[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 13, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9141-9142]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04576]



[[Page 9141]]

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

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Unemployment Insurance (UI) Data Validation (DV)

ACTION: Notice.

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

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, ``Unemployment Insurance (UI) Data Validation 
(DV).'' 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 
May 13, 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, may be obtained for free by 
contacting Rachel Beistel by telephone at 202-693-2736 (this is not a 
toll-free number), TTY 1-877-889-5627 (this is not a toll-free number), 
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-4519, 
200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210, by email: 
[email protected], or by Fax 202-693-3975.

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.
    Section 303(a)(6) of the Social Security Act specifies that the 
Secretary of Labor will not certify State UI programs to receive 
administrative grants unless the State's law includes provisions for 
``making of such reports . . . as the Secretary of Labor may from time 
to time require, and compliance with such provisions as the Secretary 
may from time to time find necessary to assure the correctness and 
verification of such reports.'' DOL considers DV to be one of those 
``provisions . . . necessary to assure the correctness and 
verification'' of the reports submitted by states.
    The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) requires 
Federal agencies to develop annual and strategic performance plans that 
establish performance goals, have concrete indicators of the extent 
that goals are achieved, and set performance targets. Each year, the 
agency is to issue a report that ``evaluate[s] the performance plan for 
the current fiscal year relative to the performance achieved toward the 
performance goals in the fiscal year covered by the report.'' DOL 
emphasizes the importance of complete and accurate information for 
program monitoring and improving program performance `` . . . as a 
framework for agencies to communicate progress in achieving their 
missions.'' (OMB Circular A-11, Section 15.5).
    The UI DV program employs a refined and automated approach to 
review 363 elements reported on 15 UI Benefits reports and one UI Tax 
report. DOL uses many of these elements for key performance measures 
and for workload analysis.
    The validation process assesses the accuracy of the counts of 
transactions. Guided by a detailed handbook, the state UI agency first 
constructs extract files containing all pertinent individual 
transactions for the desired report period to be validated. These 
transactions are grouped into 16 UI Benefits and five UI Tax 
populations. Each transaction record contains the necessary 
characteristics or dimensions that enable it to be summed into an 
independent recount of what the state has already reported. DOL 
provides state agencies with software that edits the extract file (to 
identify and remove duplicate transactions and improperly built 
records, for example), then aggregates the transactions to produce an 
independent reconstruction or ``validation count'' of the reported 
figure. The reported count is considered valid by this ``quantity'' 
validation test if it is within plus or minus two percent of the 
validation count (plus or minus one percent for a GPRA-related 
element).
    The software also draws samples of most transaction types from the 
extract files. Guided by a state-specific handbook, the validators 
review these sample records against documentation in the state's 
management information system to determine whether the transactions in 
the extract file are supported by system documentation. This 
qualitative check determines whether the state management information 
system accurately reflects data elements of UI transactions. The UI 
Benefits extract files are considered to pass this ``quality'' review 
if random samples indicate that no more than five percent of the 
records contain errors. The UI Tax extract files are subjected to 
different ``quality'' tests. An extract file of a population is 
considered valid only if the reported count differs from the 
reconstructed (validation) count by no more than the appropriate 
criterion of plus or minus two percent or plus or minus one percent, 
and the samples of transactions have satisfied all quality tests.
    For Federal fiscal years 2011 and beyond, all states are required 
to conduct a complete validation every three years. In the following 
three cases, the three-year rule does not apply, and a re-validation 
must occur within one year: (1) Groups of reported counts that are 
summed for purposes of making a Pass/Fail determination and do not pass 
validation by being within plus or minus two percent of the 
reconstructed counts or the extract file does not pass all quality 
tests; (2) the validation applies to the two UI Benefits populations 
and one UI Tax population used for GPRA measures; and (3) reports are 
produced by new reporting software following a state's information 
technology modernization effort. Every year, states must also certify 
that Module 3, the state specific validation manual of the UI Benefits 
and UI Tax information systems, are up to date. Section 303(a)(6) of 
the Social Security Act authorizes 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 OMB 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

[[Page 9142]]

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 1205-0431.
    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: Extension without changes.
    Title of Collection: Unemployment Insurance (UI) Data Validation 
(DV).
    Form: ET Handbooks 361 and 411.
    OMB Control Number: 1205-0431.
    Affected Public: State Workforce Agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
    Frequency: Varies.
    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 265.
    Estimated Average Time per Response: 446 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 23,644 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Cost Burden: $1,181,018.

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

Molly E. Conway,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.
[FR Doc. 2019-04576 Filed 3-12-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-FW-P