[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 38 (Friday, February 26, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9887-9888]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04314]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Summary of Benefits and Coverage and Uniform 
Glossary Required Under the Affordable Care Act

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOL

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) revision titled, ``Summary of Benefits and 
Coverage and Uniform Glossary Required Under the Affordable Care Act,'' 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq. Public comments on the ICR are invited.

DATES: The OMB will consider all written comments that agency receives 
on or before March 28, 2016.

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=201602-1210-002 (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, TTY 202-693-8064, (these are 
not toll-free numbers) or by email at [email protected].
    Submit comments about this request by mail or courier 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; by Fax: 202-395-5806 (this is not a toll-free 
number); or by email: [email protected]. Commenters are 
encouraged, but not required, to send a courtesy copy of any comments 
by mail or courier to the U.S. Department of Labor-OASAM, Office of the 
Chief Information Officer, Attn: Departmental Information Compliance 
Management Program, Room N1301, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20210; or by email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Michel Smyth by telephone at 
202-693-4129, TTY 202-693-8064, (these are not toll-free numbers) or by 
email at [email protected].

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This ICR seeks OMB approval of a revision to 
the Summary of Benefits and Coverage and Uniform Glossary (SBC) ICR 
codified in regulations 29 CFR 715-2715. The Patient Protection and 
Affordable Care Act, Pub. L. 111-148, was signed into law on March 23, 
2010, and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, 
Pub. L. 111-152, was signed into law on March 30, 2010 (collectively 
known as the ``Affordable Care Act''). The Affordable Care Act amends 
the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act) by adding section 2715 
``Development and Utilization of Uniform Explanation of Coverage 
Documents and Standardized Definitions.'' This section directs the 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the DOL, and the 
Department of the Treasury (collectively, the Departments), in 
consultation with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners 
(NAIC) and a working group comprised of stakeholders to develop 
standards for use by a group health plan and a health insurance issuer 
in compiling and providing to applicants, enrollees, policyholders, and 
certificate holders a SBC explanation that accurately describes the 
benefits and coverage under the applicable plan or coverage.
    A notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) was published on August 22, 
2011 (76 FR 52442) with an accompanying document (76 FR 52475) 
containing the templates, instructions, and related materials for 
implementing the disclosure provisions under PHS Act 2715. The NPRM 
proposed 29 CFR 2590.715-2715. A final rule was published on February 
14, 2012. A second notice of proposed rulemaking was published on 
December 30, 2014 (79 FR 78577) to propose revisions to the regulation 
as well as the templates, instructions, and related materials. On March 
30, 2015, the Departments released an FAQ stating that the Departments 
intend to finalize changes to the regulations in the near future but 
intend to utilize consumer testing and offer an opportunity for the 
public, including the NAIC, to provide further input before finalizing 
revisions to the SBC template and associated documents. A final rule, 
without final revisions to the SBC template and associated documents, 
was published on June 16, 2015 (80 FR 34292).
    As required by section 2715, the Departments consulted the NAIC to 
provide further input before finalizing revisions to the SBC template 
and associated documents. The Departments now are finalizing the 
templates and glossary and requesting a three-year approval from the 
Office of Management and Budget for the revised information collection, 
so that plans and issuers may begin using the revised forms for making 
the disclosures under PHS Act section 2715 and the implementing 
regulations.
    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 1210-0147.
    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 thirty (30) days of publication of this 
notice in the Federal Register. In order to help ensure appropriate 
consideration, comments should mention OMB Control Number 1210-0147. 
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

[[Page 9888]]

     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: Summary of Benefits and Coverage and Uniform 
Glossary Required Under the Affordable Care Act.
    OMB Control Number: 1210-0147.
    Affected Public: Private Sector--businesses or other for-profits 
and not-for-profit institutions.
    Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,299,742.
    Total Estimated Number of Responses: 71,252,326.
    Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 431,552 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $9,273,266.

    Dated: February 24, 2016.
Michel Smyth,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-04314 Filed 2-25-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-29-P