[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 82 (Thursday, April 28, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23844-23845]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-10265]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employee Benefits Security Administration


Proposed Collection of Information; Comment Request

AGENCY: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (the Department), in accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA 95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), 
provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to 
comment on proposed and continuing collections of information. This 
helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection 
requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps 
the public understand the Department's information collection 
requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. The 
Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is soliciting comments 
on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described 
below. A copy of the ICR may be obtained by contacting the office 
listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. ICRs also are available 
at reginfo.gov (http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office shown in the 
Addresses section on or before June 27, 2011.

ADDRESSES: G. Christopher Cosby, Department of Labor, Employee Benefits 
Security Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20210, (202) 693-8410, FAX (202) 693-4745 (these are not toll-free 
numbers); E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration 
(EBSA) maintains a program designed to provide education and technical 
assistance to participants and beneficiaries as well as to employers, 
plan sponsors, and service providers related to their health and 
retirement benefit plans. EBSA assists participants in understanding 
their rights, responsibilities, and benefits under employee benefit law 
and intervenes informally on their behalf with the plan sponsor in 
order to assist them in obtaining the health and retirement benefits to 
which they may have been inappropriately denied, which can avert the 
necessity for a formal investigation or a civil action. EBSA maintains 
a toll-free telephone number through which inquirers can reach Benefits 
Advisors in ten Regional Offices.
    EBSA also has made a request for assistance form available on its 
Web site for those wishing to contact EBSA on-line. Contact with EBSA 
is entirely voluntary. To date, the Web form has included only basic 
identifying information which is necessary for EBSA to contact the 
inquirer. The proposed collection of information would require the same 
identifying information--first name, last name, street address, city, 
zip code, and telephone number. In order to improve customer service 
and enhance its capacity to handle greater inquiry volume, EBSA is 
proposing to include additional information on the form such as the 
plan type, broad categories of problem type, contact information for 
responsible parties, and a mechanism for the inquirer to attach 
relevant documents.
    This information will be used by EBSA to make informed and 
efficient decisions when contacting inquirers who have requested EBSA's 
informal assistance with understanding their rights and obtaining 
benefits they may have been denied inappropriately. EBSA also will use 
the information to evaluate its service to inquirers, support the 
development of a broader understanding of the nature of current issues 
in employee benefit plans, and to respond to requests for information 
regarding employee benefit plans from members of Congress and 
governmental oversight entities in accordance with ERISA section 513.

II. Focus of Comments

    The Department is particularly interested in comments that:
     Evaluate whether the collections of information are 
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 
collections 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., by 
permitting electronic submissions of responses.
    A summary of the ICR and the current burden estimates follows:
    Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of 
Labor.
    Title: Web Intake Form.
    Type of Review: New collection of information.
    OMB Number: 1210-NEW.

[[Page 23845]]

    Affected Public: Individuals or households, businesses or other 
for-profits and not-for-profits.
    Respondents: 30,000.
    Responses: 30,000.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 15,000.
    Estimated Total Burden Cost (Operating and Maintenance): $3,100.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the ICRs for OMB approval of the information 
collection; they will also become a matter of public record.

    Dated: April 22, 2011.
Joseph S. Piacentini,
Director, Office of Policy and Research, Employee Benefits Security 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011-10265 Filed 4-27-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-29-P