[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 14, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11320-11321]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02995]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of Workers' Compensation Programs

[OMB Control No. 1240-0NEW]


Proposed Information Collection; Claim for Consequential Illness 
Benefits Under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation 
Program Act (EE-1A)

AGENCY: Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation, 
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (DEEOIC), Labor.

ACTION: Request for public comments.

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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 
request for comment to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed collections of information 
in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This request 
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. 
Currently, the OWCP/DEEOIC is soliciting comments on the information 
collection for Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation 
Program Act Form (EE-1A). The form is required to determine a 
claimant's eligibility for compensation and medical benefits under the 
Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act and is 
required to enable eligible claimants to receive benefits.

DATES: All comments must be received on or before April 15, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comment as follows. Please note that late, 
untimely filed comments will not be considered. Written/Paper 
Submissions: Submit written/paper submissions in the following way:
     Mail/Hand Delivery: Mail or visit DOL-OWCP/DEEOIC, Office 
of Workers' Compensation Programs, Division of Energy Employees 
Occupational Illness Compensation, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 
Constitution Ave. NW, Room C-3510, Washington, DC 20210.
     Email: Send comments on this collection by email to 
[email protected] and mention Form EE-1A in the subject line.
     Please use only one method of transmission for comments. 
OWCP/DEEOIC will post your comment as well as any attachments, except 
for information submitted and marked as confidential, in the docket at 
https://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anjanette Suggs, Office of Workers' 
Compensation Programs, Division of Energy Employees Occupational 
Illness Compensation, OWCP/DEEOIC, [email protected]; (202) 354-
9660 (voice).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) is the primary 
agency responsible for administration of the Energy Employees 
Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000, as amended 
(EEOICPA), 42 U.S.C. 7384 et seq. EEOICPA provides for the payment of 
compensation to covered employees and, where applicable, survivors of 
deceased employees, who sustained either an ``occupational illness'' or 
a ``covered illness'' in the performance of duty for the Department of 
Energy and certain of its contractors and subcontractors. Following 
acceptance of an occupational illness or a covered illness, claimants 
can file for ``consequential illnesses.''
    A consequential illness is a newly diagnosed medical condition that 
a physician links to a previously accepted work-related illness. 
Currently, OWCP does not have a specific form that claimants can 
utilize to file a claim for consequential illnesses. The absence of a 
specific form to file claims for consequential illnesses has made it 
difficult for stakeholders to submit these types of claims and/or 
understand the

[[Page 11321]]

process. The use of a standardized form, along with instructions, will 
provide claimants with a more precise filing mechanism. In addition, 
OWCP will be able to differentiate claims more easily for consequential 
illnesses from other claim types, increase the accuracy of claim 
tracking, and improve consequential illness claim adjudication 
timeliness. The collection of this information is authorized by 20 CFR 
30.100, 30.103, 30.505 and 30.620.
    The information collection in this Information Collection Request 
collects demographic, factual and medical information that OWCP needs 
to process claims for consequential illnesses. The collection in this 
ICR and the purpose is listed below. The associated regulatory 
authority for this ICR is listed above.
    EE-1A--Claim for Consequential Illness Benefits Under the Energy 
Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act will be used to 
initiate claims for consequential illnesses under the Act. It requests 
information about the employee/claimant, the specific medical diagnoses 
that they claim as consequential illness(es), and previous awards or 
settlements received in connection with the claimed consequential 
illnesses.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

    OWCP is soliciting comments concerning the proposed information 
collection titled, ``Claim for Consequential Illness Benefits, EE-1A. 
OWCP/DEEOIC is particularly interested in comments that:
     Evaluate whether the collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, 
including whether the information has practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of OWCP/DEEOIC's estimate of the 
burden related to the information collection, including the validity of 
the methodology and assumptions used in the estimate;
     Suggest methods to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the information collection 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.
    Background documents related to this information collection request 
are available at https://regulations.gov and at DOL-OWCP/DEEOIC located 
at 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Room C-3510, Washington, DC 20210. 
Questions about the information collection requirements may be directed 
to the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION section of this 
notice.

III. Current Actions

    This information collection request concerns Energy Employees 
Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act Form EE-1A, Claim for 
Consequential Illness Benefits. OWCP/DEEOIC has estimated the data with 
respect to the number of respondents, responses, burden hours, and 
burden costs supporting this information collection request from the 
current claim statistics derived from OWCP/DEEOIC's case management 
system.
    Type of Review: New collection.
    Agency: Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, Division of 
Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation, OWCP/DEEOIC.
    OMB Number: 1240-0NEW.
    Affected Public: Individuals and Households.
    Number of Respondents: 2,425.
    Frequency: On Occasion.
    Number of Responses: 4,850.
    Annual Burden Hours: 810 hours.
    Annual Respondent or Recordkeeper Cost: $1,120.35.
    OWCP/DEEOIC Form EE-1A, Claim for Consequential Illness Benefits.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized in 
the request for Office of Management and Budget approval of the 
proposed information collection request; they will become a matter of 
public record and will be available at https://www.reginfo.gov.

Anjanette Suggs,
Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-02995 Filed 2-13-24; 8:45 am]
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