Department of Labor 2019 – 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, ``Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption for Certain Transactions Between Investment Companies and Employee Benefit Plans (PTE 1977-4),'' 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). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

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. 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 revision of a currently approved collection ``National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979.'' A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the individual listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.

OSHA solicits public comments concerning the proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements specified in the 1,3-Butadiene (BD) Standard.

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.

OSHA solicits public comments concerning the proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements contained in the proposed Conflict of Interest (COI) and Disclosure Form, which will be used to determine whether or not a conflict of interest exists for a potential peer review panel member.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of a forthcoming meeting of the ACVETEO. The ACVETEO will discuss the DOL core programs and services that assist veterans seeking employment and raise employer awareness as to the advantages of hiring veterans. There will be an opportunity for individuals or organizations to address the committee. Any individual or organization that wishes to do so should contact Mr. Gregory Green at 202-693-4734. Individuals who will need accommodations for a disability in order to attend the meeting (e.g., interpreting services, assistive listening devices, and/or materials in alternative format) should notify the Advisory Committee no later than Monday, January 6, 2020 by contacting Mr. Gregory Green at 202-693-4734. Requests made after this date will be reviewed, but availability of the requested accommodations cannot be guaranteed. The meeting site is accessible to individuals with disabilities. This Notice also describes the functions of the ACVETEO. Notice of this meeting is required under Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. This document is intended to notify the general public.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Notice Requirements of the Health Care Continuation Coverage Provisions,'' 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). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor (Department) is issuing this notice to announce the 2020 Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWR) for the employment of temporary or seasonal nonimmigrant foreign workers (H-2A workers) to perform agricultural labor or services other than the herding or production of livestock on the range. AEWRs are the minimum wage rates the Department has determined must be offered and paid by employers to H-2A workers and workers in corresponding employment for a particular occupation and area so that the wages and working conditions of similarly employed workers in the United States will not be adversely affected. In this notice, the Department announces the annual update of the AEWRs.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Labor Standards for Federal Service ContractsRegulations,'' 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). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

The Department of Labor (DOL), 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). 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 is properly assessed. Currently, the Department of Labor is soliciting comments concerning the collection of data about Employer Adoption of Voluntary Health and Safety Standards. A copy of the proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addressee section of this notice.

OSHA is issuing corrections to the Walking-Working Surfaces, Personal Protective Equipment, and Special Industries standards.

The Department of Labor (Department) proposes to promulgate a rule governing intermediate bodies that are wholly composed of public sector organizations but are subordinate to national or international labor organizations that are covered by the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA or Act). Under the proposed rule, such intermediate bodies would now be covered by the LMRDA, and would be required to file the Form LM-2 and Form LM-3 annual union financial reports.

This document extends the period for submitting written comments on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) entitled ``Tip Regulations Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).'' The comment period now ends on December 11, 2019. The Department of Labor (Department) is taking this action to provide interested parties additional time to submit comments in response to an outage causing most web browsers to refuse access to Regulations.gov for a period of time.

The Department of Labor's (DOL's) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed extension for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Benefits Timeliness and Quality Review System.'' This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

The Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Federal Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is submitting the sponsored information collection request (ICR) proposal titled, ``Construction Compliance Check Letters,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. Public comments on the ICR are invited.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed extension for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Survivor's Form For Benefits Under The Black Lung Benefits Act.'' This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) is providing notice to the public that the WHD sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Records to be Kept by EmployersFair Labor Standards Act,'' has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). WHD is notifying the public that the information collection has been revised and extended effective immediately through November 30, 2022.

OSHA solicits public comments concerning the proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements specified in the Asbestos in Shipyards Standard.

OSHA solicits public comments concerning the proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements specified in the Benzene Standard.

These proposed rules set forth proposed requirements for group health plans and health insurance issuers in the individual and group markets to disclose cost-sharing information upon request, to a participant, beneficiary, or enrollee (or his or her authorized representative), including an estimate of such individual's cost- sharing liability for covered items or services furnished by a particular provider. Under these proposed rules, plans and issuers would be required to make such information available on an internet website and, if requested, through non-internet means, thereby allowing a participant, beneficiary, or enrollee (or his or her authorized representative) to obtain an estimate and understanding of the individual's out-of-pocket expenses and effectively shop for items and services. These proposed rules also include proposals to require plans and issuers to disclose in-network provider negotiated rates, and historical out-of-network allowed amounts through two machine-readable files posted on an internet website, thereby allowing the public to have access to health insurance coverage information that can be used to understand health care pricing and potentially dampen the rise in health care spending. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also proposes amendments to its medical loss ratio program rules to allow issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage to receive credit in their medical loss ratio calculations for savings they share with enrollees that result from the enrollee's shopping for, and receiving care from, lower-cost, higher-value providers.

The Department of Labor (DOL or Department) is submitting the Employment and Training Administration (ETA)-sponsored Information Collection Request (ICR), titled, Attestation for Employers Seeking to Employ H-2B Nonimmigrant Workers Under Section 105 of Division H of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 Public Law 116-6 (Feb. 15, 2019) (OMB Control Number 1205-0535), 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. Public comments on the ICR are invited.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed extension for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Request for State or Federal Workers' Compensation Information.'' This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) collect workforce data through the Employer Information Report (EEO-1) (currently OMB Control No. 3046-0007) under the Joint Reporting Committee. The EEOC's legal authority to collect this data derives from Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and OFCCP's authority derives from Executive Order 11246. The EEO-1 collects information from private employers and federal contractors regarding the number of employees by job category, and by sex, race, and ethnicity (Component 1). This information is shared between the two agencies to avoid duplicative information collections and minimize the burden on employers. A recent court decision, National Women's Law Center v. Office of Management and Budget, 358 F. Supp. 3d 66 (D.D.C. 2019), appeal docketed, No. 19-5130 (D.C. Cir. May 8, 2019), ordered reinstatement of the approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of a 2016 revision to the EEO-1 that requires filers to additionally submit aggregated employee pay and hours worked (Component 2). However, EEOC, the agency responsible for securing OMB approval of the EEO-1 data collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act, has now given notice that it does not intend to submit to OMB a request to renew Component 2 under the current OMB control number, and it has requested that Component 1 be assigned a new OMB control number. OFCCP will not request, accept, or use Component 2 data, as it does not expect to find significant utility in the data given limited resources and its aggregated nature, but it will continue to receive EEO-1 Component 1 data.