[Federal Register: January 5, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 2)]
[Notices]
[Page 317-318]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05ja09-88]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Agency Information Collection Activities: Extension of a
Currently Approved Information Collection; Comment Request
ACTION: 60-day notice of information collection under review: Form ETA-
9127, Foreign Labor Certification Quarterly Activity Report.
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OMB Control No. 1205-0457.
SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent burden conducts a pre-clearance
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 is soliciting
comments concerning Form ETA 9127, Foreign Labor Certification
Quarterly Activity Report. A copy of the proposed information
collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office
listed below in the addressee section of this notice or at this WEB
site: http://www.doleta.gov/OMBCN/OMBControlNumber.cfm.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the
addressee section below on or before March 6, 2009.
ADDRESSES: William L. Carlson, Administrator, Office of Foreign Labor
Certification, U.S. Department of Labor, Room C4312, 200 Constitution
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20210; by phone at (202) 693-3010 (this is
not a toll-free number); by fax at (202) 693-2768; or by e-mail at
ETA.OFLC.Forms@dol.gov subject line: Form 9127.
[[Page 318]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background: Foreign labor certification programs administered by
the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of
Labor (DOL or Department) require State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) to
initially process applications for temporary labor certifications (H-2A
and H-2B) filed by U.S. employers on behalf of foreign workers seeking
to be employed in the U.S. SWAs are also responsible for issuing
prevailing wage determinations, reviewing employer-provided wage
surveys or other source data, conducting housing inspections of
facilities offered to migrant and seasonal workers, and conducting and
monitoring recruitment activities seeking qualified U.S. workers for
the temporary jobs employers are attempting to fill with foreign
workers. The SWAs perform these functions under a reimbursable grant
that is awarded annually. The information pertaining to these functions
is proposed to be collected on the Form ETA 9127 and will be used by
Departmental staff to manage foreign (alien) labor certification
programs in the SWAs. The Department will use the data collected to:
(1) Monitor the number of temporary applications that are received,
processed, and forwarded to the national processing centers; (2)
determine the number of prevailing wage determinations issued to
employers under the permanent and temporary labor certification
programs, as well as, the H-1B program for nonimmigrant professionals
in specialty occupations; and, (3) track the number of agricultural
prevailing wage and practice surveys conducted, housing inspections
made, and job orders filed. The information on workload will be used
for formulating budget estimates for both state and Federal workloads,
and for monitoring a State's performance against the grant statement of
work and work plan. Without such information, the budget workload
figures will be estimates and the allocation of funding to the SWAs
will not reflect the true workload in a State.
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 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.
III. Current Actions:
In order to meet its statutory responsibilities under the INA, the
Department needs to extend an existing collection of information to
continue to collect data from SWAs.
Type of Review: Extension.
Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
Title: Foreign Labor Certification Quarterly Activity Report.
OMB Number: 1205-0457.
Agency Number(s): Form ETA 9127.
Recordkeeping: Quarterly.
Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal governments.
Total Respondents: 54 State Workforce Agencies.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 432.
Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): 0.
Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): 0.
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: December 29, 2008.
William L. Carlson,
Administrator, Office of Foreign Labor Certifications.
[FR Doc. E8-31264 Filed 1-2-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FP-P