Department of Labor October 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 Standards Administration is soliciting comments concerning the proposed collection: Davis-Bacon and Related Act/Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act Reporting RequirementsRegulations, 29 CFR Part 5. A copy of the proposed information collection request can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addresses section of this Notice.

The Department of Labor (the Department), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA 95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the reporting burden on the public and the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. Currently, the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is soliciting comments on a proposed extension of the current approval of information collection provisions in the regulation pertaining to summary plan description requirements under ERISA. A copy of the information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the individual shown in the Addresses section of this notice.

The Department of Labor (the Department), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA 95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the reporting burden on the public and the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. Currently, the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is soliciting comments on a proposed extension of the current approval of information collection provisions incorporated in the regulation pertaining to employee benefit plan claims procedures under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). A copy of the information collection request (ICR) may be obtained by contacting the office listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.

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 extension of the collection of the ETA 9048, Worker Profiling and Reemployment Services Activity, and the ETA 9049, Worker Profiling and Reemployment Services Outcomes. A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the ADDRESSES section of this notice or by accessing: https://www.doleta.gov/OMBCN/ OMBControlNumber.cfm.

This document contains a final exemption that amends PTE 95-31 (60 FR 18619, April 12, 1995), an exemption granted to the Fund and the Thrift Plan. PTE 95-31 involves the provision of certain services, and the receipt of compensation for such services, by Pentegra Services, Inc. (Pentegra), a wholly-owned, for-profit subsidiary corporation of the Fund. These transactions are described in a notice of pendancy that was published in the Federal Register on July 3, 2002 (67 FR 44643).

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is reopening the comment period to the proposed rule amending the criteria and procedures for proposed assessment of civil penalties. The proposed rule was published on September 8, 2006.

On August 6, 2002, President Bush signed into law the Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act of 2002 (the Reform Act), which amended the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (Act or Trade Act). The Reform Act reauthorized the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program through fiscal year 2007 and made significant amendments to the TAA program, including the addition of Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance for Older Workers (Alternative TAA or ATAA). These amendments generally took effect on November 4, 2002, and required that the Department establish the ATAA program ``[n]ot later than one year after the date of the enactment of the [Reform Act]''. The Department is implementing the TAA amendments, including the introduction of ATAA, through three separate rulemakings. This proposed rule implements the ATAA program, a demonstration project for older workers. On August 25, 2006, the Department published a proposed rule governing the payment of TAA and the provision of related employment services. The Department will publish a third proposed rule governing TAA and ATAA certifications of worker groups adversely affected by trade.

On September 15, 2004, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a new fire protection final rule for shipyards that incorporated by reference 19 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. Ten of those NFPA standards had been updated by NFPA since the fire protection rule was proposed and an additional NFPA standard has been updated since the final rule was published. In today's Federal Register, OSHA is publishing a direct final rule (DFR) replacing the references to the 11 older NFPA standards in OSHA's fire protection standard for shipyards with their most recent versions. If OSHA does not receive significant adverse comment on the DFR, the updated versions of the NFPA standards will replace their older versions in OSHA's fire protection standard for shipyards on the effective date stated in the DFR. If significant adverse comment on the updated versions is received, OSHA will withdraw the DFR and proceed with rulemaking on this proposed rule. However, if significant adverse comments are received regarding certain provisions included in the DFR, but not others, OSHA may finalize those changes that did not receive significant adverse comment, and conduct further rulemaking under the proposed rule for the changes that did receive significant adverse comment. A subsequent Federal Register document will be published to announce OSHA's action.