[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 26 (Thursday, February 8, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5998-5999]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-553]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Notice of Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for 
Public Comment and Recommendations; Form ETA-232, the Domestic 
Agricultural In-Season Wage Report, and Form ETA-232A, Wage Survey 
Interview Record

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 pre-clearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal Agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on the proposed and/or continuing 
collection 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.

DATES: Submit comments on or before April 9, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Brian Pasternak, Chief, Division of Policy 
Analysis and Technical Assistance, Office of Foreign Labor 
Certification, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department 
of Labor, Room C-4312, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 
20210-0001, 202-693-3010 (this is not a toll-free number), fax 202-693-
2768.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Isabel D. Jean-Pierre, Temporary 
Programs Manager, Office of Foreign Labor Certification, Employment and 
Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room C-4312, 200 
Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 202-693-3010 (this is not a 
toll-free number), fax 202-693-2768.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    I. Background. The Wagner-Peyser Act, as amended, provides that the 
State Workforce Agencies throughout the country shall assist the Office 
of Foreign Labor Certification in promoting uniformity in its 
administrative and Statistical procedures, furnishing and publishing 
information as to opportunities for employment and other information of 
value in the operation of its system, and maintaining a system for 
clearing labor between the states.
    Pursuant to the Wagner-Peyser Act, the U.S. Department of Labor has 
established regulations at 20 CFR 653.500 covering the processing of 
agricultural intrastate and interstate job orders. Section 563.501 
provides that the wage offered by employers must not be less than the 
prevailing wage or the applicable Federal or state minimum wage; 
whichever is higher. Also, the regulations for the temporary employment 
of H-2A alien agricultural and H-2 logging workers in the United 
States, 20 CFR, Part 655, Subpart B and C implementing relevant 
sections of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, requires 
farmers and other agricultural employers to pay workers the adverse 
effect wage rate, the prevailing wage rate, or the legal Federal or 
State minimum wage rate; whichever is highest.
    The prevailing wage rate is used to implement these regulations 
covering intrastate and interstate recruitment of farmworkers. The 
vehicle for establishing the prevailing wage rate is Form ETA-232, The 
Domestic Agricultural In-Season Wage Report, and Form ETA-232-A, Wage 
Survey Interview Record. The ETA-232 Report contains the prevailing 
wage finding based on survey data collected from employers and reported 
by the States on Form ETA-232-A.
    II. Desired Focus of Comments. Currently, the Employment and 
Training Administration is soliciting comments concerning the proposed 
request to extend the expiration date of the collection request to:
     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;

[[Page 5999]]

     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 required 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.
    A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be 
obtained by contacting the office listed above in the addressee section 
of this notice.
    III. Current Actions. Activity covered by regulations at 20 CFR 
653.500 and 20 CFR 655 (B)(C), particularly the H-2A program, continues 
to expand, further increasing the need for accurate and timely wage 
information on which to base prevailing agricultural wage 
determinations. There is no similar wage information which is available 
or can be used for these determinations which apply to a specific crop 
or livestock activity, in a specific agricultural wage reporting area 
for a specific period of time during the peak harvest season.
    Type of Review: Extension of Approved Collection.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title: Domestic Agricultural In-Season Wage Report, Form ETA-232 
and Wage Survey Interview Record, Form ETA-232-A.
    OMB Number: 1205-0017.
    Cite/Reference/Form/etc: ETA-232 and ETA 232-A.
     Total Respondents: 38,855.
     Frequency: Annually.
     Total Responses: 39,405.
     Average Time Per Response: 11 hours (ETA Form 232); 15 
minutes (ETA Form 232A).

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                                                                                   Average time
        Form/activity               Total          Frequency           Total       per response   Burden (hours)
                                 respondents                         responses        (hours)
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ETA-232......................              50  Annually.........             600              11            6600
ETA-232-A....................          38,805  Annually.........          38,805           \1/4\           9,701
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    Totals...................          38,855  .................          39,405  ..............          16,301
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    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): -0-
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): -0-
    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.

    Signed at Washington, DC., this 31st day of January 2007.
William L. Carlson,
Administrator, Office of Foreign Labor Certification, Employment and 
Training Administration.
[FR Doc. 07-553 Filed 2-7-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-M