DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary

Agency Recordkeeping/Reporting Requirements Under Emergency Review by the Office of Management and Budget

Janaury 16, 1998.

The Department of Labor has submitted the following (see below) emergency processing public information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35). OMB approval has been requested by February 20, 1998. A copy of this ICR, with supporting documentation, may be obtained by calling the Department of Labor Departmental Clearance Officer, Todd Owen, at (202) 219-5096, Ext. 143.

Comments and questions about the ICR listed below should be forwarded to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, Washington, D.C. 20503 ((202) 395-7316). The Office of Management and Budget is particularly interested in comments which:

• Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;



• Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;



• Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and



• Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses.

Agency: Employment and Training Administration, Labor.

Title: Trade Adjustment Assistance and NAFTA Transitional Adjustment Assistance Program Performance Report.

OMB Number: 1205-New.

Frequency: Quarterly.

Affected Public: State government.

Total Respondents: 50.

Estimated Time per Respondent: 80 hours per quarter.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 16,000.

Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $500,000.

Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $225,000.

Description: The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 requires all federal benefits programs to report on the outcomes achieved for benefit recipients and how those outcomes can be continuously improved. In addition, public and Congressional awareness and concern regarding the effectiveness of assistance provided to U.S. workers displaced by imports has created a demand for more information on those receiving assistance from TAA and NAFTA-TAA. The data currently collected by TAA does not provide sufficient information to adequately assess TAA program performance and participant outcomes, making it impossible to precisely evaluate program effectiveness. In order to comply with Federal law and respond to other concerns, the Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance (OTAA) is implementing a new system of collecting and reporting performance and outcomes data.

Each quarter, beginning with the quarter ending June 30, 1998, the States will provide the Department with reports on demographic data, benefits provided, and participant outcomes for each participant who has terminated from the TAA or NAFTA-TAA program during the reporting quarter. A conference of Regional and State TAA staff concluded that many States already collect most, if not all, of the proposed data items. Therefore, many State TAA coordinators will only need to access existing data and reformat it for submission to the Department, rather than creating an entirely new data collection and reporting system. States may also take this opportunity to begin to collect additional data items for their own program review and improvement purposes.

Dated: January 27, 1998.

Todd Owen,
Departmental Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 98-2353 Filed 1-29-98; 8:45 am)