Department of Labor January 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and 30 CFR Part 44 govern the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for modification. This notice is a summary of petitions for modification submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by the parties listed below to modify the application of existing mandatory safety standards codified in Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor (Department) issues this final rule to implement an additional indicator for volunteer work in the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). Specifically, this rule amends our regulations regarding Performance Accountability for title V of the Older Americans Act (OAA) and corresponding definitions. These regulations provide administrative and programmatic guidance and requirements for the implementation of the SCSEP.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) sponsored information collection request (ICR) proposal titled, ``Current Population Survey Disability Supplement,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend OMB's approval of the information collection requirements contained in the Asbestos in Construction Standard (29 CFR 1926.1101). The standard protects workers from adverse health effects from occupational exposure to asbestos, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis (an emphysema-like condition) and gastrointestinal cancer.

The U.S. Department of Labor's (Department) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is issuing this notice to announce the recruitment standards that construction contractors are required to follow when recruiting United States (U.S.) workers for Guam military base realignment projects funded through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2010.

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 collection of data about H-1B Technical Skills Training (H-1B) [SGA/DFA PY-10-13] and H-1B Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge (JIAC) [SGA/DFA PY-10-15] grant programs. 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.

This document contains notices of pendency before the Department of Labor (the Department) of proposed exemptions 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). This notice includes the following proposed exemptions: D-11655, Renaissance Technologies, Inc. (Renaissance or the Applicant); D-11677, Weyerhaeuser Company (Weyerhaeurser) and Federalway Asset Management LP (collectively the Applicants); and D-11680, Citigroup Inc. (Citigroup); et al.)

The Department of Labor (DOL or the Department), 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 (PRA) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to ensure that required 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 Department notes that a Federal agency cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it is approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the PRA and the related materials display a currently valid OMB control number. Also, notwithstanding any other provisions of law, no person shall be subject to penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if the related materials do not display a currently valid OMB control number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6. A copy of the proposed ICR can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addressee section of this notice.

Pursuant to section 10 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463; as amended 5 U.S.C., App. 2), notice is hereby given to announce an open meeting of the Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship (ACA) being held on February 2-3, 2012, in Washington, DC. The ACA, an advisory board to the Secretary of Labor, is a discretionary Committee established by the Secretary of Labor, in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended 5 U.S.C., App. 2, and its implementing regulations (41 CFR parts 101-6 and 102-3). All meetings of the ACA are open to the public. Time and Date: The meeting will begin at approximately 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, February 2, 2012, and continue until approximately 5 p.m. The meeting will reconvene on Friday, February 3, 2012, at approximately 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time and adjourn at approximately 12 noon. Address: The meeting location is the U.S. Department of Labor, Frances Perkins Building, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20210.

The Department of Labor (Department), 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 (PRA 95) [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, ETA is soliciting comments concerning the extension of data collection on its Guam Military Base Realignment Contractors Recruitment Standards, which expire April 30, 2012. This information collection follows an emergency review that was conducted in accordance with the PRA 95 and 5 CFR 1320.13. The submission for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) emergency review was approved on October 19, 2011. A copy of the proposed information collection request can be obtained either by: (1) Accessing the RegInfo.gov Web site at https:// www.reginfo.gov/public/do/ PRAViewDocument?refnbr= 201108-1205-007, or (2) by contacting the office listed below in the addresses section of this notice.

The Department of Labor (Department), 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 (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning LERS, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control No. 1205-0240), which facilitates performance reporting for the Wagner-Peyser Act funded public employment service activities through the ETA 9002 reports and for the Jobs for Veterans' State grants' activities through the Veterans' Employment and Training Services (VETS) 200 reports. The current expiration date is March 31, 2012. 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, 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 collection 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. 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: https://www.doleta.gov/OMBCN/ OMBControlNumber.cfm.

Announcement regarding Notice of a Change in Status of the payable period in the Emergency Unemployment Compensation 2008 (EUC08) program for Iowa and Oklahoma. Public law 112-78 extended provisions in Public Law 111-92 which amended prior laws to create a Third and Fourth Tier of benefits within the EUC08 program for qualified unemployed workers claiming benefits in high unemployment states. The Department of Labor produces a trigger notice indicating which states qualify for EUC08 benefits within Tiers Three and Four and provides the beginning and ending dates of payable periods for each qualifying state. The trigger notice covering state eligibility for the EUC08 program can be found at: https:// ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/claimsarch.asp. Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on December 20, 2011, the estimated three month average, seasonally adjusted total unemployment rate for Iowa fell to 5.9%, below the threshold to remain ``on'' in Tier 3 of the EUC08 program. As a result, the current maximum potential duration for claimants in Iowa in the EUC08 program will decrease from 47 weeks to 34 weeks. The week ending January 14, 2012 will be the last week in which EUC claimants in Iowa can exhaust Tier 2, and establish Tier 3 eligibility. Under the phase- out provisions, claimants can receive any remaining entitlement they have in Tier 3 after January 14, 2012. Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on December 20, 2011, the estimated three month average, seasonally adjusted total unemployment rate for Oklahoma rose to 6.0%, meeting the criteria to trigger ``on'' to Tier 3 in the EUC08 program. Claimants who have exhausted Tier 2 in the EUC08 program may be eligible for up to 13 additional weeks of benefits. The payable period for Oklahoma in Tier 3 of the EUC08 program begins January 8, 2012.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Notice of Final Payment or Suspension of Compensation Benefits,'' as proposed to be revised, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) proposal entitled ``Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant Program Reporting Requirements'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

The Privacy Act of 1974 requires that each agency publish notice of all of the systems of records that it maintains. This document proposes to add five new systems of records to the current systems of records of the Department of Labor (Department or DOL). With the addition of these five systems of records, the Department will be maintaining 153 systems of records. The Department also proposes to amend five existing systems of records and one universal routine use. The five proposed revised systems of records include changes to their routine uses and to the various system categories, some of which are updates to names and locations and stylistic changes. Major changes are summarized in the introductory portion of the Supplementary Information section.