[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 93 (Thursday, May 14, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27706-27707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-11648]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Comment Request for Information Collection Request for OMB 1205-
0154, Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund Activities Reports, 
Extension Without Revisions

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, 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 collection 
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.
    Currently, ETA is soliciting comments concerning the continuation 
of the collection of data on UI Trust Fund Activities Reports. The 
current

[[Page 27707]]

expiration date for this collection is December 31, 2015.

DATES: Submit written comments to the office listed in the addresses 
section below on or before July 13, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Joe Williams, Office of 
Unemployment Insurance, Room S-4524, Employment and Training 
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20210. Telephone number: (202) 693-2928 (this is not a 
toll-free number). Individuals with hearing or speech impairments may 
access the telephone number above via TTY by calling toll-free Federal 
Information Relay Service at 1-877-889-5627 (TTY/TDD). Email: 
[email protected]. To obtain a copy of the proposal information 
collection request (ICR), please contact the person listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    Section 303(a)(4) of the Social Security Act (SSA) and Section 
3304(a)(3) of the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) require that all 
monies received in the unemployment fund of a state be paid immediately 
to the Secretary of Treasury to the credit of the Unemployment Trust 
Fund (UTF). This is the ``immediate deposit'' standard.
    Section 303(a)(5) of the SSA and Section 3304(a)(4) of the FUTA 
require that all monies withdrawn from the UTF be used solely for the 
payment of unemployment compensation, exclusive of the expenses of 
administration. This is the ``limited withdrawal'' standard.
    Federal law (Section 303(a)(6) of the SSA) gives the Secretary of 
Labor the authority to require the reporting of information deemed 
necessary to assure state compliance with the provisions of the SSA.
    Under this authority, the Secretary of Labor requires the following 
reports to monitor state compliance with the immediate deposit and 
limited withdrawal standards:

ETA 2112: UI Financial Transactions Summary, Unemployment Fund
ETA 8401: Monthly Analysis of Benefit Payment Account
ETA 8405: Monthly Analysis of Clearing Account
ETA 8413: Income--Expense Analysis Unemployment Compensation (UC) Fund, 
Benefit Payment Account
ETA 8414: Income--Expense Analysis UC Fund, Clearing Account
ETA 8403: Summary of Financial Transactions--Title IX Funds

    These reports are submitted to the Office of Unemployment Insurance 
(OUI) within the ETA which uses them to:
     Monitor cash flows into and out of the UTF to determine 
state compliance with the immediate deposit and limited withdrawal 
standards.
     Assure proper accounting for unemployment funds, an 
integral part of preparing the Department's consolidated financial 
statements required by the Chief Financial Officer Act of 1990. The UTF 
is the single largest asset and liability on the statements.
     Reconcile the Department's records with the U.S. Treasury 
records.
     Support UI research and actuarial reports analyzing the 
solvency of the UTF.
    The Department seeks renewal of this collection since the reports 
are essential to the Department's financial statements and program 
oversight responsibilities.

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 the use of the appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, technological or other forms of 
information collection techniques.

III. Current Actions

    The continued collection of these financial data are necessary for 
the purposes of monitoring and evaluating state financial transactions 
for proper oversight and administration of the UI system.
    Type of Review: Extension without change.
    Title: Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund Activities Reports, ETA 
2112, 8401, 8405, 8413, 8414, 8403.
    OMB Number: 1205-0154.
    Affected Public: State Workforce Agencies.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondents: 53.
    Annual Frequency: Monthly.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 636.
    Average Time per Response: The ETA 2112, 8401, 8405, 8413, and 8414 
are all submitted on a monthly basis. We estimate the state burden to 
be: 636 total responses x 2.5 hours for all 5 reports (.5 hours for 
each report) = 1,590 hours. The ETA 8403 is submitted only when there 
is activity requiring update of the state's Reed Act account. We 
estimate the state burden to be: 53 states x 6 annual responses x 30 
minutes per response = 159 reporting hours.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 1,749 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Cost Burden: $0.
    We summarize and/or included 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.

Portia Wu,
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.
[FR Doc. 2015-11648 Filed 5-13-15; 8:45 am]
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