Department of Labor 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the Labor Advisory Committee for Trade Negotiation and Trade Policy. Date, Time, Place: December 16, 2013; 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; U.S. Department of Labor, Secretary's Conference Room, 200 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. Purpose: The meeting will include a review and discussion of current issues which influence U.S. trade policy. Potential U.S. negotiating objectives and bargaining positions in current and anticipated trade negotiations will be discussed. Pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 2155(f)(2)(A), it has been determined that the meeting will be concerned with matters the disclosure of which would seriously compromise the Government's negotiating objectives or bargaining positions. Therefore, the meeting is exempt from the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of sections 10 and 11 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (relating to open meetings, public notice, public participation, and public availability of documents). 5 U.S.C. App. Accordingly, the meeting will be closed to the public.

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. 3056(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 Wage and Hour Division is soliciting comments concerning its proposal to extend Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of the Information Collection: Information Collections Pertaining to Special Employment Under the Fair Labor Standards Act. A copy of the proposed information request can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this Notice.

This notice is a request for information and/or comment on reports issued by the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) September 30, 2013, 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 will use relevant information to conduct assessments of each country's individual advancement toward eliminating the worst forms of child labor during the current reporting period compared to previous years.

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, 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 updating Qualification/Certification Program Request for MSHA Individual Identification Number (MIIN).

The Department of Labor (the Department), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA 95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is soliciting comments on the proposed extension of the information collection requests (ICRs) contained in the documents described below. A copy of the ICRs may be obtained by contacting the office listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. ICRs also are available at reginfo.gov (https:// www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain).

The Department of Labor published a document in the Federal Register on November 8, 2013, announcing submission of the Wage and Hour Division sponsored information collection request (ICR) proposal titled, ``Worker Classification Survey,'' to the Office of Management and Budget for review and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., and to invite comments on the ICR. The document contained an incorrect URL to access a copy of the ICR free of charge via the Internet.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) proposal titled, ``Employer Survey of the Short Time Compensation 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.).

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 (PRA) [44 U.S.C. 3505(c)(2)(A)]. The 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 the collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) of the Department of Labor (Department) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed extension of the collection of information requirements for processing applications under 49 U.S.C. 5333(b), the Federal Transit Law. A copy of the proposed information collection request can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addresses section of this Notice.

In this notice, OSHA proposes to: (1) Revise its existing policies regarding the incorporation of new test standards into the Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) Program's list of appropriate test standards and into NRTLs' scopes of recognition; and (2) incorporate new test standards into the NRTL Program's list of appropriate test standards.

In this notice, OSHA is making a final determination to delete specific test standards from the scopes of recognition of several Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTLs), and to incorporate replacement test standards into the scopes of recognition of several NRTLs.

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements contained in the Hydrostatic Testing provision of the Portable Fire Extinguishers Standard for General Industry (29 CFR 1910.157(f)(16)).

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), announces the availability of approximately $100 million in grant funds, authorized under Section 414(c) of the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA), as amended (codified at 29 U.S.C. 2916a), for the Youth CareerConnect grant program. The program is designed to provide high school students with education and training that combines rigorous academic and technical curricula focused on specific in-demand occupations and industries for which employers are using H-1B visas to hire foreign workers as well as the related activities necessary to support such training to increase participants' employability in H-1B in-demand industries and occupations. Furthermore, given the large number of H-1B visas in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) industries, pending high quality proposals, DOL expects a large share of the grants to support education and training in STEM industries. The ultimate goals for the program are to ensure that participants gain academic and occupational skills by completing the program and graduating from high school; move into a positive placement following high school that includes unsubsidized employment, post-secondary education, long-term occupational skills training, or Registered Apprenticeship; obtain an industry-recognized credential in an H-1B industry or occupation for those industries where credential attainment is feasible by program completion, in addition to a high school diploma; and earn post- secondary credit towards a degree or credit-bearing certificate issued by an institution of higher education. As stated under Section 414(c) of ACWIA, grants under this SGA will be awarded to partnerships of public and private sector entities. Approximately $100 million is expected to be available to fund approximately 25 to 40 grants. DOL intends to fund grants ranging from $2 million to $7 million. Grants can be used to fund programs in a single site or to fund multi-site programs. The complete SGA and any subsequent SGA amendments in connection with this solicitation are described in further detail on ETA's Web site at https://www.doleta.gov/grants/ or on https://www.grants.gov. The Web sites provide application information, eligibility requirements, review and selection procedures, and other program requirements governing this solicitation.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Hazardous Conditions Complaints,'' 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.

OSHA is making two main revisions to its Mechanical Power Presses Standard. First, OSHA is revising a provision that requires employers to develop and maintain certification records of periodic inspections performed on the presses by adding a requirement that they develop and maintain certification records of any maintenance and repairs they perform on the presses during the periodic inspections. Second, OSHA is removing the requirement from another provision that employers develop and maintain certification records of weekly inspections and tests performed on the presses. This rulemaking is part of the Department of Labor's initiative to reduce paperwork burden; it will remove 613,600 hours of unnecessary paperwork burden for employers, while maintaining employee protection. OSHA is publishing a companion proposal elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register taking the same action.

This final rule rescinds the regulations for employers in the logging industry utilizing foreign workers. The regulations became obsolete after a rulemaking in 2010 reassigned them elsewhere in the Code of Federal Regulations. The Department of Labor (``Department'') is issuing this final rule to remove the obsolete regulations.

This final rule rescinds the regulations found which provided rules governing health care facilities using nonimmigrant foreign workers as registered nurses under the H-1A visa program. These subparts became obsolete after the authorizing statute and all extensions expired. Accordingly, the Department of Labor (the Department) is taking this action to remove regulations that no longer have force and effect.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Crawler, Locomotive, and Truck Cranes Standard,'' 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.

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 Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is reopening the rulemaking record for MSHA's existing rule on Refuge Alternatives for the limited purpose of obtaining comments on the frequency for motor task (also known as ''hands-on'' training), decision-making, and expectations training for miners to deploy and use refuge alternatives in underground coal mines. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit remanded a training provision in the Refuge Alternatives rule, directing MSHA to explain the basis for requiring motor task (hands-on), decision-making, and expectations training annually rather than quarterly or to reopen the record and allow public comment. MSHA published a notice reopening the record on August 8, 2013, with comments due by October 7, 2013. Due to the government shutdown, the public requested additional time to comment. This notice reopens the rulemaking record to provide an additional opportunity for public comment.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Veterans Retraining Assistance Participant Outreach Reporting,'' 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.