Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy; Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection, Comment Request; the National Agricultural Workers Survey Questionnaire Form

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy; Agency Information

Collection Activities: Proposed Collection, Comment Request; the

National Agricultural Workers Survey Questionnaire Form

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy (OASP), Department

of Labor.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy is

soliciting comments concerning two supplements to be used by the

National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS). This survey has been

conducted under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance

since October, 1988. It is at this time conducting approximately 4,500

interviews per year. The focus has been on demographic, employment and

health data. The NAWS information collection request will consist of

two supplements. The first supplement will be administered to children

farmworkers less than 19 years of age. The second and complementary

supplement will be administered to farmworkers who are parents of U.S.

based children. The purpose of these supplements is to gather in depth

data on the educational barriers and labor market conditions faced by

children farmworkers. This data collection was mandated by Congress.

The sampling frame and estimation procedures will not be altered by

the supplements. However, adaptations may need to be made to enhance

estimations of children farmworkers.

The Department of Labor is particularly interested in comments

which:

Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is

necessary for the proper functioning of government agencies charged

with protecting the well being of the farmworker population, 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.

DATES: Written comment must be submitted by April 23, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Comments are to be submitted to the U.S. Department of

Labor, Room S-2312, (200 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20210,

telephone (202) 219-6197. Written comments limited to 10 pages or fewer

may also be transmitted by facsimile to (202) 219-9216.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Mines, Economist and Program

Officer for the National Agricultural Workers Survey, Office of the

Assistant Secretary of Labor, U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-2312,

200 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20210. Telephone: (202)

219-6197. Copies of the referenced information collection request are

available for inspection and copying and will be mailed to persons who

request copies by telephoning Richard Mines at (202) 219-6197. For more

information about the NAWS, consult the NAWS home page at: http://

www.dol.gov/dol/asp/public/programs/agworker/naws.htm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The NAWS began surveying farm workers in 1988, it has collected

information from over 22,000 workers. The survey samples all crop farm

workers in three cycles each year in order to capture the seasonality

of the work. The NAWS locates and samples workers at their work sites,

avoiding the well-publicized undercount of this difficult-to-find

population. During the initial contact, arrangements are made to

interview the respondent at home or at another convenient location.

[[Page 8631]]

What Information Does the NAWS Collect

Household and family composition. The NAWS interview

contains a family grid that asks basic demographic information for all

household members, and records information about each person's

education level and migration patterns.

Additional Demographics. The NAWS collects a more

comprehensive demographic profile of the farm worker himself including

language ability, contacts in non-agricultural jobs, and parental

involvement in agriculture.

Employment History. The NAWS compiles a full year of

information on the employment and geographic movement of the farm

worker. This history covers the occupation, including task and crop if

employed in agriculture, type of non-agricultural work if employed off

the farm, periods of unemployment and periods abroad, and the worker's

location for every week of the year preceding the interview.

Wages, Benefits and Working Conditions. The NAWS collects

information on payment method (piece or hourly) and wages, on health

insurance, on workers compensation and unemployment insurance, and on

other benefits and working conditions.

Health, Safety and Housing. The NAWS gathers information

on medical history, use of medical services, participation in pesticide

training, and on the worker's housing arrangements.

Income and Assets, Social Services and Legal Status. The

NAWS questionnaire has a series of questions on personal and family

income, assets held in the United States and abroad, use of social

services, and legal or immigration status.

II. Current Actions

This action requests OMB approval of the paperwork requirements for

adding two supplements to the NAWS survey operation.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Agency: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy.

Title: Child Labor Supplements to the National Agricultural Workers

Survey.

OMB Number: 1225-0044.

Affected Public: Farmworkers and farm employers.

Total Respondents: 6000 respondents (4,500 farmworkers receiving a

full interview and 1,500 employers who will be briefly interviewed to

ascertain the location of the potential worker respondents).

Frequency: Annually (The survey is administered in three 10-12 week

cycles each year, beginning in October, February and May.

Total Responses: In addition to the original 4,500 responses, a

supplement will be administered to approximately 1,500 parents and

another supplement will be implemented with approximately 350 children.

These respondents will be receiving the supplement in addition to the

original survey. The supplement will be given to approximately 1,850

people.

Average Time per Response: The supplements will each take

approximately 30 minutes.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: The added burden time due to the

supplements will be approximately 925 hours including both the children

and parents. This will be in addition to the pre-existing burden of

6,000 hours per year.

Total Annualized capital/startup costs: 0.

Total initial annual costs: (operating/maintaining systems or

purchasing services): 0.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized

and included in the request for Office of Management and Budget

approval of the information collection request. The comments will

become a matter of public record.

Dated: February 16, 1999.

Authorized Official in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for

Policy.

Richard Mines,

Economist.

[FR Doc. 99-4244 Filed 2-19-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510-23-M