Department of Labor November 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations, 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.

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)] (PRA). The PRA helps ensure that respondents can provide requested data in the desired format with minimal reporting burden (time and financial resources), 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 in accordance with Title 20 CFR part 29, the Labor Standards for Apprenticeship Programs Registration, currently expiring April 30, 2015.

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-11750, United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union No. 189 Pension Plan; D-11751, The Camco Financial & Subsidiaries Salary Savings Plan; D-11752, Wells Fargo Company; L-11775, Craftsman Independent Union Local #1 Health, Welfare & Hospitalization Trust Fund; D-11782, Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated; D-11826, First Security Group, Inc. 401(k) and Employee Stock Ownership Plan; and, D- 11827, BNP Paribas, S.A.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Alternative Method of Compliance for Certain Simplified Employee Pensions,'' 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. Public comments on the ICR are invited.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Respiratory Protection 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. Public comments on the ICR are invited.

Notice is hereby given that the Department of Labor (the Department) will hold a hearing on January 15, 2015, relating to a proposed individual exemption from certain prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code) that, if granted, would affect the ability of certain entities related to Credit Suisse AG to continue to rely upon the relief provided by Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption (PTE) 84-14. A notice of pendency of the proposed exemption was published in the Federal Register at 79 FR 52365 (September 3, 2014).

This document contains a notice of temporary exemption from certain prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA or the Act), and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code). The exemption would affect the ability of certain entities with specified relationships to CSAG to continue to rely upon the relief provided by Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 84-14 for a period of one year from the date of publication of this notice.

On October 28, 2014, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a Federal Register Notice (79 FR 64217) asking the public for comments to assist the Secretary of Labor in preparing a report required by the U.S. Congress. The report will include a summary of public comments on: (a) The labor capacity-building efforts under Chapter 16 (``the Labor Chapter'') and Annex 16.5 of the Dominican Republic-Central America- United States Free Trade Agreement (``CAFTA-DR''); and (b) efforts made by the CAFTA-DR countries to implement the labor obligations under the Labor Chapter and recommendations contained in a paper entitled, ``The Labor Dimension in Central America and the Dominican RepublicBuilding on Progress: Strengthening Compliance and Enhancing Capacity'' (the ``White Paper''). The comment period established for responses to this request was to end at 5:00 p.m. EST on November 10, 2014. The comment period is being extended to 5:00 p.m. EST, on November 28, 2014.

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend OMB approval of the information collection requirements contained in the Shipyard Employment Standards of Subpart GGear and Equipment for Rigging and Materials Handling (29 CFR 1915.112(a)(1), 29 CFR 1915.112(b)(1)(i), 29 CFR 1915.112(c)(1)(i), 29 CFR 1915.112(c)(2), 29 CFR 1915.113(a)(1), 29 CFR 1915.113(b)(1) and 29 CFR 1915.115(c)) and Subpart KPortable, Unfired Pressure Vessels, Drums and Containers, Other than Ship's Equipment (29 CFR 1915.172(d)). The purpose of the collection of information (paperwork) provisions of the Standards is to reduce workers' risk of death or serious injury by ensuring that equipment has been tested and is in safe operating condition.

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend OMB approval of the information collection requirements specified by the Acrylonitrile Standard (29 CFR 1910.1045).

NACOSH will meet December 10, 2014, 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/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 on the proposed extension of the Labor Market Information (LMI) Cooperative Agreement application package. 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.

This interim final rule describes revisions to the Form 5500 Annual Return/Report of Employee Benefit Plan and Form 5500-SF Annual Return/Report of Small Employee Benefit Plan (together ``Form 5500 Annual Return/Report'') to implement annual reporting changes for multiple-employer plans required by The Cooperative and Small Employer Charity Pension Flexibility Act (CSEC Act), enacted on April 7, 2014. The Form 5500 annual return/report is filed by employee benefit plans under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and sections 6047(e), 6057(b), 6058(a), and 6059 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code). The CSEC Act established additional annual reporting requirements for multiple-employer plans for plan years beginning after December 31, 2013, by adding new section 103(g) to Title I of ERISA. Specifically, the annual return/report of a multiple-employer plan must include a list of participating employers and a good faith estimate of the percentage of total contributions made by each participating employer during the plan year. This interim final rule also includes findings by the Department of Labor (Department) under the Administrative Procedure Act that good cause exists to adopt these revisions on an interim final basis without prior notice and public comments.

This document contains exemptions issued by the Department of Labor (the Department) 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: 2014-09, Renaissance Technologies, LLC, D-11730; and 2014-10, Family Dynamics Inc., Pension Plan, D-11777.

In this notice, OSHA proposes to: (1) Add new test standards to the Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTL) Program's list of appropriate test standards; (2) delete or replace several test standards from the NRTL Program's list of appropriate test standards; and (3) update the scopes of recognition of several NRTLs.