[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 238 (Wednesday, December 11, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67759-67760]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26657]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Petition for Classifying Labor Surplus Areas

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, ``Petition for Classifying Labor Surplus Areas.'' 
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 10, 2020.

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 by 
contacting Donald Haughton by telephone at 202-693-2784, 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 Workforce Investment, 200 
Constitution Avenue NW, Room C-4510, Washington DC, 20210; by email: 
[email protected]; or by Fax 202-693-3015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donald Haughton by telephone at 202-
693-2784 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOL, as part of continuing efforts to reduce 
paperwork and respondent burden, 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 can be 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.
    Under Executive Orders 12073 and 10582, and 20 CFR parts 651 and 
654, the Secretary of Labor is required to classify Labor Surplus Areas 
(LSAs) and disseminate this information for the use of all Federal 
agencies. This information is used by Federal agencies for various 
purposes including procurement decisions, waiver decisions for the 
Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, certain small business 
loan decisions, as well as other purposes determined by the agencies. 
The LSA list is issued annually, effective October 1 of each year, 
utilizing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Areas meeting the 
criteria are classified as LSAs.
    Department regulations specify that the Department can add other 
areas to the annual LSA listing under the exceptional circumstance 
criteria. Such additions are based on information contained in 
petitions submitted by the state workforce agencies (SWAs) to ETA. 
These petitions contain specific economic information about an area to 
provide ample justification for adding the area to the LSA listing 
under the exceptional circumstances criteria. The

[[Page 67760]]

petitions submitted by the SWAs concern various aspects of unemployment 
and the economic condition for a specific area in order to provide 
justification for adding the area to the LSA list under the exceptional 
circumstances criteria. Under these criteria, an area may be determined 
eligible for classification as a LSA if it is experiencing a high rate 
of unemployment which is not temporary or seasonal and which was not 
adequately reflected in the unemployment data for the two-year 
reference period. Instructions designed to assist SWAs in the 
preparation of such petitions are currently contained on the ETA 
website: http://www.doleta.gov/programs/lsa.cfm.
    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 Classifying Labor 
Surplus Areas (LSA), OMB control number 1205-0207.
    Submitted comments will also be a matter of public record for this 
ICR and posted on the internet, without redaction. The DOL encourages 
commenters not to include personally identifiable information, 
confidential business data, or other sensitive statements/information 
in any comments.
    The 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: Petition for Classifying Labor Surplus Areas.
    Form: N/A.
    OMB Control Number: 1205-0207.
    Affected Public: State Workforce Agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 3.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 3.
    Estimated Average Time per Response: 3 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 9 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Cost Burden: $0.

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

John Pallasch,
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training.
[FR Doc. 2019-26657 Filed 12-10-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P