[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 202 (Friday, October 22, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58696-58698]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-23028]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Veterans' Employment and Training Service


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request: VETS' 
Jobs for Veterans State Grants Program Reporting

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: VETS is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the 
proposed revision of certain information the agency collects from grant 
recipients. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal 
agencies are required to publish a notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information and to allow 60 days 
for public comment in response to the notice.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all written comments received by 
December 21, 2021.

ADDRESSES: A copy of this Information Collection Request (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 Rebekah Haydin by 
telephone at (240) 867-2302 (this is not a toll-free number) or by 
email at [email protected].
    Submit written comments about this ICR by email to: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rebekah Haydin, by telephone at (240) 
867-2302 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Labor, 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 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.
    The Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service 
(VETS) administers funds for the Jobs for Veterans State Grant (JVSG) 
to each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the 
U.S. Virgin Islands on an annual fiscal year basis. These non-
competitive, formula-driven grants are codified under Title 38, United 
States Code, (38 U.S.C.) Section 4102A(b)(5):
    ``Subject to subsection (c) make available for use in each state by 
grant or contract such funds as may be necessary to support--(A) 
disabled veterans' outreach program specialists appointed under section 
4103A(a)(1) of this title, (B) local veterans' employment 
representatives assigned under section 4104(b) of this title, and (C) 
the reasonable expenses of such specialists and representatives 
described in subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, for training, 
travel, supplies, and other business expenses . . .''
    VETS provides funds to states in accordance with an allocation 
formula required by 38 U.S.C. 4102A(c)(2)(B) and as published in 
regulation at Title 20, Part 1001, Subpart F of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR). The Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and 
Training monitors and supervises the distribution and use of those 
funds as required by 38 U.S.C. 4102A(b)(6). Additionally, and in 
accordance with 38 U.S.C. 4107(b), the Secretary reviews performance 
and provides an annual report to Congress that includes a 
characterization of the quality and character of priority of services 
provided to veterans (38 U.S.C. 4215 and 20 CFR 1010.320, 1010.330), 
efforts to coordinate with the Veterans Administration in accordance 
with 38 U.S.C. 4102A(b)(3) and 4109; and incentive fund usage as 
described in 38 U.S.C. 4112.
    VETS is requesting continued approval for the information 
collection that streamlines the annual funding request process for 
grantees, reports the use of grantee funds in sufficient detail to 
allow interim adjustments that ensure all appropriated funding is 
expended properly, and provides data needed for VETS' Annual Report to 
Congress.
    The forms and reports collect required programmatic and financial 
data from states and territories requesting and obligating grant funds. 
The continued use of standardized formats for collecting this 
information helps to ensure that requested data is provided in a 
uniform way, reporting burdens are minimized, the impact of collection 
requirements on respondents are properly assessed, collection 
instruments are clearly understood by respondents, and the information 
is easily consolidated for posting in accordance with statutory 
requirements.
    VETS is proposing the following revisions to the forms:
     Add activity to budget for and report on management and

[[Page 58697]]

administrative costs. Currently, grant recipients have no appropriate 
way to reflect the direct-charged salaries and benefits of staff 
supported by the grant other than Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program 
(DVOP), Local Veterans' Employment Representative (LVER), and 
consolidated DVOP/LVER staff. By adding an ``Mgmt & Admin Costs'' 
activity to the VETS-401 Budget Information Summary, VETS-402 
Expenditure Detail Report, and VETS-403 Technical Performance 
Narrative, grantees will be able to easily budget for and report on 
these expenses.
     Remove several reporting requirements. On the VETS-501 
Staffing Directory, VETS proposes removing the requirement to enter 
each staff position's office name and number, email address, intensive 
service coordinator designation, and program manager designation. VETS 
no longer needs that information. On the VETS-403 Technical Performance 
Narrative, VETS proposes removing the requirement to submit a Q5 
spending plan since there are no special rules for spending JVSG 
funding in the fifth quarter (or in later quarters) as opposed to the 
first four quarters. All expenditures must be made in accordance with 
the terms and conditions of the grant, regardless of the quarter in 
which the expenditure occurred.
     Remove the subform allowing for reporting on the cash 
basis of accounting. VETS has historically allowed recipients to report 
financial expenditures using either the cash basis of accounting (on 
the VETS-402A) or the accrual basis of accounting (on the VETS-402B). 
To align with 2 CFR 2900.14 as well as to accommodate certain 
programmatic changes, VETS has determined that JVSG recipients must 
report using the accrual basis of accounting. The VETS-402A subform 
that accommodates the cash basis will be discontinued. The VETS-402B 
subform will simply be referred to as the VETS-402 form since there 
will be no subforms.
     Reorganize the VETS-401 Budget Information Summary for 
clarity. VETS proposes to remove certain parts of Section B into a new 
section of the form, which will become Section D. The removed 
components include the number of full-time equivalents to be supported 
by each activity's allocation and the automatically-calculated salary 
and benefits to total expense ratio and cost per position. The 
reorganization will also include transposing Section C's rows and 
columns so that it is easier for users to compare entries with Section 
B. Certain row header names will be adjusted for clarity (e.g., 
changing ``PS+PB/Total ratio'' to ``Salaries + Benefits/Total 
Percentage'') and for alignment with the SF-425 object class categories 
(e.g., changing ``Personnel Benefits'' to ``Fringe Benefits''). Where 
appropriate, the renaming described on the VETS-401 will also be 
reflected on the VETS-402 and VETS-403.
     Formatting and structural changes to make forms compliant 
with Section 508 accessibility requirements. VETS is committed to 
ensuring the forms can be read by accessibility software to the 
greatest possible extent. Some changes to the format and appearance of 
the forms will be made for this purpose.
    VETS continues to require the submittal of a quarterly manager's 
report in accordance with 38 U.S. Code 4104(f) and Veterans' Program 
Letter 07-19, but the required information may be submitted in any 
format.
    With respect to the continuation of the approved collection of 
information, VETS is particularly interested in comments on these 
topics:
    (1) Whether the continued collection of information is necessary 
for the proper performance and oversight of the Jobs for Veterans State 
Grant, including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (2) The accuracy of the VETS' estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information;
    (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (4) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
respondents, including through the use of automated collection 
techniques, when appropriate, and other forms of information 
technology.
    This information collection is subject to the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (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 the OMB approves it 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.
    The DOL seeks PRA authorization for this information collection for 
three (3) years. OMB authorization for an Information Collection Review 
cannot be for more than three (3) years without renewal. The DOL notes 
that currently approved information collection requirements submitted 
to the OMB receive a month-to-month extension while they undergo 
review.
    Agency: DOL-VETS.
    Type of Review: Revision.
    Title of Collection: VETS' Jobs for Veterans State Grant Program 
Reporting.
    Forms:
    1. VETS-401, JVSG Budget Information Summary;
    2. VETS-402, JVSG Expenditure Detail Report (EDR);
    3. VETS-403, JVSG Technical Performance Narrative (TPN);
    4. VETS-501, JVSG Staffing Directory.
    OMB Control Number: 1293-0009.
    Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 54.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 3,402.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 6,062.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Cost Burden: $0.

                                          Estimated Annual Burden Hours
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                                                                                  Average burden
    Type of instrument (form/        Number of       Number of     Total number      time per        Estimated
            activity)               respondents    responses per   of responses      response      burden hours
                                                    respondent                        (hours)
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VETS-401 Budget.................              54               1              54             1.5              81
VETS-402 EDR....................              54           \1\ 6             324               2             648
VETS-403 TPN....................              54               4             216               2             432
VETS-501 Staffing...............              54               1              54             1.5              81
Managers Report \2\.............              54              51           2,754            1.75           4,819
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[[Page 58698]]

 
    Unduplicated Total..........              54             118           3,402               9           6,062
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\1\ The VETS-402 EDR is a workbook that is updated on a quarterly basis until all funds are expended or the
  period of performance has ended. On average, grantees need six quarters to expend each year's funding.
\2\ Managers Reports are submitted by a number of respondents and requires a time commitment that is determined
  largely by grantees' discretion. Values on this row reflect actual estimates rather than VETS requirements.

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

    Signed in Washington.
James Rodriguez,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Veterans' Employment and Training Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-23028 Filed 10-21-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-79-P