[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 216 (Friday, November 12, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62846-62848]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-24713]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of Disability Employment Policy


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) 
Demonstration Projects and Evaluation

ACTION: Notice of information collections and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
DOL is soliciting public comments regarding this Office of Disability 
Employment Policy (ODEP) -sponsored information collection to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval.

DATES: Comments pertaining to this information collection are due on or 
before January 11, 2022.

[[Page 62847]]


ADDRESSES: Electronic submission: You may submit comments and 
attachments electronically at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
online instructions for submitting comments. Mail submission: 200 
Constitution Ave. NW, Room S-5315, Washington, DC 20210.
    Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the collection of information 
is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the DOL, 
including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) if 
the information will be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) the 
accuracy of the DOL's estimates of the burden and cost of the 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used; (4) ways to enhance the quality, utility and 
clarity of the information collection; and (5) ways to minimize the 
burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, 
including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Rosenblum by telephone at 202-
693-7840 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In FY 2018, the Department of Labor and the 
Social Security Administration launched a collaboration to develop and 
test promising stay-at-work/return-to-work (SAW/RTW) early intervention 
strategies and evaluate outcomes for individuals who are experiencing 
work disability.\1\ Each year, millions of American workers leave the 
workforce after experiencing an injury or illness, and hundreds of 
thousands of these workers go on to receive state or federal disability 
benefits. The socio-economic impacts of these injuries and illnesses on 
individuals, employers, and all levels of government can be significant 
and long-lasting. SAW/RTW programs succeed by returning injured workers 
to productive work as soon as medically possible by providing interim 
part-time or light duty work and accommodations, as necessary.
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    \1\ For the purposes of RETAIN, the term ``work disability'' is 
defined as an illness, injury, or medical condition that has the 
potential to inhibit or prevent continued employment or labor force 
participation, and ``federal disability benefits'' refers 
specifically to the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and 
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs. See https://www.ssa.gov/disability/ for more information on SSDI and SSI.
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    The RETAIN Demonstration Projects are modeled after promising 
programs currently operating in Washington State, including the Centers 
of Occupational Health and Education (COHE), the Early Return to Work 
(ERTW), and the Stay at Work programs. While these programs operate 
within the state's workers' compensation system and are available only 
to individuals experiencing work-related injuries or illnesses, the 
RETAIN Demonstration Projects provide opportunities to improve SAW/RTW 
outcomes for individuals with both occupational and non-occupational 
injuries and illnesses.
    The primary goals of the RETAIN Demonstration Projects are:
    1. To increase employment retention and labor force participation 
of individuals who acquire, and/or are at risk of developing, work 
disabilities; and
    2. To reduce long-term work disability among project participants, 
including the need for federal disability benefits (i.e., Social 
Security Disability Insurance [SSDI] and Supplemental Security Income 
[SSI]).
    During FY 2018, eight states received funding through cooperative 
agreements to create systems changes by developing and implementing 
partnerships and strategies to test the effects of the provision of 
comprehensive, coordinated health and employment-related services and 
supports to injured or ill workers who have acquired, or are at risk of 
developing, a work disability. In Phase 1, these grantees completed 
start-up activities and launched a small pilot. In FY 2021, five of 
these grantees (Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, and Vermont) were 
competitively awarded Phase 2 funding for a performance period of four 
years (2021-2024), enabling them to expand and scale up their pilot to 
full implementation.
    The purpose of the RETAIN employee participant information 
collection is to understand and assess RETAIN program start-up, pilot 
projects, and full implementation. Two baseline forms are required to 
be completed for each participant enrolling in RETAIN, whether in the 
treatment group or in the control group. The first form is completed by 
the enrollees themselves, while the second form is completed by a 
combination of the healthcare provider and Return-to-Work Coordinator, 
based on information provided by the enrollee. This information 
collection was approved by OMB in May 2019 with an expiration date of 
May 31, 2022. An extension is requested for another three years, to 
last through Phase 2 information collection activities.
    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-ODEP.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Title of Collection: Retaining Employment and Talent after Injury/
Illness Network (RETAIN) Demonstration Projects and Evaluation.
    OMB Control Number: 1230-0014.
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
    Total Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 5,213.
    Frequency: Once per respondent.
    Total Estimated Annual Number of Responses: 5,213.
    Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 1,738 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $0.


                  Estimated Hours of Burden Due to Baseline Enrollee Data Collection--Years 1-3
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                                                                     Number of
                             Awardee                                respondents    Hrs/response        Hours
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State 1.........................................................           4,000            0.33           1,333
State 2.........................................................           3,200            0.33           1,067
State 3.........................................................           3,200            0.33           1,067

[[Page 62848]]

 
State 4.........................................................           3,200            0.33           1,067
State 5.........................................................           2,040            0.33             680
Year 1, Total...................................................           5,213            0.33           1,738
Year 2, Total...................................................           5,213            0.33           1,738
Year 3, Total...................................................           5,213            0.33           1,738
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    Three-year Total............................................          15,640            0.33           5,213
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    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A).

    Dated: November 8, 2021.
Taryn Williams,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Disability Employment Policy.
[FR Doc. 2021-24713 Filed 11-10-21; 8:45 am]
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