing of which approximately 10 percent 
($88,303) was for UCFE claim processing. This amount is allocated to 
the LCCC by the Federal government as a State grant.
    Comments submitted in response to this comment request will be 
summarized and/or included in the request for the Office of Management 
and Budget approval of the information collection request; they also 
will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: December 12, 2002.
Cheryl Atkinson,
Administrator, Office of Workforce Security.
[FR Doc. 02-31768 Filed 12-17-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-P