[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 125 (Thursday, June 28, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 38660]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-15792]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Rehabilitation Maintenance Certificate

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Office of 
Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) sponsored information collection 
request (ICR) revision titled, ``Rehabilitation Maintenance 
Certificate,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review 
and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act 
(PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

DATES: Submit comments on or before July 30, 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-OWCP, Office of 
Management and Budget, Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 
20503, Telephone: 202-395-6929/Fax: 202-395-6881 (these are not toll-
free numbers), email: [email protected].

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 OWCP administers the Federal Employees' 
Compensation Act (FECA) and the Longshore and Harbor Workers' 
Compensation Act (LHWCA). These acts provide vocational rehabilitation 
services to eligible workers with disabilities. The FECA provides that 
the OWCP may pay an individual undergoing vocational rehabilitation a 
maintenance allowance, not to exceed $200 a month. The LHWCA provides 
that persons undergoing such vocational rehabilitation shall receive 
maintenance allowances as additional compensation. The Rehabilitation 
Maintenance Certificate, Form OWCP-17, is used to collect information 
necessary to determine the amount of any maintenance allowance to be 
paid. Form OWCP-17, is submitted to the OWCP by program participants or 
contractors the agency hires to provide vocational rehabilitation 
services requesting payment of an additional rehabilitation maintenance 
amount to cover incidental costs of obtaining vocational rehabilitation 
services. For example, when a disabled worker attends a training 
program, Form OWCP-17 may be used to request reimbursement of out-of-
pocket costs such as travel expenses. This ICR technically qualifies as 
a revision under the PRA, because the agency has reformatted elements 
of Form OWCP-17 (e.g., replaced an obsolete logo with the DOL Seal and 
removed references to the no longer existent Employment Standards 
Administration).
    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 Control Number. See 
5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6. The DOL obtains OMB approval for this 
information collection under Control Number 1240-0012. The current 
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 notices published in the 
Federal Register on February 9, 2012, (77 FR 6824) and April 5, 2012 
(77 FR 20654).
    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 mention OMB Control Number 1240-0012. 
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-OWCP.
    Title of Collection: Rehabilitation Maintenance Certificate.
    OMB Control Number: 1240-0012.
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
    Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 603.
    Total Estimated Number of Responses: 5,022.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 837.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $0.

    Dated: June 22, 2012.
Michel Smyth,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-15792 Filed 6-27-12; 8:45 am]
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