[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 235 (Friday, December 8, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 85658-85659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26925]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Bureau of Labor Statistics


Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

AGENCY: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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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 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. 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. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting 
comments concerning the proposed extension of the ``Labor Market 
Information (LMI) Cooperative Agreement Application Package.'' A copy 
of the proposed information collection request can be obtained by 
contacting the individual

[[Page 85659]]

listed below in the Addresses section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
Addresses section of this notice on or before February 6, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Carol Rowan, BLS Clearance Officer, 
Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room G225, 
2 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20212. Written comments also 
may be transmitted by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#db999788848b899a848baeb9b7b2b89bb9b7a8f5bcb4ad"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c58789969a9597849a95b0a7a9aca685a7a9b6eba2aab3">[email protected]</span></a>.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carol Rowan, BLS Clearance Officer, 
telephone number 202-691-7628 (this is not a toll free number). (See 
ADDRESSES section.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The BLS enters into Cooperative Agreements with State Workforce 
Agencies (SWAs) annually to provide financial assistance to the SWAs 
for the production and operation of the following LMI statistical 
programs: Current Employment Statistics, Local Area Unemployment 
Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, and Quarterly Census of 
Employment and Wages. The Cooperative Agreement provides the basis for 
managing the administrative and financial aspects of these programs.
    The existing collection of information allows Federal staff to 
negotiate the Cooperative Agreement with the SWAs and monitor their 
financial and programmatic performance and adherence to administrative 
requirements imposed by the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost 
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR 200) and 
other grant related regulations. The information collected also is used 
for planning and budgeting at the Federal level and in meeting Federal 
reporting requirements.

II. Current Action

    Office of Management and Budget clearance is being sought for the 
LMI Cooperative Agreement application package. The extension of this 
collection of information will allow the BLS to incorporate routine 
annual updates to the Cooperative Agreement and work statements which 
define SWA deliverables and requirements and allow the BLS to carry out 
its responsibilities to monitor financial and programmatic performance.
    The Cooperative Agreement application package being submitted for 
approval is representative of the package sent every year to state 
agencies. The work statements included in the Cooperative Agreement 
application also are representative of what is included in the whole 
LMI Cooperative Agreement package. The final Cooperative Agreement, 
including the work statements, will be submitted separately to the 
Office of Management and Budget for review of any minor year-to-year 
information collection burden changes they may contain.

III. Desired Focus of Comments

    The BLS is particularly interested in comments that:
    <bullet> 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.
    <bullet> 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.
    <bullet> Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected.
    <bullet> 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.
    Title of Collection: Labor Market Information (LMI) Cooperative 
Agreement Application Package.
    OMB Number: 1220-0079.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal Governments.

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                                                           Number of                   Average       Estimated
                 Form                      Number of     responses per     Total        burden     total burden
                                          respondents     respondent     responses     (hours)        (hours)
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Work Statements.......................              54               1           54          1.5              81
LMI Budget Information Form (BIF).....              54               1           54          1.5              81
Monthly Automated Financial Reports...              12              12          144        15/60              36
LMI Obligations and Expenditures                    42              12          504            1             504
 (ObEx) Form..........................
Budget Variance Request Form..........              27               1           27        15/60             6.8
Transmittal and Certification Form....              54               1           54         8/60             7.2
FRW-A: Base Programs..................              54               1           54        25/60            22.5
FRW-B: AAMC...........................              15               1           15        25/60             6.3
Property Listing......................              27               1           27        25/60            11.3
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    Total.............................              54  ..............          933  ...........             756
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    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the information collection request; they also will become a 
matter of public record.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on December 1, 2023.
Eric Molina
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Branch of Policy Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2023-26925 Filed 12-7-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P


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