Department of Labor March 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Maritime Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (MACOSH) was established to advise the Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA on issues relating to occupational safety and health in the maritime industries. The purpose of this Federal Register notice is to announce the MACOSH meeting scheduled for March 2009.

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. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed reinstatement of the ``Veterans Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS),'' to be conducted in August 2009. A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the individual listed below in the Addresses section of this notice.

Announcement regarding states triggering ``on'' to the Second- Tier of Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08). Public Law 110-449 created a Second-Tier of benefits for qualified unemployed workers claiming benefits in high unemployment states. The Department of Labor produces a trigger notice indicating which states qualify for the Second-Tier of EUC08 benefits and provides the beginning and ending dates of the Second-Tier period for each qualifying state. The trigger notice covering state eligibility for the Second-Tier of the EUC08 program can be found at: https:// ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/claimsarch.asp. A new trigger notice is posted at this location each week that the program is in effect. Beginning February 15, 2009, the following states are in a high unemployment period, resulting in their triggering ``on'' to the Second-Tier of the EUC08 program: Montana and Vermont.

This notice announces a change in benefit period eligibility under the EB program for Pennsylvania. The following change has occurred since the publication of the last notice regarding the State's EB status: Pennsylvania's 13-week insured unemployment rate (IUR) for the week ending January 31, 2009, rose to 5.04 percent and exceeds 120 percent of the corresponding average rate in the two prior years. Therefore, beginning the week of February 15, 2009, eligible unemployed workers will be able to collect up to an additional 13 weeks of UI benefits.

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden conducts a pre-clearance 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 Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is soliciting comments concerning the extension of the information collection related to the 30 CFR Sections 56.3203(a), 57.3203(a), and 75.204(a); Safety Standards for Roof Bolts in Metal and Nonmetal Mines and Underground Coal Mines.