[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 141 (Tuesday, July 25, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47918-47920]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-15668]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Veterans' Employment and Training Service


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995. This program helps to ensure that 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 on respondents can be 
properly assessed. The Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) 
is soliciting comments concerning the proposed revision of the 
Competitive Grant Program Reporting information collection. A copy of 
the proposed information collection request can be obtained by 
contacting the individual listed below in the ADDRESSES section of this 
notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
Addresses section of this notice on or before September 25, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments to Kate McCord, Management and Program 
Analyst, DOL-VETS via email at [email protected], subject line ``2023 HVRP 
1293-0014 ICR Comment.'' Written comments also may be transmitted by 
email to [email protected], identified by OMB Control Number 1293-
0014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kate McCord, Management and Program 
Analyst, DOL-VETS, at (503) 806-4241 (this is not a toll-free number) 
or by email at [email protected], subject line ``2023 HVRP 1293-0014 ICR 
Information.''

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Department of Labor's VETS administers funds for the Homeless 
Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP) grant on an annual basis. These 
competitive grants are codified under 38 U.S.C. 2021, 2021A, and 2023. 
VETS provides funds to grantees through annual Funding Opportunity 
Announcements and incremental funding throughout the grant's three-year 
(12 quarters) period of performance. The total number of grantees 
varies from year to year based on the amount of available funds, 
awarded in grants up to $500,000 each year or up to $1.5 million in 
total.
    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. 2021(b) and 38 U.S.C. 2021A. Additionally, and in 
accordance with 38 U.S.C. 2021(e), the Secretary reviews performance 
and provides an annual report to Congress on the program, including an 
evaluation of the services furnished to veterans and an analysis of the 
information we have collected.
    The forms and reports collect required programmatic and financial 
data from applicants and grantees. 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

[[Page 47919]]

instruments are clearly understood by respondents, and the information 
is easily consolidated for posting in accordance with statutory 
requirements.

II. Current Action

    VETS is requesting approval for a revision of the Competitive Grant 
Program Reporting information collection. An Emergency OMB Clearance 
approved the collection of six (6) new questions in the VETS-701 
Technical Performance Report (TPR) for through October 31, 2023. These 
questions were added to comply with 38 U.S.C. 2021 (as amended by 
Public Law 117-328 on December 23, 2022), which requires grant 
recipients to collect the period of military service, employment 
history, and housing status from participants enrolled in the program. 
Continued collection of this information ensures all veterans served by 
HVRP grant recipients are represented in the data aggregation and 
analysis used to assess the effectiveness of grant programs and submit 
reports to Congress.
     VETS-701 Technical Performance Report: On the Participant 
Info tab, VETS proposes to add one question that identifies the era 
that best represents when the participant served in the Armed Forces. 
VETS proposes to add two questions that record the participant's 
housing situation at enrollment and at program exit. VETS proposes to 
add three questions that capture the participant's employment history 
at enrollment, specifically: the number of weeks (0 to 26) the 
participant was unemployed within the past six months, the living wage 
(hourly rate) of the participant's service delivery county, and the 
number of weeks (0 to 26) the participant was earning an hourly wage 
below the living wage for the participant's service delivery county 
within the past six months. VETS also proposes to add five of the six 
new questions to the optional new enrollment completion tool embedded 
within the TPR form (New Enrollment Entry tab). Housing status at exit 
is omitted as that question cannot be answered at the time of 
participant enrollment.
    There are no proposed changes to the other five forms in this 
information collection: VETS-700 Planned Goals Chart, VETS-702 
Technical Performance Narrative (TPN), VETS-703 Stand Down After Action 
Report (SDAAR), VETS-704 Abstract, or VETS-705 Chart of Past 
Performance.

III. Desired Focus of Comments

    VETS is particularly interested in comments that:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the program, 
including whether the information will have practical utility.
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimates of the 
burden and cost of the collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used.
     Enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the 
information collection.
     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, e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.

IV. Estimated Burden

    The Department's estimated burden total for the collection with the 
proposed changes are shown in the chart below. Overall, the proposed 
changes have increased the burden by 174 hours, from 11,006 to 11,180. 
The burden hour increase is limited to the VETS-701 TPR form, which 
increased from 7,404 hours to 7,578 hours. There is no change to the 
number of respondents or the frequency of responses per respondent. 
There are no proposed changes to the VETS-700, VETS-702, VETS-703, 
VETS-704, or VETS-705.

                                          Estimated Annual Burden Hours
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                                                                                          Average
                                                               Number of                burden time   Estimated
                      Form                          Total      responses      Total         per         burden
                                                 respondents      per       responses     response      hours
                                                               respondent                 (hours)
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VETS-700 Planned Goals (Applicants)............          147            1          147          1.0          147
VETS-701 TPR (Quarters 1-4; Year 1 Grantees)...           57            4          228        14.25        3,249
VETS-701 TPR (Quarters 1-4; Year 2 and Year 3            117            4          468         7.25        3,393
 Grantees).....................................
VETS-701 TPR (Quarters 5-8; Year 1 Grantees)...            0            0            0            0            0
VETS-701 TPR (Quarters 5-8; Year 2 and Year 3            117            4          468          2.0          936
 Grantees).....................................
VETS-702 TPN (Quarters 1-4; All Grantees Years           174            4          700          4.0        2,784
 1-3)..........................................
VETS-702 TPN (Quarters 5-8; Year 2 and Year 3            117            4          468          1.0          468
 Grantees).....................................
VETS-703 SDARR.................................           35            1           35         0.75           26
VETS-704 Abstract (Applicants).................          147            1          116          1.0          116
VETS-705 Past Performance Chart(Applicants)....           59            1           59          0.5           26
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    Totals.....................................          970          N/A        2,716          N/A       11,180
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    The DOL seeks PRA authorization for this information collection for 
three (3) years.
    Agency: DOL-VETS.
    Type of Review: Revision.
    Title of Collection: VETS' Competitive Grant Program Reporting.
    OMB Control Number: 1293-0014.
    Affected Public: State, local, and Tribal governments; Private 
sector--businesses or other for-profits and not-for-profit 
institutions.
    Forms:
    1. VETS-700, Competitive Grants (CG) Planned Goals Chart;
    2. VETS-701, CG Technical Performance Report (TPR);
    3. VETS-702, CG Technical Performance Narrative (TPN);
    4. VETS-703, Stand Down After Action Report (SDAAR);
    5. VETS-704, Abstract and;
    6. VETS-705, Past Performance Chart.

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

    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the

[[Page 47920]]

information collection request; they also will become a matter of 
public record.

James D. Rodriguez,
Assistant Secretary, Veterans' Employment and Training Service, U.S. 
Department of Labor.
[FR Doc. 2023-15668 Filed 7-24-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-79-P