[Federal Register: February 14, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 31)]
[Notices]
[Page 7613-7614]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14fe03-139]
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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
[[Page 7614]]
Employment and Training Administration is soliciting comments
concerning the proposed extension of data collections using the ETA
Form 9042a, Petition for Trade Adjustment Assistance (1205-0342,
expires 3/31/2003) and its Spanish translation ETA 9042a-1 (1205-0342,
expires 3/31/2003); ETA 9043a, Business Confidential Data Request
(1205-0339, expires 3/31/2003); and ETA 8562a, Customer Survey (1205-
0190 expires 3/31/2003) To meet the Terms of Clearance assigned by OMB
on October 9, 2002, these collections of information will be
consolidated into one reporting requirement and approved under OMB
approval number 1205-0342. ETA will not be seeking approval of the
original ETA 9043, 8562 and 9042 used for the Trade Act Program as in
effect prior to November 4, 2002, only the new forms associated with
the Trade Act of 2002 will be extended. The consolidation of these
reporting requirements along with the elimination of the ETA 9043, 8562
and 9042 forms will result in a burden decrease of 11,451 hours.
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 April 15, 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 efitzgerald@doleta.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Trade Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-210) amends the Trade Act of
1974 and consolidated 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 Trade 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, one-stop
operators or one-stop partners. ETA Form 9042a, Petition for Trade
Adjustment Assistance, and its Spanish translation, ETA Form 9042a-1,
Solicitud De Asistencia Para Ajuste, establish a format that may be
used for filing such petitions.
Sections 222, 223 and 249 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended,
require the Secretary of Labor to issue a determination for groups of
workers as to their eligibility to apply for Trade Adjustment
Assistance (TAA). After reviewing all of the information obtained for
each petition for trade adjustment assistance filed with the
Department, a determination is issued as to whether the statutory
criteria for certification are met. The information collected in ETA
Form 9043a, Business Confidential Data Request, and ETA Form 8562a,
Customer Survey, will be used by the Secretary to specifically
determine to what extent, if any, increased imports or shift in
production have impacted the petitioning worker group.
II. Review Focus
The Department of Labor is particularly interested in comments
which:
[sbull] 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;
[sbull] 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;
[sbull] Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
[sbull] 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 revise and consolidate collections of
information currently approved by OMB under control numbers 1205-0342,
1205-0339, and 1205-0190 all expiring 3/31/03. The extension of the ETA
9042a, ETA 9042a-1, ETA 9043a, and ETA 8562a 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: Revision.
Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
Title: Investigative Data Collection Requirements for the Trade Act
of 1974 as amended by the Trade Act of 2002.
OMB Number: 1205-0342.
Affected Public: Individuals or Households, Businesses.
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Total Total
Cite/reference respondents/ Average time reference
responses per response burden
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ETA 9042A & ETA 9042A-1......................................... 4,100 \1\ 20 1,367
ETA 9043A....................................................... 4,100 \2\ 3.5 14,350
ETA 8562A....................................................... 6,560 \2\ 1.78 11,677
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Totals...................................................... .............. .............. 27,394
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\1\ Minutes. \2\ Hours.
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: February 10, 2003.
Edward A. Tomchick,
Director, Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance.
[FR Doc. 03-3670 Filed 2-13-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-P