[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 155 (Monday, August 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65672-65673]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17852]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Disability Employment Policy Office

[OMB Control No. 1230-0NEW]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, 
and Approvals

AGENCY: Office of Disability Employment Policy, United States 
Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for public 
comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Disability Employment 
Policy is soliciting comments regarding this ODEP-sponsored information 
collection for the Research Support Services for Employment of Young 
Adults on the Autism Spectrum [REYAAS] Project. As part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, DOL 
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.

DATES: Comments pertaining to this information collection are due on or 
before October 11, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 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 online instructions for submitting comments. 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-ODEP, 200 
Constitution Ave. NW, Room S-5315, Washington, DC 20210. Before 
visiting DOL-ODEP in person, call 202-693-7840 to make an appointment, 
in keeping with the Department of Labor's COVID-19 policy. Special 
health precautions may be required.
     DOL-ODEP 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: David Rosenblum by telephone at 202-
693-7840 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Recent estimates suggest that there are more than one million young 
adults (ages 16 through 28) on the autism spectrum in the U.S. who 
offer myriad strengths to potential employers yet face unique 
challenges in attaining and maintaining employment. The mix of 
challenges facing young adults on the autism spectrum during the 
transition to adulthood and employment vary. About 1 in 3 also have an 
intellectual disability (Maenner et al. 2020; U.S. Department of Health 
and Human Services (DHHS) 2017), and prevalence estimates of minimally 
and nonverbal status across studies converge at around 30 percent 
(Tager-Flusberg and Kasari 2013). People on the spectrum also have high 
rates of co-occurring medical and mental health conditions, including 
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and depression 
(Kerns et al. 2020). An additional challenge for young adults on the 
spectrum is that many will need various kinds of support from multiple 
providers and across different systems of care, and they can face 
increasing difficulty meeting their complex service needs as they 
transition to adult service systems (Foster and Gifford 2005; Shattuck 
et al. 2011). These factors can combine to make it challenging for 
youth on the autism spectrum to attain and maintain employment.
    Public policy increasingly acknowledges the importance of 
addressing the employment-related challenges facing young adults on the 
autism spectrum. The most recent federal Autism Collaboration, 
Accountability, Research, Education and Support (CARES) Act of 2019

[[Page 65673]]

emphasized that funding should increase for research on factors 
associated with better young adult outcomes. In 2021, Congress 
requested that research be conducted on improving employment outcomes 
for this population.
    To better understand the employment experiences and outcomes of 
young adults on the autism spectrum, this study will conduct two data 
collection activities. First, the study team will conduct a large-scale 
survey of autistic young adults ages 16 to 28, which will be one of the 
first large-scale data collections of employment outcomes for this 
population (Musse et al., 2022). Second, the study team will conduct 
follow-up qualitative telephone or web interviews with a subset of 
survey respondents. This study will provide insightful data on the 
employment experiences of young adults on the autism spectrum, which 
policymakers and the autism community can use to inform program and 
policy changes that support the well-being of autistic people.
    This information collection is subject to the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (PRA). A Federal agency generally cannot conduct or sponsor a 
collection of information, and the public is generally not required to 
respond to an information collection, unless the OMB approves it and 
displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. In addition, 
notwithstanding any other provisions of law, no person shall generally 
be subject to penalty for failing to comply with a collection of 
information that does not display a valid OMB Control Number. See 5 CFR 
1320.5(a) and 1320.6. The DOL seeks PRA authorization for this 
information collection for three (3) years. OMB authorization for an 
Information Collection Review cannot be for more than three (3) years 
without renewal.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

    DOL is soliciting comments concerning the proposed information 
collection related to Research Support Services for Employment of Young 
Adults on the Autism Spectrum [REYAAS] Project. DOL 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 DOL'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 located at 200 
Constitution Ave. NW, Room S-5315, Washington, DC 20210. Questions 
about the information collection requirements may be directed to the 
person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this 
notice.

III. Current Actions

    This information collection request concerns the Research Support 
Services for Employment of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum [REYAAS] 
Project. DOL-ODEP has included the number of respondents, responses, 
burden hours, and burden costs supporting this information collection 
request below.
    Type of Review: New collection.
    Agency: DOL-ODEP.
    OMB Number: 1230-0NEW.
    Affected Public: Individuals and public.
    Number of Respondents: 3,030 (3,000 for survey, 30 for interviews).
    Frequency: Once per respondent.
    Number of Responses: 3,030.
    Annual Burden Hours: 1,015 hours.
    Estimated Time per Response: 20 minutes per survey, 30 minutes per 
interview.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $0.

                            Estimated Hours of Burden to Participant Data Collection
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                                                                                   Average time
                              Study                                  Number of    per respondent    Total time
                                                                    respondents      (minutes)    burden (hours)
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Year 1--Survey..................................................           3,000              20           1,000
Year 1--Interviews..............................................              30              30              15
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    One-year total..............................................           3,030  ..............           1,015
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    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A).
    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.

Taryn Tyler,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Disability Employment Policy, Certifying 
Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-17852 Filed 8-9-24; 8:45 am]
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