Department of Labor December 24, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 validation information for the following employment and training programs: Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Title IB, Wagner-Peyser, Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), National Farmworkers Jobs Program (NFJP), and Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). The current expiration date is May 31, 2014. Please note that the data submission processes within the new data validation software for Wagner-Peyser and WIA Title IB were implemented in Program Year (PY) 2012 and PY 2013 for reporting and the underlying data validation methodology is not being modified. However, the system is still coming online and the data element validation functionality in the new enterprise data validation and reporting system will not be implemented by the current expiration date for this data collection (May 31, 2014). ETA believes the software will be completed and states will have experience with using it by the end of 2014. At that time, ETA will report to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on the results, per the OMB Notice of Action in 2012 approving the implementation of the software.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Default Investment Alternatives under Participant Directed Individual Account Plans,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use, without change, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.

This document contains proposed rules that would amend the regulations regarding excepted benefits under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Internal Revenue Code, and the Public Health Service Act. Excepted benefits are generally exempt from the health reform requirements that were added to those laws by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.