[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 81 (Thursday, April 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24989-24990]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-9981]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Notice of Blackout Period Under ERISA

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employee 
Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) sponsored information 
collection request (ICR) titled, ``Notice of Blackout Period Under 
ERISA,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval for continued use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

DATES: Submit comments on or before May 29, 2012.

ADDRESSES: A copy of this ICR with applicable supporting documentation; 
including a description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency 
of response, and estimated total burden may be obtained from the 
RegInfo.gov Web site, http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, on the 
day following publication of this notice or by contacting Michel Smyth 
by telephone at 202-693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or 
sending an email to [email protected].
    Submit comments about this request to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for DOL-EBSA, Office of 
Management and Budget, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, Telephone: 
202-395-6929/Fax: 202-395-6881 (these are not toll-free numbers), 
email: [email protected].

[[Page 24990]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Michel Smyth by telephone at 
202-693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 amended 
Employee Income Security Act of 1974 section 101 to require plan 
administrators to furnish affected participants and beneficiaries of 
individual account pension plans with advance written notice of a 
``blackout period'' during which the right to direct or diversify 
investments or obtain a loan or distribution may be temporarily 
suspended. The EBSA codified the corresponding regulatory requirement 
at 29 CFR 2520.101-3.
    This information collection is subject to the PRA. A Federal agency 
generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and 
the public is generally not required to respond to an information 
collection, unless it is approved by the OMB under the PRA and displays 
a currently valid OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any 
other provisions of law, no person shall generally be subject to 
penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if the 
collection of information does not display a valid OMB Control Number. 
See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6. The DOL obtains OMB approval for this 
information collection under OMB Control Number 1210-0122. The current 
OMB approval is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2012; however, it 
should be noted that existing information collection requirements 
submitted to the OMB receive a month-to-month extension while they 
undergo review. For additional information, see the related notice 
published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2011 (76 FR 76439).
    Interested parties are encouraged to send comments to the OMB, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the address shown in 
the ADDRESSES section within 30 days of publication of this notice in 
the Federal Register. In order to help ensure appropriate 
consideration, comments should reference OMB Control Number 1210-0122. 
The OMB is particularly interested in comments that:
     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 submission of responses.
    Agency: DOL-EBSA.
    Title of Collection: Notice of Blackout Period Under ERISA.
    OMB Control Number: 1210-0122.
    Affected Public: Private Sector--Businesses or Other For-Profits.
    Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 46,200.
    Total Estimated Number of Responses: 6,100,000.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 195,800.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $1,900,000.

    Dated: April 20, 2012.
Michel Smyth,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-9981 Filed 4-25-12; 8:45 am]
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