[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 9, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1648-1649]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-119]



[[Page 1648]]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Proposed Collection for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Program; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Labor.

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)(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 consolidated Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) 
Program.
    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 or by accessing: http://www.doleta.gov/OMBCN/OMBControlNumber.cfm.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee's section below on or before March 10, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Employment and Training 
Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, 
Attention: Christine Ollis; Telephone number: 202-693-3937 (this is not 
a toll-free number). Fax: 202-693-3587. E-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Data on the consolidated WOTC Program will be collected by the 
State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) and provided to the Division of Adult 
Services, Office of Workforce Investment, Washington, DC, through the 
appropriate Department of Labor (DOL) regional offices via a quarterly 
management report. The data obtained from the administrative or 
processing forms will be used for WOTC national office program 
performance management and outcome reporting.

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 request for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)) to extend, with revisions, the collection of information 
and use of program materials for the consolidated WOTC Program. On May 
25, 2007 the President signed into law the Small Business and Work 
Opportunity Tax Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-28). Section 8211 of this Act 
extended and modified the WOTC Program for a continuing 44-month period 
through August 31, 2011. The new provisions & amendments to certain 
target groups apply to new hires that begin to work for an employer 
after May 25. Another recent legislation, the Tax Relief and Health 
Care Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-432) signed into law on December 20, 2006 
extended, retroactively, the WOTC for two additional years through 
December 31, 2007 and consolidated the program by merging the Welfare-
to-Work Tax Credit into the WOTC. Section 105 of this Act also made 
various amendments and introduced new provisions that streamline the 
program and make it easier for the business sector to participate. The 
statutory changes and new provisions required that the following 
program report, processing and administrative forms, and materials be 
revised and updated to reflect the new changes and provisions: (1) ETA 
Form 9058--Report 1; (2) ETA Forms 9057, 9059, 9061-9063, and 9065; (3) 
ETA Handbook 408, Fourth Edition, November 2007; and (4) the Technical 
Assistance and Compliance Review Guide.
    Further, the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) of 1998 
(Pub. L. 105-277) requires that, when feasible, Federal agencies design 
and implement the use of automated systems that facilitate the 
electronic signature and filing of forms (by participants) to conduct 
official business with the public by 2003. The Division of Adult 
Services, Office of Workforce Investment, complied with this 
requirement by successfully implementing an electronic reporting system 
for the tax credit program and the WOTC quarterly report. The automated 
reporting system is known as ETA's Enterprise Business Support System 
(EBSS) Tax Credit Reporting System (TCRS). The EBSS/TCRS is a Web-based 
system that allows states to meet the reporting responsibilities in a 
more efficient manner while reducing the reporting burden on the state, 
regional, and national levels. Through this system, states can manually 
enter or electronically upload the required quarterly data report, ETA 
Form 9058--Report 1.
    Type of Review: Revision of Currently Approved Collection.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title: Work Opportunity Tax Credit Program.
    OMB Number: 1205-0371.
    Estimated Time per Respondent:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      Total                                                           Average response    Annual burden
                  Requirement                      respondents                Frequency              Annual response    time in hours         hours
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                ................  ................................  ................  ................  ................
Form 9058--Report 1...........................                52  Quarterly.......................               208              1:00               208
Employer/Job-seeker Complete Form 9061........           990,000  On occasion.....................           990,000               .33           326,700

[[Page 1649]]

 
Form 9061 processed by SWAs...................                52  On occasion.....................           990,000               .33           326,700
Form 9062.....................................                52  On occasion.....................                40               .33                13
Form 9063.....................................                52  On occasion.....................           440,000               .33           145,200
Form 9065.....................................                52  Quarterly.......................               208              1:00               208
Record Keeping................................                52  Annually........................                52               931            48,412
Form 9057.....................................                52  Quarterly.......................               208              1.00               208
Form 9059.....................................                52  Quarterly.......................               208              1.00               208
Planning Guidance.............................                52  One Time........................                52              8:00               416
Modification Planning Guidance................                52  One Time........................                52              1:00                52
                                               ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................................           990,520  ................................         2,421,028  ................           848,325
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Total Burden Hours: 848,325.
    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: December 31, 2007.
Gay M. Gilbert,
Administrator, Office of Workforce Investment, Employment and Training 
Administration.
[FR Doc. E8-119 Filed 1-8-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P