[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 248 (Friday, December 28, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67354-67355]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-28224]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Transmittal for Unemployment Insurance Materials

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor's (DOL's), Employment and Training 
Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed 
extension for the authority to conduct the information collection 
request (ICR) titled, ``Transmittal for Unemployment Insurance 
Materials.'' This comment request is part of continuing Departmental 
efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

DATES: Consideration will be given to all written comments received by 
February 26, 2019.

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,

[[Page 67355]]

may be obtained free by contacting Agnes Wells by telephone at (202) 
693-2996, TTY 1-877-889-5627 (these are not toll-free numbers), or by 
email at [email protected].
    Submit written comments about or requests for a copy of this ICR by 
mail or courier to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and 
Training Administration, Office of Unemployment Insurance, Room S-4520, 
200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210, by email at 
[email protected], or by Fax at (202) 693-3975.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Clendenning by telephone at 
(202) 693-3458 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of continuing efforts to reduce 
paperwork and respondent burden, DOL conducts a pre-clearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of 
information before submitting them to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for final approval. This program helps to ensure requested 
data is provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and 
financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly 
understood, and the impact of collection requirements can be properly 
assessed.
    ETA's administrative procedures regulation, found at 20 CFR 601, 
sets out the collection of information requirements. Sections 601.2 
requires states to submit copies of their unemployment compensation 
(UC) laws for approval by the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) so that 
the Secretary may determine the status of state laws and plans of 
operation. Section 601.3 requires states to ``submit all relevant state 
materials such as statutes, executive and administrative orders, legal 
opinions, rules, regulations, interpretations, court decisions, etc.''
    These materials are used by the Secretary to determine whether the 
state law contains provisions required by Section 3304(a) of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986. DOL provides grants to states to fund 
the administration of their employment security laws if their UC laws 
and their plans of operation for public employment offices meet 
required conditions of Federal laws. The information transmitted by 
Form MA 8-7 is used by the Secretary to make findings (as specified in 
the above cited Federal laws) required for certification to the 
Secretary of the Treasury for payment to states or for certification of 
the state law for purposes of providing additional tax credits to 
employers in states with UC laws conforming to Federal law. If this 
information is not available, the Secretary cannot make such 
certifications. To facilitate transmittal of required material, DOL 
prescribes the use of Form MA 8-7, Transmittal for Unemployment 
Insurance Materials. This simple check-off form is used by the states 
to identify material being transmitted to the National Office and 
allows the material to be routed to appropriate staff for prompt 
action. 20 CFR 601.2 and 601.3 authorize this information collection.
    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 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.
    Interested parties are encouraged to provide comments to the 
contact shown in the ADDRESSES section. Comments must be written to 
receive consideration, and they will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval of the final ICR. In order to help ensure 
appropriate consideration, comments should mention OMB control number 
1205-0222.
    Submitted comments will also be a matter of public record for this 
ICR and posted on the internet, without redaction. DOL encourages 
commenters not to include personally identifiable information, 
confidential business data, or other sensitive statements/information 
in any comments.
    DOL 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-ETA.
    Type of Review: Revisions.
    Title of Collection: Transmittal for Unemployment Insurance 
Materials.
    Form: MA 8-7.
    OMB Control Number: 1205-0222.
    Affected Public: State Workforce Agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
    Frequency: Varies.
    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 301.
    Estimated Average Time per Response: 0.25 hour.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 75 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Cost Burden: $0.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A).

Molly E. Conway,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.
[FR Doc. 2018-28224 Filed 12-27-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-FW-P