[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 3, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 397-398]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-28372]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Alternative Reporting Methods for 
Apprenticeship and Training Plans and Top Hat Plans

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employee 
Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) sponsored information 
collection request (ICR) titled, ``Alternative Reporting Methods for 
Apprenticeship and Training Plans and Top Hat Plans,'' 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 February 2, 2018.

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 website at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=201711-1210-002 (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 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,

[[Page 398]]

200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210; or by email: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 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 to extend PRA authority for 
the Alternative Reporting Methods for Apprenticeship and Training Plans 
and Top Hat Plans information collection. Section 2520.104-22 provides 
an exemption to the reporting and provision of Part 1 of Title I of 
ERISA for employee welfare benefit plans that provide exclusively 
apprenticeship and training benefits if the plan administrator meets 
the following requirements: (1) Files a notice with the Secretary that 
provides the name of the plan, the plan sponsor's Employer 
Identification Number, the plan administrator's name, and the name and 
location of an office or person from whom interested individuals can 
obtain certain info about courses offered by the plan; and (2) take 
steps reasonably designed to ensure that the information required to be 
contained in the notice is disclosed to employees of employers 
contribution to the plan who may be eligible to enroll in any course of 
study sponsored or establish by the plan; (3) and make the notice 
available to employees upon request. Under 2520.104-23, the Department 
provides an alternative method of compliance with the reporting and 
disclosure of Title I of ERISA for unfunded or insured plan established 
for a select group of management of highly compensated employees (i.e., 
top hat plans). In order to satisfy the alternative method of 
compliance, the plan administrator must file a statement with the 
Secretary of Labor that includes the name and address of the employer, 
the employer EIN, a declaration that the employer maintains a plan or 
plans primarily for the purpose of providing deferred compensation for 
a select group of management or highly compensated employees, and a 
statement of the number of such plans and the employees covered by 
each. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 authorizes this 
information collection. See 29 U.S.C. 1023.
    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 1210-0153.
    OMB authorization for an ICR cannot be for more than three (3) 
years without renewal, and the DOL seeks to extend PRA authorization 
for this information collection for three (3) more years, without any 
change to existing 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 22, 2017 (82 FR 23303).
    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 1210-0153. 
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: Alternative Reporting Methods for 
Apprenticeship and Training Plans and Top Hat Plans.
    OMB Control Number: 1210-0153.
    Affected Public: Private Sector--businesses or other for-profits 
and not for profits institutions.
    Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,872.
    Total Estimated Number of Responses: 1,872.
    Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 562 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $457.

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

Seleda Perryman,
Assistant Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-28372 Filed 1-2-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-29-P