Department of Labor 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice is a request for information and/or comment on reports issued by the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) October 3, 2011, regarding child labor and forced labor in foreign countries. Relevant information will be used by the Department of Labor (DOL) in preparation of its ongoing reporting under Congressional mandates and Presidential directive. In addition, ILAB may use relevant information to conduct assessments of each country's individual progress towards eliminating the worst forms of child labor during the current reporting period compared to previous years.

This notice announces a change in status of the payable periods under the EB program for New Mexico. The following change has occurred since the publication of the last notice regarding the State's EB status: The Federal authorization to have a three year look-back was recently extended to February 29, 2012. However, New Mexico used a hard end date in state law for the expiration of its three year look- back provision. As a result, New Mexico's three year look-back legislation has expired. With the expiration of the three year look- back, New Mexico failed to meet the criteria to remain triggered ``on'' to EB with the week ending January 7, 2012 and the payable period in the EB program for New Mexico concluded January 28, 2012. The trigger notice covering state eligibility for the EB program can be found at: https://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims_arch.asp.

The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division proposes to revise certain regulations of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA or the Act), primarily to implement recent statutory amendments to the Act. This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposes regulations to implement amendments to the military leave provisions of the FMLA made by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, which extends the availability of FMLA leave to family members of members of the Regular Armed Forces for qualifying exigencies arising out of the servicemember's deployment; defines those deployments covered under these provisions; and extends FMLA military caregiver leave to family members of certain veterans with serious injuries or illnesses. This NPRM also proposes to amend the regulations to implement the Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act, which established new FMLA leave eligibility requirements for airline flight crewmembers and flight attendants. In addition, the proposal includes changes concerning the calculation of leave; reorganization of certain sections to enhance clarity; the removal of the forms from the regulations; and technical corrections of inadvertent drafting errors in the current regulations.

This document contains final regulations regarding the summary of benefits and coverage and the uniform glossary for group health plans and health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This document implements the disclosure requirements under section 2715 of the Public Health Service Act to help plans and individuals better understand their health coverage, as well as other coverage options. A guidance document published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register provides further guidance regarding compliance.

The Department of Labor (Department) is seeking public comment on two proposed UI Performs Core Measures for UI Integrity: (1) UI Improper Payments; and (2) UI Overpayment Recovery.

The Internet has become the means for disseminating the entirety of the Department of Labor's semiannual regulatory agenda. However, the Regulatory Flexibility Act requires publication of a regulatory flexibility agenda in the Federal Register. This Federal Register notice contains the regulatory flexibility agenda. In addition, the Department's regulatory plan, a subset of the Department's regulatory agenda, is being published in the Federal Register. The regulatory plan contains a statement of the Department's regulatory priorities and the regulatory actions the Department wants to highlight as its most important and significant.

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 Office of Workers' Compensation Programs is soliciting comments concerning its proposal to extend OMB approval of the information collection: Statement of Recovery (SOR) Forms (CA-1108 and CA-1122). 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 pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal and state agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and 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 ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, that reporting (time and financial resources) is minimal, that collection instruments are clearly understood, and that the impact of collection requirements can be properly assessed. The Mine Safety and Health Administration is soliciting comments concerning the proposed extension of an existing information collection, OMB Control Number 1219-0146, Refuge Alternatives for Underground Coal Mines

The Office of Trade and Labor Affairs (OTLA) gives notice that on January 13, 2012, Submission 2011-02 was accepted for review pursuant to Article 16.3 of the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC). The Sindicato Mexicano de Electricistas (SME), a Mexican union, filed the submission with OTLA on November 14, 2011. The SME also filed the submission on behalf of 93 other organizations. The submitters allege that the Government of Mexico (GOM) failed to fulfill its obligations under Articles 2 through 6 of the NAALC. The submission alleges that these violations of the NAALC stem from a number of actions or failures to take action on the part of the GOM starting with the issuance of a Presidential decree on October 10, 2009 dissolving the state-owned electrical power company, Central Light and Power (Luz y Fuerza del Centro), thereby in effect terminating the employment of over 44,000 SME members. According to the submission, the GOM's subsequent actions or lack thereof denied these workers their rights under Mexican law related to freedom of association, the right to organize, the right to bargain collectively, and the prevention of occupational injuries and illnesses. If substantiated, such statements in the submission could constitute a failure on the part of Mexico to comply with its obligations under the NAALC. The objective of the review of the submission will be to gather information so that OTLA can better understand the allegations therein and publicly report on the U.S. Government's views regarding whether the GOM's actions were consistent with its obligations under the NAALC.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Vehicle-Mounted Elevating and Rotating Work Platforms Standard,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).