Disability Employment Grant Program: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

Disability Employment Grant Program: Proposed Collection; Comment

Request

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of

Labor.

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 pre-clearance

consultation process 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 process helps to

ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format,

reporting burdens are 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 reporting

requirements for the Disability Initiatives Employment Grant Program

for the FY 2000 funding period. The reports submitted for comment

include the quarterly Activity and Placement Report (APR) and annual

Participant Characteristics Report (PCR).

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

ADDRESSEE section below on or before November 23, 1999, 60 days after

date of publication in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSEE: Alexandra K. Kielty, Chief, Disability Employment and

Initiatives Unit, Room N-4641, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington,

DC 20210. Telephone: (202) 219-5500 ext 125 (VOICE) or (202) 219-6338

(FAX) (these are not toll-free numbers) or Email: [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Employment and Training Administration of the Department of

Labor is considering implementing reporting requirements for the

Disability Employment Grant Program for the fiscal years 1999 and 2000.

Reporting impacts 15 grants for the last two years of a three year

grant cycle which began July 1, 1998. The grants are awarded for one

year plus two option years. These reports will also be used for similar

disability related grants administered by ETA.

II. Review Focus

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 burden estimate for

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 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.

III. Current Actions

The proposed Information Collection Request establishes reporting

requirements for this discretionary grant program which is funded under

Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Title III and IV appropriations.

The Activity and Placement Report (APR) includes information of the

number of participants being served, activities and services provided,

and planned outcomes. The Participant Characteristics Report (PCR)

covers information on age, race, educational level and types of

disability.

Paperwork burden are included in the following paperwork burden

estimates. For ease of analysis, the burden estimate is presented

separately for each report. In addition to these reports, grantees are

required to provide a quarterly Financial Status Report (FSR), SF 269

which is approved under OMB Clearance #0348-0039.

Type of Review: Initial OMB Approval.

Agency: Employment and Training Administration.

Title: Disability Initiatives Employment Grant Program.

OMB Number: None.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 17.248.

Frequency: Quarterly for Activity and Placement Report (APR)

Annually for participant Characteristic Report (PCR).

Affected Public: National organizations that engage in employment

and training services for people with disabilities to obtain

competitive employment under grants awarded by the Department of Labor.

Number of Respondents: 15.

Total Responses: 75; 15 respondents x 4 Quarterly Reports=60 +

(15 respondents x 1 annual report) = 75 Annual Responses.

Estimated Time Per Respondent: 100 Hours; 20 Hours x 4

APRs+(20hrs.PCR) = 100hrs.per respondent.

Total Burden Hours: 1,050 hr. (Note: Estimate is based on having 20

respondents).

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

Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $1,890.00.

Description: This OMB Approval application concerns the submission

of the Activity and Placement Report (APR) and the Participant

Characteristic Report (PCR) to the disAbility Employment Initiative

Grant Programs which gives partial funds to National organizations that

engaged in

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employment training and services for people with disabilities to obtain

competitive employment. The Activity and Placement Report (APR) gives

the number of participants being served, activities and services

provided, and placement outcomes. The Participant Characteristics

Report (PCR) gives participant information in age, race, type of

disAbility, etc. These funds are taken from the Job Training and

Partnership Act (JTPA) Title III and IV. Under Title III of JTPA there

is a requirement to have grantees complete quarterly an Activity

Placement Report (APR) [29 U.S.C. 1732(2)(c)(III)] and a Standard Form

269 (SF-269). A Participant Characteristic Report (PCR) is submitted

annually to provide an overview of participants that were served during

the program year [29 U.S.C. 1732(2)(c)(III)]. Respondents submit a

narrative as part of the quarterly report package. The narrative states

activities of the participants in the organization during the previous

three months.

Signed at Washington, DC this 15th day of September, 1999.

Anna W. Goddard,

Director, Office of Special Targeted Programs.

[FR Doc. 99-24524 Filed 9-20-99; 8:45 am]

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