[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 15 (Friday, January 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3653-3654]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-01137]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR


Comment Request for Information Collection for Tax Performance 
System, Extension Without Revision

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor (Department), as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a 
preclearance consultation program to provide the general 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 (PRA95) (44 U.S.C. 3506 (c) (2) (A)). This 
program helps to 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.
    Grants of funds that are made to states for administration of their 
employment security laws include funds for the establishment of a 
Quality Control Unit in each state in order for states to assess the 
quality of their unemployment insurance tax programs. States perform 
the assessment annually in accordance

[[Page 3654]]

with instructions issued by the Department. The assessment and 
instructions are referred to as the Tax Performance System (TPS). 
Currently, the ETA is soliciting comments concerning the collection of 
data pertaining to the TPS.

DATES: Submit written comments to the office listed in the address 
section below on or before March 24, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Joseph Toth, Office of Unemployment 
Insurance, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of 
Labor, Room S-4522, 200 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC, 20210. 
Telephone number 202-693-3894 (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]. To 
obtain a copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR), 
please contact the person listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Since 1987, states have been required by regulation at 20 CFR part 
602 to operate a program to assess their Unemployment Insurance (UI) 
tax and benefit programs. TPS is designed to assess the major internal 
UI tax functions by utilizing several methodologies: Computed Measures, 
which are indicators of timeliness and completeness based on data 
automatically generated via the existing ETA 581, Contribution 
Operations Report (Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval 
number 1205-0178, expiring 02/28/2015, and currently under review for 
extension at OMB); and Program Reviews, which assess accuracy through a 
two-fold examination. This examination involves: (a) ``Systems 
Reviews'' which examine tax systems for the existence of internal 
controls; and (b) extraction of small samples of those systems' 
transactions which are then examined to verify the effectiveness of 
controls.

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 submission of responses.

III. Current Actions

    Type of Review: Extension without change.
    Title: Tax Performance System.
    OMB Number: 1205-0332.
    Affected Public: State Workforce Agencies.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondents: 52.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses:: 1739 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 90,428.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Cost Burden: $4,543,637.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the ICR; they will 
also become a matter of public record.

Portia Wu,
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.
[FR Doc. 2015-01137 Filed 1-22-15; 8:45 am]
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