[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 6, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32597-32598]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8739]



[[Page 32597]]

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment Standards 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 Standards Administration is soliciting 
comments concerning the proposed collection: Labor Organization and 
Auxiliary Reports (LM-1, LM-2, LM-3, LM-4, LM-10, LM-15, LM-15A, LM-16, 
LM-20, LM-21, LM-30, and S-1). 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 
addressee section below on or before August 7, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Ms. Hazel M. Bell, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 
Constitution Ave., NW., Room S-3201, Washington, DC 20210, telephone 
(202) 693-0418, fax (202) 693-1451, e-mail [email protected]. Please 
use only one method of transmission for comments (mail, fax, or e-
mail).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

I. Background

    Congress enacted the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act 
of 1959, as amended (LMRDA), to provide for the disclosure of 
information on the financial transactions and administrative practices 
of labor organizations. The statute also provides, under certain 
circumstances, for reporting by labor organization officers and 
employees, employers, labor relations consultants, and surety 
companies. Section 208 of the LMRDA authorizes the Secretary to issue 
rules and regulations prescribing the form of the required reports. The 
reporting provisions were devised to implement a basic tenet of the 
LMRDA: The guarantee of democratic procedures and safeguards within 
labor organizations that are designed to protect the basic rights of 
union members. Section 205 of the LMRDA provides that the reports are 
public information.
    The Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) administers the 
reporting provisions of the LMRDA to the statute (29 U.S.C. 431 et 
seq.) and the implementing and interpreting regulations (29 CFR Chapter 
IV). This information collection is currently approved for use through 
November 30, 2006.

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 clarity 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 Department of Labor (DOL) seeks extension of the current 
approval to collect this information. An extension is necessary because 
the LMRDA explicitly requires the reporting and establishes the 
frequency of the required filings. The information collected by OLMS is 
used by union members to help self-govern their unions, by the general 
public, and as research material for both outside researchers and 
within the Department of Labor. The information is also used to assist 
DOL and other government agencies in detecting improper practices on 
the part of labor organizations, their officers and/or representatives, 
and others and is used by Congress in oversight and legislative 
functions. In addition to making Forms LM-2, LM-3, LM-4, LM-10, LM-20, 
LM-21, and LM-30 (from fiscal year 2000 to the present) available to 
the public online free of charge through its Internet Public Disclosure 
Room, (http://unionreports.dol.gov/olmsWeb/docs/lmrda.htm), OLMS 
receives and fulfills approximately 210 disclosure report requests per 
month.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Agency: Employment Standards Administration.
    Title: Labor Organization and Auxiliary Reports.
    OMB Number: 1215-0188.
    Agency Number: LM-1, LM-2, LM-3, LM-4, LM-10, LM-15, LM-15A, LM-16, 
LM-20, LM-21, LM-30 and S-1.
    Affected Public: Individual or households; business or other for-
profit; not-for-profit institutions.
    Total Respondents: 27,849.
    Total Responses: 27,849.
    Time per Response (Reporting): 1,175,450.
    Time per Response (Recordkeeping): 2,197,804.
    Frequency: Semi-annually and Annually.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 3,373,254.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): $0.

                                                        Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden Hours
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                                                                             Hours per                       Hours per
                          Forms                              Responses    respondent for     Reporting    respondent for   Recordkeeping    Total hours
                                                                             reporting     burden hours    recordkeeping   burden hours
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LM-1....................................................             255            0.83             212            0.08              20             232
LM-2....................................................           3,827          146.00         558,742          390.00       1,492,530       2,051,272
LM-3....................................................          10,812           52.00         562,224           64.00         691,968       1,254,192
LM-4....................................................           6,355            8.00          50,840            2.00          12,710          63,550
LM-10...................................................           1,766            0.50             883            0.08             141           1,024
LM-15...................................................             354            1.50             531            0.33             117             648

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LM-15A..................................................              68            0.33              22            0.03               2              24
LM-16...................................................              95            0.33              31            0.02               2              33
LM-20...................................................              90            0.33              30            0.03               3              33
LM-21...................................................              11            0.50               6            0.08               1               7
LM-30...................................................           3,494            0.50           1,747            0.08             280           2,027
S-1.....................................................             179            0.50              90            0.08              14             104
SARF*...................................................             543            0.17              92            0.03              16             108
                                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total...............................................          27,849  ..............       1,175,450  ..............       2,197,804      3,373,254
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Note: Some numbers may not add due to rounding.
* Simplified Annual Report Format.

    Comments submitted in response to this notice 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: June 1, 2006.
Ruben L. Wiley,
Chief, Branch of Management Review and Internal Control, Division of 
Financial Management, Office of Management, Administration and 
Planning, Employment Standards Administration.
 [FR Doc. E6-8739 Filed 6-5-06; 8:45 am]
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