Department of Labor 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``National Medical Support Notice Part B,'' 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.).

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) sponsored information collection request (ICR) revision titled, ``Data Sharing Agreement Program,'' 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 the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements specified in the Hexavalent Chromium Standards for General Industry (29 CFR 1910.1026), Shipyard Employment (29 CFR 1915.1026), and Construction (29 CFR 1926.1126).

The Department of Labor (Department) is delaying the effective date of the Wage Methodology for the Temporary Non-agricultural Employment H-2B Program final rule, in response to recently enacted legislation that prohibits any funds from being used to implement the Wage Rule for the first 6 months of fiscal year (FY) 2013. The Wage Rule revised the methodology by which the Department calculates the prevailing wages to be paid to H-2B workers and United States (U.S.) workers recruited in connection with a temporary labor certification for use in petitioning the Department of Homeland Security to employ a nonimmigrant worker in H-2B status.

Announcement regarding a change in eligibility for Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants in New York in the Emergency Unemployment Compensation 2008 (EUC08) Program and the Federal-State Extended Benefits (EB) Program. The U.S. Department of Labor (Department) produces trigger notices indicating which states qualify for both EB and EUC08 benefits, and provides the beginning and ending dates of payable periods for each qualifying state. The trigger notices covering state eligibility for these programs can be found at: https://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims_arch.asp. The following changes have occurred since the publication of the last notice regarding this state's EB and EUC08 trigger status: Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on May 18, 2012, New York no longer met one of the criteria to remain ``on'' in EB, i.e., having their current three month average, seasonally adjusted total unemployment rate be at least 110 percent of one of the rates from a comparable period in one of the three prior years. This triggered New York ``off'' in the EB Program and the end of the payable period was the week ending June 10, 2012. New York has served the full 13 week ``off'' period on September 9, 2012. Given that the trigger rate in New York is currently at 8.9 percent, one look-back is at 110 percent, and the 13 week mandatory ``off'' period has concluded, New York meets the criteria to resume a High Unemployment Period in the EB Program. This payable period started with the week beginning September 10, 2012, and the maximum potential entitlement for the EB Program in New York is 20 weeks. In New York, where weeks end on a Sunday, a 13 week mandatory ``on'' period began for Tier 4 of the EUC08 Program on June 4, 2012. This mandatory 13-week ``on'' period concluded on September 2, 2012. Because the current trigger rate for New York is 8.9 percent, below the 9.0 percent threshold to remain on in Tier 4, New York has triggered ``off'' Tier 4 of the EUC08 Program and concluded an eligibility period in Tier 4 on September 2, 2012. Claimants in New York exhausting Tier 3 after September 2, 2012, can no longer establish Tier 4 eligibility.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed extension of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the Solicitation of Nominations for the Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor information collection request (ICR), as part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is announcing the implementation of electronic filing for the submission of nonimmigrant temporary labor certification applications under the H-2A and H-2B visa programs through the Department of Labor's (Department) iCERT Visa Portal System (iCERT System) at https://icert.doleta.gov. This new electronic filing capacity will enhance the accessibility and quality of labor certification services, reduce the data collection and reporting burden on small employers, facilitate more streamlined business processes, and establish greater transparency in the Department's decisions. Employers or their authorized representatives will be able to submit H-2B applications electronically beginning on October 15, 2012, and H-2A applications beginning on December 10, 2012. In order to make this transition as smooth as possible, the Department will hold four webinar training sessions (two for filing in the H-2B program and two for filing in the H-2A program) to orient program users to electronic filing through the iCERT System. These sessions will be announced on the OFLC's Web site (https://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta. gov/) once dates are finalized. Employers or their authorized representatives choosing not to use this new filing option must continue to file their H-2A and H-2B applications with the Department using the traditional paper-based filing method.

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 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 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 collection process for data on UI Title XII advances and voluntary repayments, which expires 11/30/2012.

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 [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 on the renewal of the information collection required for state notification to individuals about the opportunity for Pell Grants and the payment of unemployment benefits to individuals in approved training.

This notice announces the publication of an updated list of goodsalong with countries of originthat the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) has reason to believe are produced by child labor or forced labor in violation of international standards (List). ILAB is required to develop and make available to the public the List pursuant to the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (TVPRA).

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. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed extension of the ``International Training Application.'' 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.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Consumer Price Index Housing Survey,'' 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.).

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) sponsored Information Collection Request (ICR) titled, ``Claims and Payment Activities,'' 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.).

The Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health (FACOSH) will meet October 18, 2012, in Washington, DC.

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 continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 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 is soliciting comments concerning the extension of the information collection for requirements under 30 CFR 57.22606(a). OMB last approved this information collection request (ICR) on February 1, 2010.

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 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 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 collection of data for the administration of the UCX program.

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 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 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 collection of data about Expenditures and Financial Adjustments of Federal Funds for Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees and Ex-Servicemembers.