[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 119 (Thursday, June 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51906-51908]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-13438]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of Workers' Compensation Programs


Proposed Revision of Information Collection; FECA Medical Report 
Forms, Claim for Compensation, OMB Control No. 1240-0046

AGENCY: Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, Division of Federal 
Employees' Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation, (OWCP/DFELHWC) 
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

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understood; and the impact of collection requirements on respondents 
can be properly assessed. Currently, the Office of Workers' 
Compensation Programs, Division of Federal Employees' Longshore and 
Harbor Workers' Compensation, (OWCP/DFELHWC) is soliciting comments on 
the information collection for FECA Medical Report Forms, Claim for 
Compensation, Authorization for Examination And/Or Treatment, CA-16.

DATES: All comments must be received on or before August 19, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comment as follows. Please note that late, 
untimely filed comments will not be considered.
    Electronic Submissions: Submit electronic comments in the following 
way:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments for WCPO-2024-0014. 
Comments submitted electronically, including attachments, to https://www.regulations.gov will be posted to the docket, with no changes. 
Because your comment will be made public, you are responsible for 
ensuring that your comment does not include any confidential 
information that you or a third party may not wish to be posted, such 
as your or anyone else's Social Security number or confidential 
business information.
     If your comment includes confidential information that you 
do not wish to be made available to the public, submit the comment as a 
written/paper submission.
    Written/Paper Submissions: Submit written/paper submissions in the 
following way:
     Mail/Hand Delivery: Mail or visit DOL--OWCP/DFELHWC, 
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, Division of Federal 
Employees' Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation, U.S. Department 
of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Room S-3323, Washington, DC 20210.
     OWCP/DFELHWC 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 Federal Employees' Longshore, and 
Harbor Workers' Compensation, OWCP/DFELHWC, at 
[email protected]@dol.gov (email); (202) 354-9660.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Office of Worker's Compensation Programs (OWCP) administers the 
Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA), which provides for 
continuation of pay or compensation for work related injuries or 
disease from federal employment. 5 U.S.C. 8149, Congress gives the 
Secretary of Labor authority to prescribe the rules and regulations 
necessary for the administration and enforcement of the FECA.
    The relevant statutory provision allowing for an individual to make 
a claim for compensation benefits is found at 5 U.S.C. 8102, 
Compensation for disability or death of employee, and reads as follows:
    (a) The United States shall pay compensation as specified by this 
subchapter for the disability or death of an employee resulting from 
personal injury sustained while in the performance of his duty, unless 
the injury or death is--
    (1) caused by willful misconduct of the employee;
    (2) caused by the employee's intention to bring about the injury or 
death of himself or of another; or
    (3) proximately caused by the intoxication of the injured employee.
    (b) Disability or death from a war-risk hazard or during or as a 
result of capture, detention, or other restraint by a hostile force or 
individual, suffered by an employee who is employed outside the 
continental United States or in Alaska or in the areas and 
installations in the Republic of Panama made available to the United 
States pursuant to the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 and related 
agreements (as described in section 3(a) of the Panama Canal Act of 
1979), is deemed to have resulted from personal injury sustained while 
in the performance of his duty, whether or not the employee was engaged 
in the course of employment when the disability or disability resulting 
in death occurred or when he was taken by the hostile force or 
individual. This subsection does not apply to an individual--
    (1) whose residence is at or in the vicinity of the place of his 
employment and who was not living there solely because of the 
exigencies of his employment, unless he was injured or taken while 
engaged in the course of his employment; or
    (2) who is a prisoner of war or a protected individual under the 
Geneva Conventions of 1949 and is detained or utilized by the United 
States.
    The relevant statutory provision 5 U.S.C. 8103, Medical services 
and initial medical and other benefits, which reads as follows:
    (a) The United States shall furnish to an employee who is injured 
while in the performance of duty, the services, appliances, and 
supplies prescribed or recommended by a qualified physician, which the 
Secretary of Labor considers likely to cure, give relief, reduce the 
degree or the period of disability, or aid in lessening the amount of 
the monthly compensation. These services, appliances, and supplies 
shall be furnished--
    (1) whether or not disability has arisen;
    (2) notwithstanding that the employee has accepted or is entitled 
to receive benefits under subchapter III of chapter 83 of this title or 
another retirement system for employees of the Government; and
    (3) by or on the order of United States medical officers and 
hospitals, or, at the employee's option, by or on the order of 
physicians and hospitals designated or approved by the Secretary. The 
employee may initially select a physician to provide medical services, 
appliances, and supplies, in accordance with such regulations and 
instructions as the Secretary considers necessary, and may be furnished 
necessary and reasonable transportation and expenses incident to the 
securing of such services, appliances, and supplies. These expenses, 
when authorized or approved by the Secretary, shall be paid from the 
Employees' Compensation Fund.
    (b) The Secretary, under such limitations or conditions as he 
considers necessary, may authorize the employing agencies to provide 
for the initial furnishing of medical and other benefits under this 
section. The Secretary may certify vouchers for these expenses out of 
the Employees' Compensation Fund when the immediate superior of the 
employee certifies that the expense was incurred in respect to an 
injury which was accepted by the employing agency as probably 
compensable under this subchapter. The Secretary shall prescribe the 
form and content of the certificate.
    References: 5 U.S.C. 8102, 5 U.S. C. 8103, and 5 U.S.C. 8149. 20 
CFR 10.102, 20 CFR 10.211, 20 CFR 10.300, 20 CFR 10.314, 20 CFR. 314, 
and 20 CFR. 10.506.
    See: https://www.dol.gov/owcp/dfec/regs/statutes/feca.htm#).
    See: eCFR: 20 CFR part 10--Claims for Compensation Under the 
Federal Employees' Compensation Act, as Amended

II. Desired Focus of Comments

    OWCP/DFELHWC is soliciting comments concerning the proposed

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information collection related to the FECA Medical Report Forms, Claim 
for Compensation, Authorization for Examination And/Or Treatment, CA-
16. OWCP/DFELHWC 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/DFELHWC'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/DFELHWC 
located at 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Room S-3323, 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 FECA Medical Report 
Forms, Authorization for Examination And/Or Treatment, CA-16. OWCP/
DFELHWC has updated the data with respect to the number of respondents, 
responses, burden hours, and burden costs supporting this information 
collection request from the previous information collection request.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Agency: Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, Division of 
Federal Employees' Longshore, and Harbor Workers' Compensation, OWCP/
DFELHWC.
    OMB Number: 1240-0046.
    Affected Public: Private Sector--Business or other For-profits.
    Number of Respondents: 248,981.
    Frequency: On Occasion.
    Number of Responses: 248,981.
    Annual Burden Hours: 22,824 hours.
    Annual Respondent or Recordkeeper Cost: $186,736.00.
    OWCP/DFELHWC 1240-0046: OWCP/DFELHWC FECA Medical Report Forms, 
Authorization for Examination and/or Treatment.
    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. 2024-13438 Filed 6-18-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-CH-P