[Federal Register: July 7, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 129)]
[Notices]
[Page 40301-40302]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07jy03-120]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Proposed Collection; Comment Request
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program 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 Employment and Training Administration is soliciting
comments concerning the proposed revision collection of the ETA-9109,
Trade Adjustment Assistance Petition Form and its Spanish translation,
ETA-9109a, Formulario de Solicitud Ayuda Ajuste Comercial and the
associated forms--ETA-9110,Company Endorsement Form for Primary Workers
(CEFP); ETA-9111, Company Endorsement Form for Secondary Workers
(CEPS); ETA-9112, Customer Questionnaire (CQ); ETA-9113, Supporting
Company Request (SCOR); ETA-9114, Supporting Customer Request (SCUR),
and ETA-9115, Bid Questionnaire (BQ).
A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be
obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addressee section
of this notice.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the
addressee section below on or before September 5, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Erin L. FitzGerald, Program Analyst, Division of Trade
Adjustment Assistance, Room C-5311, 200 Constitution Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20210. Phone (202) 693-3506 (this is not a toll-free
number), fax (202) 693-3584, e-mail Fitzgerald.Erin@dol.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Reform Act of 2002 (Public
Law 107-210) amends the Trade Act of 1974 and consolidates two
previously authorized worker adjustment assistance programs, Trade
Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and North American Free Trade Agreement-
Transitional Adjustment Assistance (NAFTA-TAA) into one TAA program
effective November 4, 2002. Section 221(a) of Title II, Chapter 2 of
the Trade Act of 1974, as amended by the TAA Reform Act of 2002,
authorizes the Secretary of Labor and the Governor of each state to
accept petitions for certification of eligibility to apply for
adjustment assistance. The petitions may be filed by a group of
workers, their certified or recognized union or duly authorized
representative, employers of such workers, and one-stop operators or
one-stop partners. The ETA Form 9109, Trade Adjustment Assistance
Petition Form, and ETA-9109a, its Spanish translation, Formulario de
Solicitud Ayuda Ajuste Comercial, establish a format that may be used
for filing such petitions. The petition form revises and eliminates ETA
Form 9042a and its Spanish translation. The Company Endorsement Form
eliminates the need for the ETA-9043A, Confidential Data Request form.
The Customer and Bid Questionnaires eliminate the need for the ETA-
8562a, Customer Survey.
The collection of information is currently being revised to meet
the specifications outlined in the legislation of the TAA Reform Act of
2002. While the premise of data collection for the purpose of
certification of trade affected workers has remained the same, the
specific statutes have altered the type and degree of data collected.
The information obtained by the use of the Company Endorsement
Form, and Customer Questionnaire is used by the investigative workgroup
of the Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance (DTAA). The findings
present an objective set of facts to the Director of the DTAA, other
Employment and Training Administration (ETA) officials and the
Secretary of Labor with which to make timely decisions regarding
whether imports or shift of production of products like or directly
competitive with those produced by the petitioning workers' firm
contributed importantly to its sales, production, and employment
declines, and in turn, determine whether the petitioning workers meet
the statutory criteria for eligibility to apply for TAA.
The TAA Reform Act of 2002 makes provisions for additional types of
worker groups who are eligible for benefits. This requires additional
forms and revisions to questions to determine whether the applicants
can be certified. To this extent the DTAA has created the Company
Endorsement Form for Secondary Workers for workers who are applying for
Secondary Worker assistance as outlined in the TAA Reform Act of 2002.
The DTAA is streamlining the petition process to decrease the time
burden on the petitioner. The streamlining of these forms was necessary
in order to allow the U.S. Department of Labor to meet the statutory 40
day timeframe for determination on all petitions. An Internet based
option for filing petitions will also be available. The petition form
and its associated forms had to be altered to allow for petitioners to
submit only the information necessary for certification. The forms will
remove the need for the majority of petitioners to supply additional
supporting data beyond the completed form. In addition, the new
legislation authorizes, and the petition form reflects, a consolidation
of the TAA program and NAFTA-TAA program, eliminating duplicitous data
requests from the petitioner.
The DTAA will implement a data validation procedure to be used to
confirm information obtained in the Company Endorsement Form, and
Customer and Bid Questionnaires. The sample, conducted randomly, will
be based upon ten percent of all petitions filed to ensure compliance
with the regulatory and statutory requirements set forth in the TAA
Reform Act of 2002.
The Supporting Company Request and the Supporting Customer Request
forms will be used to perform the data
[[Page 40302]]
validation. This will reduce the overall burden for all respondents.
Consequently, ninety percent of companies and customers will submit a
significantly reduced Company Endorsement Form, and Customer and Bid
Questionnaires.
II. Review Focus
The Department of Labor is particularly interested in comments
which:
* evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
* evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
* enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
* minimize the burden of the collection of information 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
submissions of responses.
III. Current Actions
This is a notice to seek OMB approval of previously approved forms
that have been revised to comply with the TAA Reform Act of 2002. Forms
previously approved by OMB under control numbers 1205-0342, 1205-0339,
and 1205-0190 were allowed to expire 9/30/03. The institution of the
ETA-9109, Trade Adjustment Assistance Petition Form; ETA-9109a,
Formulario de Solicitud Ayuda Ajuste Comercial, ETA-9110, Company
Endorsement Form for Primary Workers (CEFP); ETA-9111, Company
Endorsement Form for Secondary Workers (CEFS); ETA-9112, Customer
Questionnaire (CQ); ETA-9113, Supporting Company Request (SCOR); ETA-
9114, Supporting Customer Request (SCUR); and ETA-9115, Bid
Questionnaire (BQ) provides a format for collecting information
necessary for the Department to comply with the requirement that it
accept petitions for Trade Adjustment Assistance and issue
determinations of eligibility in response to those petitions.
Type of Review: New.
Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
Title: Trade Adjustment Assistance Petition Forms.
OMB Number: 1205-0NEW.
Affected Public: Individuals or Households, Businesses or other
for-profit/Farms/Federal, State, Local or Tribal Government.
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Total Total Average time per Burden
Cite/Reference respondents Frequency responses response (hours)
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ETA 9109 Petition/ETA 9109a 4,100 Occasion......... 4,100 35 minutes....... 2,392
Spanish Petition.
ETA-9110/Company Endorsement 2,870 Occasion......... 2,870 30 minutes....... 1,435
Form for Primary Workers
(CEFP).
ETA 9111/Company Endorsement 1,230 Occasion......... 1,230 20 minutes....... 410
Form for Secondary Workers
(CEFS).
ETA 9112/Customer Questionnaire 9,840 Occasion......... 9,840 15 minutes....... 2,460
(CQ)/ETA 9115/Bid
Questionnaire (BQ).
ETA 9113/Supporting Company 410 Occasion......... 410 1 hour........... 410
Request (SCOR).
ETA 9114/Supporting Customer 984 Occasion......... 984 1 hour........... 984
Request (SCUR).
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Totals................... 19,434 ................. 19,434 ................. 8,091
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Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.
Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $0.
Comments submitted in response to this comment request will be
summarized and/or included in the request for Office of Management and
Budget approval of the information collection request; they will also
become a matter of public record.
Dated: June 30, 2003.
Timothy F. Sullivan,
Director, Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance.
[FR Doc. 03-17055 Filed 7-3-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-P