Department of Labor February 9, 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On December 14, 2020, the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register proposing to revise regulations governing electronic filing and settlements, and establishing new procedures for assessing and adjudicating penalties under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA). Consistent with the Presidential directive as expressed in the memorandum of January 20, 2021, from the Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, entitled ``Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,'' OWCP is withdrawing the notice of proposed rulemaking.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed extension for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Medical Travel Refund Request.'' 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, 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 extension of the ``Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) Program''. 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 (Department or DOL) is correcting a direct final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on January 11, 2021, ``Rules of Practice and Procedure Concerning Filing and Service and Amended Rules Concerning Filing and Service.'' The companion proposed rule to the final rule was published in the same issue of the Federal Register. The final rule required electronic filing (e-filing) and made acceptance of electronic service (e-service) automatic for attorneys and non-attorney representatives representing parties in proceedings before the Administrative Review Board, unless the Board authorized non-electronic filing and service for good cause. Among other changes, the final rule was intended to revise several sections of the Code of Federal Regulations. However, the final rule as published inadvertently omitted amendatory instructions to revise two section headings, despite providing revised language for those headings. This document provides the omitted amendatory instructions to ensure that these two section headings are revised as written in the final rule.