[Federal Register: October 31, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 210)]
[Notices]               
[Page 63783-63784]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31oc06-75]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employee Benefits Security Administration

 
Proposed Extension of Information Collection; Comment Request 
Annual Report for Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (Form M-1)

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (the Department), in accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA 95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), 
provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to 
comment on proposed and continuing collections of information. This 
helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection 
requirements and minimize the reporting burden on the public and the 
public understand the Department's information collection requirements 
and provide the requested data in the desired format. Currently, the 
Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is soliciting comments 
concerning a proposed extension of the current approval of an 
information collection entitled Annual Report for Multiple Employer 
Welfare Arrangements (Form M-1), contained in the Department's 
regulation at 29 CFR 2520.101-2, Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements 
and Certain Other Entities that Offer or Provide Medical Care to the 
Employees of Two or More Employers. A copy of the Department's 
information collection request (ICR) may be obtained by contacting the 
office listed in the addresses section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office shown in the 
addresses section below on or before January 2, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Susan G. Lahne, Office of 
Policy and Research, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. 
Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-5647, 
Washington, DC 20210. Telephone: (202) 693-8410; Fax: (202) 219-4745. 
These are not toll-free numbers. Comments may also be submitted 
electronically to the following Internet e-mail address: 
ebsa.opr@dol.gov.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 
(HIPAA), codified as Part 7 of Title I of the Employee Retirement 
Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), was enacted to improve the portability 
and continuity of health care coverage for participants and 
beneficiaries of group health plans. In the interest of assuring 
compliance with Part 7, section 101(g) of ERISA, added by HIPAA, 
further permits the Secretary of Labor (the Secretary) to require 
multiple employer welfare arrangements (MEWAs), as defined in section 
3(40) of ERISA, to report to the Secretary in such form and manner as 
the Secretary might determine. The Department published a final rule 
providing for such reporting on an annual basis, together with a form 
(Form M-1) to be used by MEWAs for the annual report. The reporting 
requirement enables the Secretary to determine whether the requirements 
of Part 7 of ERISA are being carried out. EBSA submitted an ICR for the 
information collection in Form M-1 to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in connection with publication of 
the final rule, and OMB approved the information collection under OMB 
control number 1210-0116. This approval is scheduled to expire on 
January 31, 2007. After considering any comments received in response 
to this notice, EBSA intends to submit an ICR to OMB to request 
continuing approval. The public is not required to respond to an 
information collection unless it displays a valid control number. No 
change to the existing ICR is being proposed or made at this time.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

    The Department is particularly interested in comments that:
     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., by 
permitting electronic submission of responses.

III. Current Action

    This notice requests comments on an extension of OMB's approval of 
the information collection included in Form M-1. The Department is not 
proposing or implementing changes to the existing ICR at this time. A 
summary of the ICR and the current burden estimates follows:
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection of 
information.
    Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of 
Labor.
    Title: Annual Report for Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements and 
Certain Entities Claiming Exception (Form M-1).
    OMB Number: 1210-0116.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit 
institutions.

[[Page 63784]]

    Respondents: 741.
    Frequency of Response: Annually.
    Responses: 3,718.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 2,336.
    Total Burden Cost (Operating and Maintenance): $143,650.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the ICR; they will 
also become a matter of public record.

Joseph S. Piacentini,
Director, Office of Policy and Research, Employee Benefits Security 
Administration.
[FR Doc. E6-18230 Filed 10-30-06; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510-29-P