[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 93 (Thursday, May 14, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27707-27708]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-11649]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Comment Request for Information Collection for OMB 1205-0199, 
Unemployment Insurance (UI) Title XII Advances and Voluntary Repayment 
Process, 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.
    Currently, ETA is soliciting comments concerning the collection 
process of data about UI Title XII advances and voluntary repayments, 
which expires December 31, 2015.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the

[[Page 27708]]

addresses section below on or before July 13, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Submit 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 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

    Title XII Section 1201 of the Social Security Act (SSA) provides 
for advances to states from the Federal Unemployment Account (FUA). The 
law further sets out specific requirements to be met by a state 
requesting an advance:
     The Governor, or designee, must apply for the advance;
     The application must cover a three month period and the 
Secretary of Labor (Secretary) must be furnished with estimates of the 
amounts needed in each month of the three month period;
     The application must be made on such forms and shall 
contain such information and data (fiscal and otherwise) concerning the 
operation and administration of the state unemployment compensation law 
as the Secretary deems necessary or relevant to the performance of his 
or her duties under this title;
     The amount required by any state for the payment of 
compensation in any month shall be determined with due allowance for 
contingencies and taking into account all other amounts that will be 
available in the state's unemployment fund for the payment of 
compensation in such month; and
     The term ``compensation'' means cash benefits payable to 
individuals with respect to their unemployment exclusive of expenses of 
administration.
    Section 1202(a) of the SSA provides that the Governor of any state 
may at any time request that funds be transferred from the account of 
such state to the FUA in repayment of part or all of the balance of 
advances made to such state under section 1201. These applications and 
repayments may be requested by an individual designated for that 
authority in writing by the Governor.

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: Unemployment Insurance (UI) Title XII Advances and Voluntary 
Repayment Process.
    OMB Number: 1205-0199.
    Affected Public: State Workforce Agencies.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondents: 5.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: DOL currently estimates that 5 
states will borrow during fiscal year 2016, and these states could 
continue to be borrowing during calendar year 2016 and beyond. Although 
it's difficult to know the exact number of responses, the maximum would 
be four requests for advances and four requests for voluntary 
repayments per state each year. This will result in a maximum possible 
number of responses of 120 over the three year window or an average of 
40 responses per year.
    Average Time per Response: 1 hour.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 40 hours.
    Total Annual Burden Cost for Burden: There is no burden cost.
    We will summarize and/or included in the request for OMB approval 
of the ICR, the comments received in response to this comment request; 
will also become a matter of public record.

Portia Wu,
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.
[FR Doc. 2015-11649 Filed 5-13-15; 8:45 am]
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