[Federal Register: November 3, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 212)]
[Notices]
[Page 66860-66861]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03no05-79]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Public
Comment and Recommendations; Foreign Labor Certification Quarterly
Activity Report
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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)(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
[[Page 66861]]
Administration, Office of National Programs is soliciting comments
concerning the proposed collection of information on the Foreign Labor
Certification Quarterly Activity Report from the State Workforce
Agencies. 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's section below on or before January 3, 2006.
ADDRESSES: John R. Beverly, Administrator, Office of National Programs,
U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Room
C-4312, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, phone:
(202) 693-3010 (this is not a toll-free number); fax: (202) 693-2768;
e-mail: ETAperforms@dol.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory Wilson, Program Analyst,
Division of Foreign Labor Certification, U.S. Department of Labor,
Employment & Training Administration, Room C-4312, 200 Constitution
Avenue, NW., Room C-4312, Washington, DC 20210; phone: (202) 693-3010
(this is not a toll-free number); fax: (202) 693-2768; e-mail:
ETAperforms@dol.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Foreign labor certification programs administered by the Employment
and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor (DOL or
Department) require State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) to initially
process applications for temporary labor certifications (H-2A and H-2B)
filed by U.S. employers on behalf of foreign workers seeking to be
employed in the U.S. SWAs are also responsible for issuing prevailing
wage determinations, reviewing employer-provided wage surveys or other
source data, conducting housing inspections of facilities offered to
migrant and seasonal workers, and conducting and monitoring recruitment
activities seeking qualified U.S. workers for the temporary jobs
employers are attempting to fill with foreign workers. The SWAs perform
these functions under a reimbursable grant that is awarded annually.
The information pertaining to these functions is proposed to be
collected on the Form ETA 9127 and will be used by Departmental staff
to manage foreign (alien) labor certification programs in the SWAs. The
Department will use the data collected to: (1) Monitor the number of
temporary applications that are received, processed, and forwarded to
the national processing centers; (2) determine the number of prevailing
wage determinations issued to employers under the permanent and
temporary labor certification programs, as well as the H-1B program for
nonimmigrant professionals in specialty occupations; and (3) track the
number of agricultural prevailing wage and practice surveys conducted,
housing inspections made, and job orders filed. The information on
workload will be used for formulating budget estimates for both state
and Federal workloads, and for monitoring a state's performance against
the grant statement of work and work plan. Without such information,
the budget workload figures will be estimates and the allocation of
funding to the SWAs will not reflect the true workload in a state.
II. Review Focus
Currently, the Department is soliciting comments concerning the
proposed collection of information on the Foreign Labor Certification
Quarterly Activity Report.
The Department is particularly interested in comments which:
Evaluate whether the proposed information collection 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 collections
techniques or other forms of information, e.g., permitting electronic
submissions of responses.
A copy of the proposed ICR can be obtained by contacting the office
listed above in the addressee section of this notice.
III. Current Actions
In order for the Department to meet its statutory responsibilities
under the Immigration and Nationality Act, there is a need for a new
collection of information pertaining to the SWAs changing role in the
program. There is an increase in burden due to a change in the
frequency of the report.
Type of Review: Proposed information request.
Agency: Employment and Training Administration, Labor.
Title: Foreign Labor Certification Quarterly Activity Report OMB
Number: 1205-XXXX (new).
Affected Public: State, local, or tribal governments.
Form: ETA 9127.
Total Respondents: 54 State Workforce Agencies.
Frequency of Response: Quarterly.
Total Responses: 216.
Average Burden Hours Per Response: 2 hours.
Estimate Total Annual Burden Hours: 432.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget
approval of the ICR; they will also become a matter of public record.
Dated: October 18, 2005.
Emily Stover DeRocco,
Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training Administration.
[FR Doc. E5-6097 Filed 11-2-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-P