[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 68 (Wednesday, April 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17410-17411]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-8637]



[[Page 17410]]

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Labor.

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 process 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 process helps to 
ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, 
reporting burdens are 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 
continuation of a reporting and performance standards system for Indian 
and Native American programs under title I, section 166 of the 
Workforce Investment Act (WIA). A copy of the proposed Information 
Collection Request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office 
listed below in the address section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee section below on or before June 9, 2003.

ADDRESSES: James C. DeLuca, Chief, Division of Indian and Native 
American Programs, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. 
Department of Labor, Room N-4641, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20210. Telephone: (202) 693-3754 (VOICE) or (202) 693-
3818 (FAX) (these are not toll-free numbers) or INTERNET: 
DeLuca,[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The Employment and Training Administration of the Department of 
Labor is requesting continuation of the current reporting and 
performance standards system for Workforce Investment Act (WIA), title 
I, section 166, Indian and Native American grantees for one year (April 
1, 2003 to March 31, 2004), in part to coincide with the expiration of 
the section 166 financial report (ETA-9080) which is currently approved 
through March 31, 2004 under OMB Control Number 1205-0423. In 
evaluating the last few years' reporting experience of the grantees who 
receive funding under WIA section 166, including those receiving 
Supplemental Youth Services (SYS) funds, and, in light of the 
continuing statutory requirements of WIA applicable to section 166 
grantees, the Department has decided to extend the currently-approved 
reporting requirements which it believes supports the current statutory 
requirements under WIA as they relate to the Indian and Native American 
Program. The only anticipated change(s) would be to accommodate the 
information collection requirements of the Administration's proposed 
``Common Measures'' for evaluating all Federally-funded employment and 
training programs. Further details of these possible changes are 
available on request. However, it should be noted that the Workforce 
Investment Act comes up for reauthorization during 2003, which could 
result in additional, statutorily-mandated reporting changes which 
would need to be covered in this data collection.

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 burden estimate for 
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 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 Action

    This ICR will be used by approximately 145 Workforce Investment Act 
(WIA) section 166 grantees as the primary reporting and performance 
measurement vehicle for enrolled individuals, their characteristics, 
training and services provided, outcomes, including job placement and 
employability enhancements, as well as detailed financial data on 
program expenditures. Grantees participating in the demonstration under 
Public Law 102-477 will not be affected by this collection, and have 
not been included in the following burden estimates.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title: Reporting and performance system for WIA, title I, section 
166, Indian and Native American grantees.
    OMB Number (current): 1205-0422.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 17.265 (for PY 2002 
and beyond).
    Recordkeeping: Grantees shall retain supporting and other documents 
necessary for the compilation and submission of the subject reports for 
three years after submission of the final financial report for the 
grant in question [29 CFR 97.42 and/or 29 CFR 95.53]. It should be 
noted that the burden estimates for this collection as originally 
approved by OMB in April of 2001 were for 27,795 responses totaling 
some 78,615 hours.
    Affected Public: Federally-recognized Indian tribes, bands, and 
groups; Alaskan Native entities; Hawaiian Native entities; private non-
profit Indian-controlled organizations; State Indian Commissions or 
Councils (Native American-controlled); consortia of any and/or all of 
the above.
    Cite/Reference/Form/etc.: ETA-9084 and ETA-9085.

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                                                                       Total       Average time    Total burden
           Form No.              Respondents       Frequency         responses     per response        hours
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ETA-9084 (Comprehensive                   145  semi-annual......             290            9.67           2,804
 services).
ETA-9085 (Supplemental Youth              105  semi-annual......             210            9.67           2,031
 Services).
Recordkeeping................             145  (as needed)......          27,295            9.67          73,780
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    Total....................             250  semi-annual......          27,795            9.67          78,615
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    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): Costs associated with 
this collection will vary widely among grantees, from nearly no 
additional cost to some higher figure, depending on the state of 
automation attained by each grantee and the wages paid to the staff 
actually completing the various forms. However, because all 
expenditures associated with the preparation of these reports will come 
from the Federal grant funds themselves, there will be no costs to the 
grantees. The grantees will not be obligated to expend their own (i.e., 
non-DOL) resources to fulfill these reporting requirements. All costs 
associated with the submission of these forms are allowable grant 
expenses. 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 also 
will become a matter of public record.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 2nd day of April, 2003.
Emily Stover DeRocco,
Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training Administration.
[FR Doc. 03-8637 Filed 4-8-03; 8:45 am]
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