[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 59 (Thursday, March 27, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17183-17184]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-06750]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Comment Request for Information Collection for Petition for 
Classifying Labor Surplus Areas, 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)] (PRA). The PRA helps ensure that 
respondents can provide requested data in the desired format with 
minimal reporting burden (time and financial resources), collection 
instruments are clearly understood and the impact of collection 
requirements on respondents can be properly assessed.
    Currently, ETA is soliciting comments concerning the proposed 
extension of the collection of data contained in the procedures to 
petition for classification as a Labor Surplus Area (LSA) under 
exceptional circumstances criteria (currently expires July 31, 2014).

DATES: Submit written comments to the office listed in the addresses 
section below on or before May 27, 2014.

[[Page 17184]]


ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Samuel Wright, Office of Workforce 
Investment, Room C-4514, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. 
Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20210. 
Telephone number: (202) 693-2870 (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). Fax: 202-693-3015. Email: 
[email protected]. To obtain a copy of the proposed information 
collection request (ICR), please contact the person listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    Under Executive Orders 12073 and 10582, and 20 CFR parts 651 and 
654, the Secretary of Labor is required to classify LSAs and 
disseminate this information for the use of all Federal agencies. This 
information is used by Federal agencies for various purposes including 
procurement decisions, food stamp waiver decisions, certain small 
business loan decisions, as well as other purposes determined by the 
agencies. The LSA list is issued annually, effective October 1 of each 
year, utilizing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Areas meeting 
the criteria are classified as LSAs.
    Department regulations specify that the Department can add other 
areas to the annual LSA listing under the exceptional circumstance 
criteria. Such additions are based on information contained in 
petitions submitted by the state workforce agencies (SWAs) to ETA's 
national office. These petitions contain specific economic information 
about an area to provide ample justification for adding the area to the 
LSA listing under the exceptional circumstances criteria. The petitions 
submitted by the SWAs concern various aspects of unemployment and the 
economic condition for a specific area in order to provide 
justification for adding the area to the LSA list under the exceptional 
circumstances criteria. Under these criteria, an area may be determined 
eligible for classification as a LSA if it is experiencing a high rate 
of unemployment which is not temporary or seasonal and which was not 
adequately reflected in the unemployment data for the two-year 
reference period. Instructions designed to assist SWAs in the 
preparation of such petitions are currently contained on the ETA Web 
site: http://www.doleta.gov/programs/lsa.cfm.

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.

III. Current Actions

    Type of Review: Extension without revisions.
    Title: Petition for Classifying Labor Surplus Areas.
    OMB Number: 1205-0207.
    Affected Public: State Workforce Agencies.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondents: 3.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 3.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 9.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: 0.
    We will summarize and/or include in the request for OMB approval of 
the ICR, the comments received in response to this comment request; 
they will also become a matter of public record.

Eric M. Seleznow,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.
[FR Doc. 2014-06750 Filed 3-26-14; 8:45 am]
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