63944 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 207 / Monday, October 27, 2014 / Notices 

RegInfo.gov Web site at http://

www.reginfo.gov/public/do/

PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=201407-1205-001 

(this link will only become active on the 

day following publication of this notice) 

or by contacting Michel Smyth by 

telephone at 202–693–4129, TTY 202– 

693–8064, (these are not toll-free 

numbers) or by email at DOL_PRA_

PUBLIC@dol.gov. 

Submit comments about this request 

by mail or courier to the Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

Attn: OMB Desk Officer for DOL–ETA, 

Office of Management and Budget, 

Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW., 

Washington, DC 20503; by Fax: 202– 

395–5806 (this is not a toll-free 

number); or by email: OIRA_

submission@omb.eop.gov. Commenters 

are encouraged, but not required, to 

send a courtesy copy of any comments 

by mail or courier to the U.S. 

Department of Labor–OASAM, Office of 

the Chief Information Officer, Attn: 

Departmental Information Compliance 

Management Program, Room N1301, 

200 Constitution Avenue NW., 

Washington, DC 20210; or by email: 

DOL_PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Michel Smyth by telephone at 202–693– 

4129, TTY 202–693–8064, (these are not 

toll-free numbers) or by email at DOL_

PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov. 

Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This ICR 

seeks to extend PRA authority for the 

Workforce Flexibility (Work-Flex) 

Program information collection, which 

allows a Governor to request authority 

from the Secretary of Labor to waive 

certain provisions of Workforce 

Investment Act (WIA) Title I programs. 

An approved waiver is valid for five (5) 

years. A Governor has the authority to 

approve a request submitted by a local 

area to waive certain WIA statutory and 

regulatory provisions that would 

otherwise apply. The Act provides that 

the Secretary may only grant Work-Flex 

waiver authority in consideration of a 

Work-Flex Plan submitted by a State. A 

State granted Work-Flex authority is 

required to submit quarterly reports 

consisting of ten (10) items that 

summarize waiver activities in the State. 

WIA section 192 authorizes this 

information collection. See 29 U.S.C. 

2942. 

The DOL notes that Workforce 

Innovation and Opportunity Act 

(WIOA) section 190 includes similar 

provisions for a State to submit a 

Workforce Flexibility Plan; however, the 

existing WIA state and local plan 

provisions remain in effect until July 1, 

2016. WIOA waiver provisions may be 

the subject of a future ICR. 

The Work-Flex Program information 

collection is subject to the PRA. A 

Federal agency generally cannot 

conduct or sponsor a collection of 

information, and the public is generally 

not required to respond to an 

information collection, unless it is 

approved by the OMB under the PRA 

and displays a currently valid OMB 

Control Number. In addition, 

notwithstanding any other provisions of 

law, no person shall generally be subject 

to penalty for failing to comply with a 

collection of information that does not 

display a valid Control Number. See 5 

CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6. The DOL 

obtains OMB approval for this 

information collection under Control 

Number 1205–0432. 

OMB authorization for an ICR cannot 

be for more than three (3) years without 

renewal, and the current approval for 

this collection is scheduled to expire on 

October 31, 2014. The DOL seeks to 

extend PRA authorization for this 

information collection for three (3) more 

years, without any change to existing 

requirements. The DOL notes that 

existing information collection 

requirements submitted to the OMB 

receive a month-to-month extension 

while they undergo review. For 

additional substantive information 

about this ICR, see the related notice 

published in the Federal Register on 

August 26, 2014 (79 FR 50951). 

Interested parties are encouraged to 

send comments to the OMB, Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs at 

the address shown in the ADDRESSES

section by December 1, 2014. In order to 

help ensure appropriate consideration, 

comments should mention OMB Control 

Number 1205–0432. The OMB 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., permitting electronic submission of 

responses. 

Agency: DOL–ETA. 

Title of Collection: Workforce 

Flexibility Program. 

OMB Control Number: 1205–0432. 

Affected Public: State, Local, and 

Tribal Governments. 

Total Estimated Number of 

Respondents: 5. 

Total Estimated Number of 

Responses: 21. 

Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 

320 hours. 

Total Estimated Annual Other Costs 

Burden: $0. 

Dated: October 21, 2014. 

Michel Smyth, 

Departmental Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2014–25451 Filed 10–24–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–FN–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Renewal of the Bureau of Labor 

Statistics Technical Advisory 

Committee 

The Secretary of Labor is announcing 

the renewal of a Federal Advisory 

Committee. In accordance with the 

provisions of the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. App. 2, 

the Secretary of Labor has determined 

that the renewal of the Bureau of Labor 

Statistics Technical Advisory 

Committee (the ‘‘Committee’’) is in the 

public interest in connection with the 

performance of duties imposed upon the 

Commissioner of Labor Statistics by 29 

U.S.C. 1 and 2. This determination 

follows consultation with the 

Committee Management Secretariat, 

General Services Administration. 

The Committee presents advice and 

makes recommendations to the Bureau 

of Labor Statistics (BLS) on technical 

aspects of the collection and 

formulation of economic measures. 

The Committee functions solely as an 

advisory body to the BLS, on technical 

topics selected by the BLS. Important 

aspects of the Committee’s 

responsibilities include, but are not 

limited to: 

a. Provide comments on papers and 

presentations developed by BLS 

research and program staff. The 

comments will advise BLS as to whether 

the academic community will regard the 

work as being technically sound and 

reflecting best practices in the relevant 

fields. 

b. Conduct research on issues 

identified by BLS on which an objective 

technical opinion or recommendation 

from outside of BLS would be valuable. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 207 / Monday, October 27, 2014 / Notices 63945 

c. Recommend BLS conduct internal 

research projects to address technical 

problems with BLS statistics that have 

been identified in the academic 

literature. 

d. Participate in discussions of areas 

where the types or coverage of economic 

statistics could be expanded or 

improved and areas where statistics are 

no longer relevant. 

e. Establish working relationships 

with professional associations with an 

interest in BLS statistics, such as the 

American Statistical Association and 

the American Economic Association. 

The Committee will report to the 

Commissioner of Labor Statistics. 

The Committee consists of 

approximately sixteen members who 

serve as Special Government 

Employees. Members are appointed by 

the BLS and are approved by the 

Secretary of Labor. Committee members 

are economists, statisticians, and 

behavioral scientists and are chosen to 

achieve a balanced membership across 

those disciplines. They are prominent 

experts in their fields and recognized for 

their professional achievements and 

objectivity. 

The Committee will function solely as 

an advisory body, in compliance with 

the provisions of the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act. The Charter will be 

filed under the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act. 

For Further Information Contact: Lisa 

Fieldhouse, Office of Productivity and 

Technology, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 

telephone: 202–691–5025, email: 

fieldhouse.lisa@bls.gov. 

Signed at Washington, DC this 9th day of 

October 2014. 

Kimberley D. Hill, 

Chief, Division of Management Systems, 

Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

[FR Doc. 2014–25440 Filed 10–24–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–24–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Employment and Training 

Administration 

Comment Request for Information 

Collection for the Jobs and Innovation 

Accelerator Challenge (JIAC) and 

Advanced Manufacturing JIAC (AM– 

JIAC) Grants, New Collection 

AGENCY: Employment and Training 

Administration (ETA), 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 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 [44 U.S.C. 

3506(c)(2)(A)] (PRA). The PRA helps 

ensure that respondents can provide 

requested data in the desired format 

with minimal reporting burden (time 

and financial resources), with collection 

instruments that are clearly understood, 

and that the impact of collection 

requirements on respondents can be 

properly assessed. 

Currently, ETA is soliciting comments 

concerning the collection of data for the 

evaluation of the JIAC and AM–JIAC 

grants and seeks approval for two 

rounds of in-person visits to a subset of 

grantee clusters and a survey of an 

estimated 330 respondents across all 30 

grants. The site visits will involve nine 

purposefully selected clusters in round 

one and a return visit to three of those 

clusters in round two. The visits will 

consist of semi-structured interviews 

about implementation of the JIAC 

initiative to be conducted with cluster 

management staff, activity leaders, 

frontline staff, participants, the local 

workforce investment boards, employer 

groups, and local economic 

development agencies. The survey will 

involve at least 11 respondents in each 

of the 30 clusters. Respondents within 

each cluster will include one cluster 

manager, one ETA funding stream 

administrator (if this person is different 

from the cluster manager) and either 

nine or 10 additional partner 

organizations. The survey will focus on 

cluster organization, communication, 

funding sufficiency, the types and 

usefulness of Federal support, and 

program management and 

sustainability. 

DATES: Submit written comments to the 

office listed in the addresses section 

below on or before December 26, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Gloria Salas-Kos, Office of Policy 

Development and Research, Room 

N5641, Employment and Training 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., 

Washington, DC 20210. Telephone 

number: 202–693–3596 (this is not a 

toll-free number). Individuals with 

hearing or speech impairments may 

access the telephone number above via 

TTY by calling the toll-free Federal 

Information Relay Service at 1–877– 

889–5627 (TTY/TDD). Fax: 202–693– 

2766. Email: salas-kos.gloria@dol.gov. 

To obtain a copy of the proposed 

information collection request, please 

contact the person listed below. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Gloria Salas-Kos, Office of Policy 

Development and Research, Room 

N5641, Employment and Training 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., 

Washington, DC 20210. Telephone 

number: 202–693–3596 (this is not a 

toll-free number). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

As of May 2011, when the first round 

of JIAC grants was issued, the 

unemployment rate in the United States 

was nine percent. Almost 14 million 

people were looking for jobs. Although 

the rate of unemployment has since 

fallen by almost two percentage points, 

it remains higher than at any point over 

the decade leading up to the ‘‘Great 

Recession’’ that began in 2007. As the 

population has continued to grow, job 

growth has surfaced to the top of the 

nation’s economic agenda. The 

economic downturn has led to greater 

attention to the role of regional 

innovation clusters as drivers for 

improving the economy, creating jobs 

and employment, and enhancing U.S. 

competitiveness. 

ETA has been an active Federal 

partner in the funding and promotion of 

regional innovation clusters for the past 

decade. Specifically, it has sought to 

address one of the challenges that the 

clusters face as they pursue economic 

growth: Employers in some high-wage 

industries with the potential for creating 

jobs report trouble finding American 

workers with the skills to fill the 

vacancies. Under the authority of 

section 414(c) of the American 

Competitiveness and Workforce 

Improvement Act of 1998, as amended 

(29 U.S.C. 2916a), ETA invests heavily 

in grants to build the skills and 

qualifications of domestic unemployed 

workers so that they can fill these 

positions and reduce the need for 

foreign workers under the H–1B visa 

program. In 2011 and 2012, ETA 

partnered with other Federal funding 

agencies to support the JIAC grants 

competitions; ETA has commissioned 

this study to evaluate and learn from 

these investments. 

The evaluation will address the 

following five key research questions: 

1. What is the role of multiagency 

collaboration in the planning and 

implementation of cluster activities? 

2. How and in what ways do regional 

clusters, programs, and partnerships 

develop under the grant? 

3. What workforce-related outcomes 

do the clusters report achieving through 

this initiative? 


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