[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 119 (Thursday, June 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51908-51909]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-13439]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of Workers' Compensation Programs


Proposed Revision of Information Collection; Peace Corps 
Volunteer Authorization for Examination and/or Treatment, CA-15 (OMB 
Control No. 1240-0059)

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 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 Peace 
Corps Volunteer Authorization for Examination and/or Treatment, CA-15.

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-2024-0013. 
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] 
(email); (202) 354-9660.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) administers the 
Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA), 5 U.S.C. 8101 et seq. The 
statute provides for the payment of benefits for wage loss and/or for 
permanent impairment to a scheduled member, arising out of a work-
related injury or disease. The Act outlines the elements of pay which 
are to be included in an individual's pay rate, and sets forth various 
other criteria for determining eligibility to and the amount of 
benefits, including: augmentation of basic compensation for individuals 
with qualifying dependents; a requirement to report any earnings during 
a period that compensation is claimed; a prohibition against concurrent 
receipt of FECA benefits and benefits from the Office of Personnel 
Management or certain Department of Veterans Affairs benefits; a 
mandate that money collected from a liable third party found 
responsible for

[[Page 51909]]

the injury for which compensation has been paid is applied to benefits 
paid or payable.
    A Peace Corps Volunteer who sustains an injury or contracts an 
illness overseas while in Peace Corps service may be entitled to 
benefits under the FECA. Peace Corps Volunteers are in the performance 
of duty while abroad during the period of Peace Corps service for 
purposes of FECA coverage. An injury sustained outside the United 
States during service is deemed proximately caused by such service, 
unless the injury or illness was proximately caused by willful 
misconduct, intention to bring about injury or death, or intoxication.
    The Sam Farr and Nick Castle Peace Corps Reform Act of 2018 (Farr-
Castle), regulates various aspects of the Peace Corps, including 
changes to the provision of health care to volunteers. The legislation 
is named in honor of former Peace Corps volunteers Sam Farr, a retired 
Democratic congressman, and Nick Castle, who lost his life at age 23 
while serving overseas in the Peace Corps in 2013.
    The Peace Corps was established on September 22, 1961, by Public 
Law 87-293, known as the ``Peace Corps Act.'' It authorizes the 
enrollment of qualified citizens and nationals of the United States as 
``volunteers'' and ``volunteer leaders'' for service abroad in 
interested countries and areas, to help the people of such countries 
and areas in meeting their needs for trained workers, and to help 
promote a better understanding of the American people on the part of 
the peoples served and a better understanding of other peoples on the 
part of the American people.
    Under the provisions of the FECA, 5 U.S.C. 8142 of the FECA 
provides that,
    (a) For the purpose of this section, ``volunteer'' means--
    (1) a volunteer enrolled in the Peace Corps under section 2504 of 
title 22;
    (2) a volunteer leader enrolled in the Peace Corps under section 
2505 of title 22; and
    (3) an applicant for enrollment as a volunteer or volunteer leader 
during a period of training under section 2507(a) of title 22 before 
enrollment.
    Entitlement to disability compensation payments does not commence 
until the day after the date of termination of service as a volunteer. 
5 U.S.C. 8142(b).
    Farr-Castle directs the Secretary of the Department of Labor to 
authorize the Director of the Peace Corps to furnish medical benefits 
to a volunteer, who is injured during the volunteer's period of 
service, for a period of 120 days following the termination of such 
service if the Director certifies that the volunteer's injury probably 
meets the requirements set forth in 5 U.S.C. 8142(c)(3). The Secretary 
may then certify vouchers for these expenses for such volunteers out of 
the Employees' Compensation Fund.
    OWCP and the Peace Corps collaborated on this form which authorizes 
medical treatment for recently terminated Peace Corps volunteers who 
require medical treatment for injuries/exposure sustained in the 
performance of their volunteer service. Issuance of this form will 
solely be at the discretion of the Peace Corps. This bridges the gap 
between the occurrence of an initial injury and/or disease exposure and 
the actual adjudication of a claim by OWCP by helping ensure that 
recently terminated volunteers receive prompt medical care, without 
delay, for a period of 120 days following separation from service.
    References:

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/owcp/FECA/regs/statutes/feca

    Sam Farr & Nick Castle Peace Corps Reform Act of 2018, Public Law 
115-256, 102, 132 Stat. 3650 (2018) (codified as amended at 5 U.S.C. 
8142).

https://www.congress.gov/115/plaws/publ256/PLAW-115publ256.pdf

II. Desired Focus of Comments

    OWCP/DFELHWC is soliciting comments concerning the proposed 
information collection related to the Peace Corps Volunteer 
Authorization for Examination and/or Treatment, CA-15.
    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 Peace Corps Volunteer 
Authorization for Examination and/or Treatment, CA-15. 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: 1240-0059.
    Affected Public: Private Sector--Businesses or other For-profits.
    Number of Respondents: 252.
    Frequency: On Occasion.
    Number of Responses: 252.
    Annual Burden Hours: 63 hours.
    Annual Respondent or Recordkeeper Cost: $179.00.
    OWCP/DFELHWC Forms: OWCP/DFELHWC Form CA-15, Peace Corps Volunteer 
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. 2024-13439 Filed 6-18-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-CH-P