Employment and Training Administration November 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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. Currently, the Employment and Training Administration is soliciting comments concerning the proposed extension of the data collection for the Job Corps Application data collection forms (ETA 652, ETA 655 and ETA 682) 1205-0025, expires February 28, 2007). 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 or at this Web site: https://www.doleta.gov/OMBCN/OMBControlNumber.cfm.

The Employment and Training Administration interprets Federal law requirements pertaining to the Federal-State unemployment compensation (UC) program. Section 303(a)(1), Social Security Act, as implemented at 20 CFR part 603 (71 FR 56830), generally requires States to maintain the confidentiality of UC information. Section 603.9 of 20 CFR requires States and State UC agencies to assure that recipients of confidential UC information have certain safeguards in place before any confidential information may be disclosed. Section 603.9(d) provides that States are not required to apply these safeguard and security arrangements to a Federal agency which the Department of Labor (Department) has determined, by notice published in the Federal Register, to have in place safeguards adequate to satisfy the requirements of Sec. 603.9. The Department has determined that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has in place such safeguards for purposes of tax administration, including administration of the Federal unemployment tax and the Health Coverage Tax Credit. Specifically, Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code and IRS regulations on the confidentiality of tax return information (26 CFR 301.6103(a)-1 et seq.) are sufficient to protect the confidentiality of information consistent with the Department's regulation. The Department has also determined that wage and claim information disclosed to the Department of Health and Human Services for purposes of the National Directory of New Hires is protected by a ``security plan'' which provides safeguards adequate to meet the requirements of the Department's regulation. Further, laws governing information in the National Directory of New Hires impose strict controls on redisclosure and disposal of information. See, e.g., 42 U.S.C. 653(i), (j), (l), and (m). This notice is published to inform the public of the Department's determination with respect to these agencies.

On September 22, 2006, President Bush signed into law the YouthBuild Transfer Act (Pub. L. 109-281) which transfers the YouthBuild program from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to the Department of Labor (DOL). YouthBuild provides education and occupational skills training for at-risk youth age 16-24. The purpose of this Notice is to announce public meetings and a Webinar \1\ to discuss the transition of the YouthBuild program to DOL and to announce an open comment period for comments on a variety of issues about YouthBuild program design. The purposes of the public meetings and the Webinar are twofold: To provide basic information on the legislative changes to the YouthBuild program and DOL program management of YouthBuild; and to collect feedback on several program design elements listed below.