[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 156 (Monday, August 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48175-48176]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19707]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Comment Request for Information Collection for Applications, 
Grants and Administration of Short Time Compensation (STC) Provisions, 
Extension Without Revisions

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Labor.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (Department), as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a 
preclearance consultation program to provide the 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 [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps 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.
    ETA is soliciting comments concerning the continuation of the 
collection of data concerning administration of recent changes and 
grants for the expansion of STC beyond the current expiration date of 
12/31/2012.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addresses section below on or before October 12, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to Scott Gibbons, Office of 
Unemployment Insurance, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. 
Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20210. 
Telephone number: 202-693-3008 (this is not a toll-free number). 
Individuals with hearing or speech impairments may access the telephone 
number above via TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Information Relay 
Service at 1-877-889-5627 (TTY/TDD). Email: [email protected]. A 
copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be 
obtained by contacting Mr. Gibbons.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The recent enactment of Public Law 112-96 (The Middle Class Tax 
Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, referred to hereafter as 
``MCTRJC'' or ``the act'') contains Subtitle D, Short-Time Compensation 
Program, also known as the ``Layoff Prevention Act of 2012''. The 
sections of the law under this subtitle concern states that currently 
participate in, or wish to initiate a new program in, a layoff aversion 
program known as short time compensation (STC) or work sharing.
    Section 2161 establishes the operational rules for the STC program 
and Section 2162 covers the temporary financing of STC payments by the 
Federal Government to states with programs currently in their law. 
Section 2163 establishes the temporary financing of STC payments by the 
Federal Government to states operating an STC program under an 
agreement with the Secretary of Labor and Section 2164 covers grants 
the Federal Government can provide to state applicants whose STC laws 
conform to the requirements of Section 2161 for the purpose of 
implementation or improved administration of an STC program, or for 
promotion and enrollment in the program.
    Each of these sections of the law requires, to varying extents, 
applications, new administrative processes, monitoring and reporting of 
data between the state workforce agencies (SWAs) and ETA. ETA has 
principal oversight responsibility for the Unemployment Insurance (UI) 
program that SWAs operate. As a result of the many changes to the 
funding and administration of the UI system introduced in Public Law 
112-96, ETA needs to allow for additional reporting and data collection 
for proper oversight of state STC programs.

II. Review Focus

    The Department 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.

[[Page 48176]]

III. Current Actions

    Type of Review: Extension without changes.
    Title: Applications, Grants and Administration of Short Time 
Compensation (STC) Provisions.
    OMB Number: 1205-0499.
    Affected Public: State Workforce Agencies.
    Total Annual Burden Cost for Respondents: There are no burden 
costs.

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                                                                     Hours per      Annualized      Annualized
         Category (BOLD) and instruments            Respondents      response        responses         hours
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                             States Coming Into Conformity With New Federal STC Law
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General STC UIPL: Attachment II--Text of                      53               5             n/a             265
 Agreement......................................
General STC UIPL: Addendum to FY2012 Annual                   53               5             n/a             265
 Funding Agreement for UI Program...............
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            States With STC Programs Applying for Grants To Enhance or Promote Their Current Programs
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UIPL on state STC grants: Attachment 1--STC                   25              80             n/a           2,000
 Proposal Outline for STC Applications..........
UIPL on state STC grants: Attachment 2--STC                   25              80             n/a           2,000
 Application Checklist..........................
UIPL on state STC grants: Attachment 3--                      25              25              88           2,200
 Quarterly Narrative Progress Report............
UIPL on state STC grants: Attachment 5--STC                   25               5             n/a             125
 Grant Agreement................................
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                      States Without STC Programs Applying To Operate a Federal STC Program
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Attachment 1--Implementing and Operating                      28              80             n/a           2,240
 Instructions for Federal STC Agreement.........
Attachment 2--Federal-state Agreement (Draft)...              28               5             n/a             140
UIPL on Federal STC: Attachment 3--Federal-state              28               5             n/a             140
 Agreement (Draft)..............................
Unduplicated Totals.............................              53  ..............  ..............           9,375
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    Comments submitted in response to this comment request will be 
summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the ICR; 
they will also become a matter of public record.

    Dated: Signed in Washington, DC, on this 6th day of August, 
2012.
Jane Oates,
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.
[FR Doc. 2012-19707 Filed 8-10-12; 8:45 am]
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