[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 195 (Friday, October 7, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69857-69858]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-24294]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Notice Requirements of the Health Care 
Continuation Coverage Provisions

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employee 
Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) sponsored information 
collection request (ICR) titled, ``Notice Requirements of the Health 
Care Continuation Coverage Provisions,'' to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use, without 
change, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). 
Public comments on the ICR are invited.

DATES: The OMB will consider all written comments that agency receives 
on or before November 7, 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=201609-1210-001 (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].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This ICR seeks to extend PRA authority for 
the Notice Requirements of the Health Care Continuation Coverage 
Provisions information collection. The Consolidated Omnibus Budget 
Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) provides that, under certain 
circumstances, a group health plan participant or beneficiary who meets 
the COBRA qualified beneficiaries definition may elect to continue 
group health coverage temporarily following a qualifying event that 
would otherwise result in loss of coverage. This ICR covers the 
information collection requirements for plan administrators to 
distribute notices as follows: A general notice to be distributed to 
all participants in group health plans subject to the COBRA; an 
employer notice that must be completed by the employer upon the 
occurrence of a qualifying event; a notice and election form to be sent 
to a participant upon the occurrence of a qualifying event that might 
cause the participant to lose group health coverage; an employee notice 
that may be completed by a qualified beneficiary upon the occurrence of 
certain qualifying events such as divorce or disability; and, two other 
notices, one of early termination and the other a notice of 
unavailability. Also included in the ICR are two model notices that the 
Department believes will help reduce costs for service providers in 
preparing and delivering notices to comply with the regulations. 
Employee Retirement Income Security Act sections 606 and 608 authorize 
this information collection. See 29 U.S.C. 1166 and 1168.
    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 1210-0123.
    OMB authorization for an ICR cannot be for more than three (3) 
years without renewal, and the current approval for this collection is 
scheduled to expire on October 31, 2016. The DOL seeks to extend PRA 
authorization for this information collection for three (3) more years, 
without any change to existing

[[Page 69858]]

requirements. The DOL notes that existing information collection 
requirements submitted to the OMB receive a month-to-month extension 
while they undergo review. For additional substantive information about 
this ICR, see the related notice published in the Federal Register on 
May 26, 2016 (81 FR 33550).
    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 1210-0123. 
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
     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: Notice Requirements of the Health Care 
Continuation Coverage Provisions.
    OMB Control Number: 1210-0123.
    Affected Public: Private Sector--businesses or other for-profits 
and not-for-profit institutions.
    Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 605,869.
    Total Estimated Number of Responses: 16,052,495.
    Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 0 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $30,490,898.

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

     Dated: October 3, 2016.
Michel Smyth,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-24294 Filed 10-6-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-29-P