[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 31 (Friday, February 14, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7613-7614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-3670]


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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

[[Page 7614]]

Employment and Training Administration is soliciting comments 
concerning the proposed extension of data collections using the ETA 
Form 9042a, Petition for Trade Adjustment Assistance (1205-0342, 
expires 3/31/2003) and its Spanish translation ETA 9042a-1 (1205-0342, 
expires 3/31/2003); ETA 9043a, Business Confidential Data Request 
(1205-0339, expires 3/31/2003); and ETA 8562a, Customer Survey (1205-
0190 expires 3/31/2003) To meet the Terms of Clearance assigned by OMB 
on October 9, 2002, these collections of information will be 
consolidated into one reporting requirement and approved under OMB 
approval number 1205-0342. ETA will not be seeking approval of the 
original ETA 9043, 8562 and 9042 used for the Trade Act Program as in 
effect prior to November 4, 2002, only the new forms associated with 
the Trade Act of 2002 will be extended. The consolidation of these 
reporting requirements along with the elimination of the ETA 9043, 8562 
and 9042 forms will result in a burden decrease of 11,451 hours.
    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 section below on or before April 15, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Erin L. FitzGerald, Program Analyst, Division of Trade 
Adjustment Assistance, Room C-5311, 200 Constitution Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20210. Phone (202) 693-3506 (this is not a toll-free 
number), fax (202) 693-3584, e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Trade Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-210) amends the Trade Act of 
1974 and consolidated two previously authorized worker adjustment 
assistance programs, Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and North 
American Free Trade Agreement-Transitional Adjustment Assistance 
(NAFTA-TAA) into one TAA program effective November 4, 2002. Section 
221 (a) of Title II, Chapter 2 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended by 
the Trade Act of 2002, authorizes the Secretary of Labor and the 
Governor of each state to accept petitions for certification of 
eligibility to apply for adjustment assistance. The petitions may be 
filed by a group of workers, their certified or recognized union or 
duly authorized representative, employers of such workers, one-stop 
operators or one-stop partners. ETA Form 9042a, Petition for Trade 
Adjustment Assistance, and its Spanish translation, ETA Form 9042a-1, 
Solicitud De Asistencia Para Ajuste, establish a format that may be 
used for filing such petitions.
    Sections 222, 223 and 249 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, 
require the Secretary of Labor to issue a determination for groups of 
workers as to their eligibility to apply for Trade Adjustment 
Assistance (TAA). After reviewing all of the information obtained for 
each petition for trade adjustment assistance filed with the 
Department, a determination is issued as to whether the statutory 
criteria for certification are met. The information collected in ETA 
Form 9043a, Business Confidential Data Request, and ETA Form 8562a, 
Customer Survey, will be used by the Secretary to specifically 
determine to what extent, if any, increased imports or shift in 
production have impacted the petitioning worker group.

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 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 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 notice to revise and consolidate collections of 
information currently approved by OMB under control numbers 1205-0342, 
1205-0339, and 1205-0190 all expiring 3/31/03. The extension of the ETA 
9042a, ETA 9042a-1, ETA 9043a, and ETA 8562a provides a format for 
collecting information necessary for the Department to comply with the 
requirement that it accept petitions for Trade Adjustment Assistance 
and issue determinations of eligibility in response to those petitions.
    Type of Review: Revision.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title: Investigative Data Collection Requirements for the Trade Act 
of 1974 as amended by the Trade Act of 2002.
    OMB Number: 1205-0342.
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households, Businesses.

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                                                                       Total                           Total
                         Cite/reference                            respondents/    Average time      reference
                                                                     responses     per response       burden
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ETA 9042A & ETA 9042A-1.........................................           4,100          \1\ 20           1,367
ETA 9043A.......................................................           4,100         \2\ 3.5          14,350
ETA 8562A.......................................................           6,560        \2\ 1.78          11,677
                                                                 -----------------
    Totals......................................................  ..............  ..............          27,394
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\1\ Minutes. \2\ Hours.

    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 the information collection request; they will also 
become a matter of public record.

    Dated: February 10, 2003.
Edward A. Tomchick,
Director, Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance.
[FR Doc. 03-3670 Filed 2-13-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-P