Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Benefit Accuracy Measurement Program, 79935 [2015-32249]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
• Office of the Secretary

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 246 (Wednesday, December 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 79935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32249]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Benefit Accuracy Measurement Program

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employment and 
Training Administration (ETA) sponsored information collection request 
(ICR) titled, ``Benefit Accuracy Measurement Program,'' to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued 
use, without change, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. Public comments on the ICR are 
invited.

DATES: The OMB will consider all written comments that agency receives 
on or before January 22, 2016.

ADDRESSES: A copy of this ICR with applicable supporting documentation; 
including a description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency 
of response, and estimated total burden may be obtained free of charge 
from the RegInfo.gov Web site at https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=201508-1205-001 (this link will only become active 
on the day following publication of this notice) or by contacting 
Michel Smyth by telephone at 202-693-4129, TTY 202-693-8064, (these are 
not toll-free numbers) or by email at DOL_PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov.
    Submit comments about this request by mail or courier to the Office 
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for DOL-
ETA, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20503; by Fax: 202-395-5806 (this is not a toll-free 
number); or by email: OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov. Commenters are 
encouraged, but not required, to send a courtesy copy of any comments 
by mail or courier to the U.S. Department of Labor-OASAM, Office of the 
Chief Information Officer, Attn: Departmental Information Compliance 
Management Program, Room N1301, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20210; or by email: DOL_PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Seleda Perryman by telephone 
at 202-693-4131, TTY 202-693-8064, (these are not toll-free numbers) or 
by email at DOL_PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov.

    Authority:  44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This ICR seeks to extend PRA authority for 
the Benefit Accuracy Measurement (BAM) Program information collection, 
which is one of the tools the DOL uses to measure and reduce waste, 
fraud, and abuse for the Unemployment Insurance (UI) program. The BAM 
program provides reliable estimates of the accuracy of benefit payments 
and denied claims in the UI program, and identifies the sources of 
improper payments and denials so their causes can be eliminated. The 
BAM program consists of two comprehensive reviews: Paid Claims Accuracy 
(PCA) and Denied Claims Accuracy (DCA). States conduct intensive audits 
of statewide random samples of UI payments and denials to determine 
their accuracy. The DOL provides State Workforce Agencies with software 
to edit the sampling frame files and to select the weekly PCA and DCA 
samples. The Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010 
authorizes this information collection. See 31 U.S.C. 3321.
    This information collection is subject to the 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 it is approved by the OMB under the PRA 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 Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 
1320.6. The DOL obtains OMB approval for this information collection 
under Control Number 1205-0245.
    OMB authorization for an ICR cannot be for more than three (3) 
years without renewal, and the current approval for this collection is 
scheduled to expire on December 31, 2015. The DOL seeks to extend PRA 
authorization for this information collection for three (3) more years, 
without any change to existing requirements. The DOL notes that 
existing information collection requirements submitted to the OMB 
receive a month-to-month extension while they undergo review. For 
additional substantive information about this ICR, see the related 
notice published in the Federal Register on May 14, 2015 (80 FR 27705).
    Interested parties are encouraged to send comments to the OMB, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the address shown in 
the ADDRESSES section within thirty (30) days of publication of this 
notice in the Federal Register. In order to help ensure appropriate 
consideration, comments should mention OMB Control Number 1205-0245. 
The OMB is particularly interested in comments that:
     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 submission of responses.
    Agency: DOL-ETA.
    Title of Collection: Benefit Accuracy Measurement Program.
    OMB Control Number: 1205-0245.
    Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments; Individuals 
or Households; and Private Sector--businesses or other for-profits, 
farms, and not-for-profit institutions.
    Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 172,204.
    Total Estimated Number of Responses: 343,304.
    Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 293,468 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $0.

    Dated: December 17, 2015.
Michel Smyth,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-32249 Filed 12-22-15; 8:45 am]
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