Revision of Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) Handbook and Program Operating Forms, Including the ETA 90-2, Disaster Payment Activities Under the ``Stafford Disaster Relief Act''; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

Revision of Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) Handbook and

Program Operating Forms, Including the ETA 90-2, Disaster Payment

Activities Under the ``Stafford Disaster Relief Act''; Comment Request

action: Notice.

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summary: The Department of Labor, 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) [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 (ETA) is

soliciting comments concerning the proposed revision of a currently

approved collection of the Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)

Handbook and Program Operating forms, including the ETA 90-2, Disaster

Payment Activities Under the ``Stafford Disaster Relief Act.'' A copy

of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by

contacting the office listed below in the addresses section of this

notice.

dates: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the

addresses section below on or before July 26, 1999.

addresses: Sterling Green, Unemployment Insurance Service, Employment

and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room S4231, 200

Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210, telephone: 202-219-

7301 (this is not a toll-free number).

for further information contact: Sterling Green, telephone number (202)

219-7301, ext. 186 (this is not a toll-free number).

supplementary information:

I. Background

Public Law 100-707 (Sections 410 and 423) provide for benefit

assistance to ``any individual unemployed as a result of a major

disaster.'' State Employment Security Agencies (SESA's), through

agreements between the States and the Secretary of Labor, act as agents

of the Secretary for the purpose of providing assistance to applicants

in the various States who are unemployed as a result of a major

disaster. The forms in Chapters III through V, VII and X of the DUA

Handbook are used in connection with the provision of this benefit

assistance. In the revised DUA Handbook, as approved by OMB on 8/26/98,

we have eliminated the use of Federally-mandated DUE initial claims,

weekly claims, determinations of entitlement and overpayment forms. We

have permitted the SESA's to adopt forms to better accommodate the

types of disasters involved and the requirements of their automated

eligibility determination and payment systems. The President is

directed by the Act to provide DUA through agreements with States which

in his judgment have an adequate system for administering such

assistance through existing State agencies. Without the data obtained

from these reports, ETA would have no grasp on the program as it is

administered by the States.

II. Current Actions

The data obtained from the Form ETA 90-2 are used by at least three

organizational units within ETA. The Umemployment Insurance Service

uses the data for evaluation of State agency performance on making

payments and providing claimant services and for making required

reports. The Employment Service uses the data to project funding needs

in the areas of counseling, referrals to suitable work opportunities

and suitable training. The Office of Financial and Administrative

Management (OFAM) uses the data in accounting for the financial

management of the program funds and fund transfers. In addition, the

data are also used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),

to whom the President has delegated the responsibility by Executive

Order No. 12148, for administering the Act. All other forms (described

above) are used by SESA's in operating the program and are not reports

per se. Use of these forms by SESA's is essential to the operation of

the DUA program. The Department of Labor 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.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Agency: Employment and Training Administration.

Title: Employment and Training Administration (ETA) Disaster

Unemployment Assistance (DUA) Handbook and Program Operating Forms,

Including the ETA 90-2, Disaster Payment Activities Under the

``Stafford Disaster Relief Act.''

OMB Number: 1205-0051.

[[Page 28217]]

Agency Number(s): DUA Handbook and Program Operating Forms,

Including the ETA 90-2.

Affected Public: Individuals/State Governments.

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Average time

Cite/reference Total Frequency Total per response Burden hours

respondents responses (hour)

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Initial Application............................ 11,000 Annually............................... 11,000 \1/6\ 1,833

Supplemental/Self-emp.......................... 3,800 Annually............................... 3,800 \1/6\ 633

Weekly Claim................................... 11,000 6...................................... 66,000 \1/12\ 5,500

Notice of Overpayment.......................... 235 Annually............................... 235 \1/4\ 59

ETA 90-2....................................... 50 6...................................... 300 \1/6\ 50

Totals..................................... 26,035 ....................................... 81,035 .............. 8,075

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Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.00.

Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $124,193.00.

Comments submitted in response to this comment request will be

summarized and/or included in the request for Office of Management and

Budget approval of the information collection request; they will also

become a matter of public record.

Dated: May 19, 1999.

Grace A. Kilbane,

Director, Unemployment Insurance Service.

[FR Doc. 99-13187 Filed 5-24-99; 8:45 am]

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