[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 32 (Thursday, February 15, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 11788-11789]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03187]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

20 CFR Part 656

[Docket No. ETA-2023-0006]
RIN 1205-AC16


Labor Certification for Permanent Employment of Foreign Workers 
in the United States; Modernizing Schedule A To Include Consideration 
of Additional Occupations in Science, Technology, Engineering, and 
Mathematics (STEM) and Non-STEM Occupations

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Labor.

ACTION: Request for information; extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: On December 21, 2023, ETA published a Request for Information 
(RFI), titled ``Labor Certification for Permanent Employment of Foreign 
Workers in the United States; Modernizing Schedule A To Include 
Consideration of Additional Occupations in Science, Technology, 
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Non-STEM Occupations.'' The 
period for submitting public comments is being extended to May 13, 
2024, to allow stakeholders additional time to comment.

DATES: The comment period for the RFI published in the Federal Register 
on December 21, 2023 (88 FR 88290), is extended. Submit comments to the 
RFI and other information by May 13, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments electronically by the 
following method:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions on the website for submitting comments.
     Instructions: Include the docket number ETA-2023-0006 in 
your comments. All comments received will be posted without change to 
https://www.regulations.gov. Please do not include any personally 
identifiable or confidential business information you do not want 
publicly disclosed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Pasternak, Administrator, Office 
of Foreign Labor Certification, Employment and Training Administration, 
Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, N-5311, Washington, DC 
20210; Telephone (202) 513-7350 (this is not a toll-free number). For 
persons with a hearing or speech disability who need assistance to use 
the telephone system, please dial 711 to access telecommunications 
relay services.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 21, 2023, ETA published an RFI 
titled, ``Labor Certification for Permanent Employment of Foreign 
Workers in the United States; Modernizing Schedule A To Include 
Consideration of Additional Occupations in Science, Technology, 
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Non-STEM Occupations.'' 88 FR 
88290. In the RFI, ETA invited public comment on ``evaluating the 
utility of expanding Schedule A to include STEM occupations, the 
Department invites the public to provide input on the appropriate data 
sources and methods for determining whether labor shortages exist, 
whether Schedule A should be used to alleviate any labor shortages in 
STEM occupations should it be determined from these data sources and 
methods that such shortages exist, and if so, how the Department could 
establish a reliable, objective, and transparent methodology for 
identifying STEM occupations that are experiencing labor shortages.'' 
The RFI further invited the public to answer a number of questions in 
their responses that would assist ETA in making this evaluation.
    The public comment period for this RFI was to conclude on February 
20, 2024, 60 days after publication of the RFI. To date, ETA has 
received a very limited number of comments, many of which do not 
provide the information requested or address the questions raised in 
the RFI. In addition, ETA received a request from a stakeholder for an 
extension of the public comment period (Document ID ETA-2023-0006-
0035). ETA agrees to an extension of the public comment period and 
believes that an extension until May 13, 2024, is sufficient and 
appropriate to balance the

[[Page 11789]]

agency's need for timely and robust input and to satisfy the 
stakeholder's request. Accordingly, the comment period for this RFI is 
being extended and will now conclude on May 13, 2024.

Brent Parton,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, 
Labor.
[FR Doc. 2024-03187 Filed 2-14-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FP-P