Department of Labor September 16, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to assure 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 for 30 CFR 75.1915/72.503, 72.510, 72.520 and Part 7 or Part 36 as a result of Sec. 72.500.

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 [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to assure 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 for Slope and Shaft Sinking Plans, 30 CFR 77.1900.

The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), intends to award, through a competitive and merit-based process, two or more cooperative agreements to organizations to implement projects to combat exploitative child labor by promoting educational and training opportunities for target children and sustainable livelihoods for their households. In FY 2010, ILAB received Congressional authority to fund subgrants and microfinance activities. ILAB intends to obligate up to $9.5 million for a child labor elimination project(s) in Egypt and up to $4 million for a child labor elimination project(s) in Jordan. Projects to be funded under these solicitations will need to address the following five goals: 1. Reducing exploitative child labor, especially the worst forms through the provision of direct educational services and by addressing root causes of child labor, including innovative strategies to promote sustainable livelihoods of target households; 2. Strengthening policies on child labor, education, and sustainable livelihoods, and the capacity of national institutions to combat child labor, address its root causes, and promote formal, nonformal and vocational education opportunities to provide children with alternatives to child labor; 3. Raising awareness of exploitative and hazardous child labor and its root causes, and the importance of education for all children and mobilizing a wide array of actors to improve and expand education infrastructures; 4. Supporting research, evaluation, and the collection of reliable data on child labor, its root causes, and effective strategies, including educational and vocational alternatives, microfinance and other income generating activities to improve household income; and 5. Ensuring the long-term sustainability of these efforts. ILAB intends to solicit cooperative agreement applications from qualified organizations (i.e., any commercial, international, educational, or non-profit organization, including any faith-based, community-based, or public international organization(s), capable of successfully developing and implementing child labor projects) to implement these projects. Please refer to https://www.dol.gov/ILAB/ grants/main.htm for examples of previous notices of availability of funds and solicitations for cooperative agreement applications (SGAs). Key Dates: The forthcoming SGAs will be published on https:// www.grants.gov and USDOL/ILAB's Web site. A brief synopsis of the SGA(s), which will include Web site links to the full text solicitation(s), will be published in the Federal Register. The SGA(s) will remain open for at least 45 days from the date of publication. All cooperative agreement awards will be made on or before December 31, 2010. Submission Information: Applications in response to the forthcoming SGAs may be submitted electronically via https://www.grants.gov or hard copy by mail. Hard copy applications must be delivered to: U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement Services Center, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room S-4307, Washington, DC 20210, Attention: Georgiette Nkpa. Any application sent by other delivery methods, including e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX) will not be accepted.

Pursuant to section 10 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92 463; 5 U.S.C. APP. 1), notice is hereby given to announce the renewal of the ACA, the new membership appointments, and an open meeting being held on October 27-28, 2010. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) hereby announces the renewal of the ACA and that membership appointments have been made to fill committee vacancies. The ACA is an advisory board, authorized by 29 U.S.C. 50a, which permits the Secretary of Labor to appoint a national advisory committee to serve without compensation, and complies with the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C., App.). The ACA will provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Labor on a variety of matters facing the National Registered Apprenticeship System. The ACA membership is comprised of individuals that represent labor unions, employers, and members of the public. All members were appointed in July 2010, for two-year terms expiring in July 2012. Pursuant to the ACA Charter, the National Association of State and Territorial Apprenticeship Directors (NASTAD) and the National Association of Governmental Labor Officials (NAGLO) are both represented by their current Presidents on the public group of the ACA. The Secretary has appointed Ms. Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, Chief Executive Officer from Green for All as the Chairperson of the ACA.

This document contains exemptions issued by the Department of Labor (the Department) from certain of the prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA or the Act) and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code). A notice was published in the Federal Register of the pendency before the Department of a proposal to grant such exemption. The notice set forth a summary of facts and representations contained in the application for exemption and referred interested persons to the application for a complete statement of the facts and representations. The application has been available for public inspection at the Department in Washington, DC. The notice also invited interested persons to submit comments on the requested exemption to the Department. In addition, the notice stated that any interested person might submit a written request that a public hearing be held (where appropriate). The applicant has represented that it has complied with the requirements of the notification to interested persons. No requests for a hearing were received by the Department. Public comments were received by the Department as described in the granted exemption. The notice of proposed exemption was issued and the exemption is being granted solely by the Department because, effective December 31, 1978, section 102 of Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1978, 5 U.S.C. App. 1 (1996), transferred the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to issue exemptions of the type proposed to the Secretary of Labor.