[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 144 (Friday, July 27, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41355-41357]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-14519]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR


Proposed Collection for the Benefits, Timeliness, and Quality 
Data Collection System; 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 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 and Training Administration is soliciting 
comments concerning the proposed extension of the Benefits Timeliness 
and Quality (BTQ) data collection system, which is part of the 
Unemployment Insurance (UI) Performs measurement system.
    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 or by accessing: http://www.doleta.gov/OMBCN/OMBControlNumber.cfm.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee's section below on or before September 25, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Employment and Training 
Administration, Office of Workforce Security, 200 Constitution Avenue 
NW., Room C4522, Washington, DC 20210, Attention: Delores Mackall. 
Telephone number: 202-693-3183 (this is not a toll-free number). Fax: 
202-693-3975. E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The Secretary of Labor, under the Social Security Act, Title III, 
Section

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302 (42 U.S.C. 502), funds the necessary cost of proper and efficient 
administration of each state UI law. The BTQ program collects 
information and analyzes data to do this. The BTQ data measure the 
timeliness and quality of states' administrative actions and 
administrative decisions related to UI benefit payments.

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

    Type of Review: Revision of Approved Collection.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title: Benefits, Timeliness, and Quality Review.
    OMB Number: 1205-0359.
    Affected Public: State governments.
    Agency Numbers: ETA-9050, ETA-9051, ETA-9052, ETA-9054, ETA-9055, 
ETA-9056, ETA-9057. ETA 9053, a previous form, was eliminated, 
resulting in a reduction in burden of 636 hours.
    Record Keeping: State governments.
    Cite/Reference/Form/etc: Section 303 of Title III of the Social 
Security Act.
    Total Respondents: 53 state agencies.
    Frequency: Monthly and Quarterly.
    Total Responses: 28,276.
    Average Time per Response: 80 minutes.
    Summary of Burden:

                              Monthly Universe Measures: State Staff Hours per Year
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    Number of     Reports        Total       Hrs. per  Total hrs/
       ETA report                Measure           respondents    per year     responses      resp.       year
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9050...................  First Payment Time                  53         12             636         .5        318
                          Lapse, Core Measure.
9050...................  First Payment Time                  53         12             636         .5        318
                          Lapse, Partial/Part
                          Total Claims,
                          Management
                          Information Measure.
9050...................  First Payment Time                  53         12             636         .5        318
                          Lapse, Workshare
                          Claims, Management
                          Information Measure.
9051...................  Continued Weeks                     53         12             636         .5        318
                          Compensated Time
                          Lapse, Management
                          Information Measure.
9051...................  Continued Weeks                     53         12             636         .5        318
                          Compensated Time
                          Lapse, Partial Part/
                          Total, Management
                          Information Measure.
9051...................  Continued Weeks                     53         12             636         .5        318
                          Compensated Time
                          Lapse, Workshare,
                          Management
                          Information Measure.
9052...................  Nonmonetary                         53         12             636        1.0        636
                          Determinations Time
                          Lapse, Detection
                          Date, Core Measure.
9054...................  Lower Authority                     53         12             636         .5        318
                          Appeals Time Lapse,
                          Management
                          Information Measure.
9055...................  Lower Authority                     53         12             636        1.0        636
                          Appeals Case Aging,
                          Core Measure.
9054...................  Higher Authority                    53         12             636         .5        318
                          Appeals Time Lapse,
                          Management
                          Information Measure.
9055...................  Higher Authority                    53         12             636        1.0        636
                          Appeals Case Aging,
                          Core Measure.
                        ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal...........  ......................  ..............  .........  ..............  .........       4452
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                          Quarterly Sample Review Measures: State Staff Hours per Year
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                                                             Sampled cases    Total cases
     ETA report            Measure           Number of       reviewed per    reviewed per    Hrs. per  Total hrs/
                                            respondents          year            year         resp.       year
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9056...............  Nonmonetary         29 Small States..             240           6,960          1      6,960
                      Determination
                      Quality, Core
                      Measure.
9056...............  Nonmonetary         24 Large States..             400           9,600          1      9,600
                      Determination
                      Quality, Core
                      Measure.
9057...............  Lower Authority     47 Small States..              80           3,760        3.5     13,160
                      Appeals Quality,
                      Core Measure.
9057...............  Lower Authority     6 Large States...             160             960        3.5      3,360
                      Appeals Quality,
                      Core Measure.
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal.......  ..................  .................  ..............  ..............  .........     33,080
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    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 37,532 hours.
    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.


[[Page 41357]]


    Dated: July 23, 2007.
Cheryl Atkinson,
Administrator, Office of Workforce Security.
[FR Doc. E7-14519 Filed 7-26-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FW-P