[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 101 (Friday, May 24, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31580-31581]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-12488]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Employee Benefit Plan Claims Procedure Under 
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act

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, ``Employee Benefit Plan Claims 
Procedure under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act,'' to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for 
continued use, without change, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

DATES: Submit comments on or before June 24, 2013.

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 free of charge 
from the RegInfo.gov Web site at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=201304-1210-006 (this link will only become active 
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, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 
20503, Fax: 202-395-6881 (this is not a toll-free number), 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].

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Employee Retirement Income Security Act 
section 503 and regulations 29 CFR 2560.503-1 require employee benefit 
plans to establish procedures for resolving benefit claims under the 
plan, including initial claims and appeal of denied claims. The 
regulation requires specific information to be disclosed at different 
stages of the claims process. The regulation also requires claims 
denial notices to be provided within specific time frames and that the 
notices include specific information. For additional substantive 
information about this ICR, see the related notice published in the 
Federal Register on November 27, 2012 (77 FR 70828).
    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 that 
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 1210-0053.
    OMB authorization for an ICR cannot be for more than three (3) 
years without renewal, and the current approval for this collection is 
scheduled to expire on May 31, 2013. This ICR asks the OMB to extend 
PRA authorization for the information collection for three (3) more 
years, without any change to existing requirements. It should also be 
noted that existing information collection

[[Page 31581]]

requirements submitted to the OMB receive a month-to-month extension 
while they undergo review.
    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 1210-0053. 
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: Employee Benefit Plan Claims Procedure under 
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
    OMB Control Number: 1210-0053.
    Affected Public: Private Sector--businesses or other for profits 
and not-for-profit institutions.
    Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 5,770,307.
    Total Estimated Number of Responses: 333,612,550.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 523,000.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $568,700,000.

    Dated: May 16, 2013.
Michel Smyth,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-12488 Filed 5-23-13; 8:45 am]
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