Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 78 /Thursday, April 23, 1998 / Notices 20215

the Pesticide Division of the

Environmental Protection Agency. The

pilot project is necessary to fulfill the

Congressionally mandated charge to

collect better information about

farmworker occupational health.

Type of Review: Revision of a

currently approved collection.

Agency: Office of the Assistant

Secretary for Policy.

Title: The survey form of the National

Agricultural Workers Survey.

OMB Number: 1225–0044.

Affected Public: Farmworkers and

farm employees.

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. Approximately, one

third of the 4,500 farmworker

respondents are interviewed each cycle.

And, approximately 500 employers are

approached to make interviewee

contacts each cycle.)

Total Responses: 6,000 including both

interviewed farmworkers and

employers.

Average Time per Response: Time per

response for employers is approximately

20 minutes and for farmworker

interviewees approximately one hour.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 5,000

hours (4,500 hours of this burden time

will be incurred by workers and 500 by

farm employers).

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: April 18, 1998.

Authorized Official in the Office of the

Assistant Secretary for Policy.

Richard Mines,

Economist.

[FR Doc. 98–10837 Filed 4–22–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–23–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training

Administration

Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA)

Standardized Program Information

Reporting (SPIR) System; Comment

Request

ACTION: Notice.

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 (ETA) is soliciting

comments concerning the proposed

revision and extension of the Job

Training Partnership Act (JTPA)

individual-level reporting system:

Standardized Program Information

Reporting (SPIR). A copy of the

proposed information reporting system

can be obtained by contacting the office

listed below in the addressee section of

this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted to the office listed in the

addressee section below on or before

June 20, 1998. The Department 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 the use of

appropriate electronic reporting

mechanisms.

ADDRESSEE: U.S. Department of Labor,

Employment and Training

Administration, Office of Policy and

Research, Rm. N5637, 200 Constitution

Ave, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210,

ATTN: Douglas Scott, Telephone: (202)

219–5487 ex. 111, fax: (202) 219–5455

(these are not toll-free numbers),

Internet: ED.SCOTTD@DOLETA.GOV

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The JTPA at Section 165 requires that

all state and local agencies operating

programs funded under Titles II–A

(services to disadvantaged adults), II–C

(services to disadvantaged youth),

Section 204(d) (services to older

workers) and Title III (services to

dislocated workers) of the Act maintain

standardized participant records and

report this information in a manner

prescribed by the Secretary. States

report on participants’ demographic and

labor force characteristics, services

received, and educational and labor

force status before and after program

participation. Uniform data are

maintained on those who have

participated in JTPA programs during a

given year and who have left the

programs. This information is used for

public information and program

evaluation, as well as to monitor

program performance and to assess

regulatory compliance.

The complete SPIR data base allows

the Department to set levels for national

performance standards required in the

law. The Department also uses these

data to provide States with regressionbased local adjustment factors and

models for setting benchmarks and

assessing how well local programs

achieve good results in a broad range of

employment-related and skill enhancing

outcomes. SPIR data are necessary for

the Department’s performance

monitoring consultations with local and

State JTPA programs. The data also

support requirements in the

Government Performance and Results

Act requiring federal agencies to

evaluate the impact and results of

government investment in job training

and employment programs.

Reinstatement will enable DOL to

continue this reporting system and to

enhance it to accommodate changes and

developments in the employment and

training system that have occurred since

the SPIR data base was originally

established. Enhancements will also

allow States to use administrative data

(earnings records) currently collected by

the Unemployment Insurance (UI)

program to track the labor force

experience of program participants in

order to gauge program results more

accurately and efficiently. Further

enhancements are to clarify the linkages
20216 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 78 /Thursday, April 23, 1998 / Notices

between enrollees in JTPA programs

and other programs, such as the new

Welfare-to-Work program and Worker

Profiling and Reemployment Services,

and to implement technical corrections,

such as the expansion of date fields to

accommodate Year 2000 reporting.

II. Current Actions

The SPIR data base provides

standardized information on job training

and placement programs operated by all

States and 640 sub-state service delivery

organizations. The SPIR data base serves

a number of essential functions required

by JTPA and other laws and regulations.

For example, data in the SPIR system

are used by the Department to evaluate

State and local program operations in

relation to performance standards

established by the Department in

consultation with its partners. Local

programs which are exceeding

standards are eligible to receive

monetary performance incentives, and

programs which do not meet standards

are subject to corrective action,

including technical assistance.

The SPIR data base is an integral part

of the national JTPA program. The

purposes of changes and enhancements

proposed in this submission are to:

1. Enhance the ability of the data base

system to track participants who are

also receiving services under other

programs;

2. To identify individuals who were

referred to JTPA through integrated

workforce development programs

operated at the State or local level;

3. To allow States to track the postprogram experience of individuals

through the use of administrative data

(earnings records) collected by State UI

programs;

4. To increase the frequency of data

transfers from yearly to quarterly in

order to improve the timeliness of

program information; and

5. To implement technical

requirements such as the revision of

certain program names, and changing

the format of date fields to be Year 2000

compliant.

Type of Review: Reinstatement with

changes.

Agency: Employment and Training

Administration.

Title: Standardized Program

Information Reporting (SPIR).

OMB Number: 1205–0321.

Affected Public: State governments,

local service delivery areas (SDAs), and

local sub-state areas (SSAs).

Cite/Reference/Form/etc.: Authority

to collect this information is provided in

three Sections of the JTPA legislation:

Section 106—Performance Standards

This Section directs the Secretary to

prescribe standards for adult programs

under the Titles included in the SPIR

system. Establishing standards and

monitoring performance requires data

on performance levels. This Section also

makes provision for Governors to vary

standards for local-level programs with

reference to local economic factors, the

characteristics of the population being

served, and the types of services being

provided.

Section 165—Reports, Record keeping,

and Investigations

This Section requires federal grant

recipients to maintain records and

report information regarding program

performance and fiscal management as

specified by the Secretary. It also

specifically requires recipients ‘‘to

maintain standardized records for all

individual participants and provide to

the Secretary a sufficient number of

such records to provide for an adequate

analysis.’’

Section 169—Administrative Provisions

The Secretary is directed at (d)(1) to

submit an annual report to Congress

summarizing the achievements of the

program. This report includes data on

program performance.

The collection instrument is the

Standardized Program Information

Reporting (SPIR) instructions and report

format specifications. The SPIR itself is

an electronic computer file in a

specified form which is submitted by

respondents via diskette, modem,

electronic tape, or the Internet.

Total Respondents: 52—the States,

District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Frequency: Quarterly.

Total Responses: We receive one data

set from each of the 52 reporting units.

Each of these sets contains one record

for each individual who has terminated

from participation in a JTPA program

included in SPIR reporting requirements

during the reporting period. Thus, the

number of records in each set varies

depending on the number of individuals

served under JTPA. The total report

submission for the most recent reporting

period (Program Year 1996) consisted of

589,806 individual records.

The following table documents

changes in the burden hours associated

with the proposed SPIR revisions. (Note:

the most recent SPIR authorization

referenced a burden hours estimate of

20,140 hours. This was, in fact, the

increase over the original SPIR

authorization bringing the authorized

burden hours to 439,365. For this reason

the table used the 439,365 estimate as

the departure point for burden hours

estimates.)

CHANGE IN BURDEN HOURS.—FIRST INTERIM YEAR OF REVISION

Activity Affected respondents

Average

hours per

year

Average

burden

hours (national)

Currently Authorized ................................................................................................................................. .................... .................... 439,365

Change in Record Volume +11% ............................................................................................................ 52 310 455,485

Move to Quarterly Reporting .................................................................................................................... 52 30 457,045

New and Revised Data Elements ............................................................................................................ 52 80 461,205

Start-up Requirements for Wage Records ............................................................................................... 5 100 461,705

Routine Data Gathering for Wage Records ............................................................................................. 5 50 461,955

Decrease in Reporting Burden Associated with Move to Wage Records ............................................... 5 ¥1203 455,940

Net Change in Reporting Burden, 1st

Year: +16,575.

Burden hours calculation refers to the

first year after implementation of

changes. For example, if the increase

over the three year period in volume of

records is 11%, then 439,365 hours will

increase to 487,695 hours—a net

increase of 48,330 hours attributable to

change in volume of records processed.

This is an average increase of 16,110 per

year, as reflected in the table.

Average Time per Response: 8,768

total hours per reporting unit (State) to

compile and transmit electronic records

for JTPA terminees included in the data

transfer. The actual time per response

varies widely depending on the number
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 78 /Thursday, April 23, 1998 / Notices 20217

of individuals served in the State’s

programs.

Total Burden Cost (capital/startup):

All respondents are currently operating

production-status SPIR reporting

systems. Estimated average marginal

costs to implement changes described in

this Notice: $7,500.

Total Burden Cost (operating/

maintaining): All respondents maintain

management information systems

required to operate their JTPA programs.

Satisfying SPIR reporting requirements

is one of a number of functions these

systems perform. The costs of operating

and maintaining these systems vary

widely, ranging from States with only a

single Service Delivery Area (e.g.,

Delaware) to California which has 52

Service Delivery Areas within the State.

Estimated Total Burden Hours:

455,940.

Change from Prior Authorization:

Increase of 16,575 hours.

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: April 15, 1998.

Gerri Fiala,

Director, Office of Policy and Research.

[FR Doc. 98–10838 Filed 4–22–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–30–P

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Mine Safety and Health Administration

The ‘‘Significant and Substantial’’

Phrase in Sections 104 (d) and (e) of

the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act

of 1977; Suspension of Interpretative

Bulletin

On February 5, 1998 (63 FR 6012), the

Mine Safety and Health Administration

(MSHA) issued an Interpretative

Bulletin which set forth the Agency’s

interpretation of the statutory phrase

‘‘* * * significantly and substantially

contribute to the cause and effect of a

coal or other mine safety or health

hazard * * *’’ and which announced

that MSHA would challenge an

interpretation of that language by the

Federal Mine Safety and Health Review

Commission.

In response to concerns raised by the

mining industry, on February 20, 1998

(63 FR 8692), the Agency announced a

60-day comment period on the

implementation and impact of the

interpretation of that phrase. During the

comment period, the mining industry

presented views that the approach set

out in the Interpretative Bulletin would

be overly-inclusive, resulting in an

application that would classify virtually

all violations as S&S. This was not

MSHA’s intent.

The Agency’s purpose was to seek an

application of the phrase that would

recognize that serious hazards which

have a real possibility of causing death

or serious injury or illness should

properly be classified and addressed as

S&S violations.

Upon consideration of the views

presented to date, the Agency believes

that further dialogue on the application

of the statutory phrase ‘‘significant and

substantial’’ would better serve all

segments of the mining community. By

this notice, MSHA is hereby suspending

the Interpretative Bulletin and the

applicable provisions of the Program

Information Bulletin issued on February

5. MSHA will continue to accept written

comments on this matter.

Dated: April 20, 1998.

J. Davitt McAteer,

Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and

Health.

[FR Doc. 98–10911 Filed 4–21–98; 10:23 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–13–P

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration

National Advisory Committee on

Occupational Safety and Health

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA), U.S.

Department of Labor.

ACTION: Request for nominations.

SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary of

Labor for Occupational Safety and

Health requests nominations for

membership on the National Advisory

Committee on Occupational Safety and

Health. The Committee was established

under section 7(a) of the Occupational

Safety and Health Act of 1970 to advise

the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary

of Health and Human Services on

matters relating to the administration of

the Act.

Nominations will be accepted by the

Secretary of Labor for 8 vacancies

occurring in the following categories:

two public representatives; two

management representatives; two labor

representatives and two safety

representatives. Four additional

members for the Committee will be

recommended by the Secretary of

Health and Human Services: two

occupational health representatives and

two public representatives. The terms

for six members will be for one year and

the terms for the remaining six members

will be for two years. Any interested

person or organization may nominate

one or more qualified persons for

membership. The category which the

candidate would represent should be

specified and a resume of the nominee

included. In addition, the nomination

should state that the nominee is aware

of the nomination and is willing to serve

as a committee member for a two year

term.

DATES: Nominations must be submitted

no later than June 5, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Nominations should be

submitted to Frank Frodyma,

Directorate of Policy, Occupational

Safety and Health Administration,

Room N–3641, U.S. Department of

Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20210.

Signed at Washington, DC this 17th day of

April, 1998.

Charles N. Jeffress,

Assistant Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–10839 Filed 4–22–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–26–M

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Special Emphasis Panel in

Astronomical Sciences; Notice of

Meeting

In accordance with the Federal

Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–

463, as amended), the National Science

Foundation announces the following

meeting.

Name: Special Emphasis Panel in

Astronomical Sciences (1186).

Date and Time: May 15, 1998, 8:30 am–

5:00 pm.

Place: Room 1020, National Science

Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard,

Arlington, VA 22230.

Type of Meeting: Closed.

Contact Person: Seth L. Tuttle, Program

Manager, Division of Astronomical Sciences,

National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson

Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230. Telephone:

703/306–1820.

Purpose of Meeting: To provide advice and

recommendations on proposals submitted to

the National Science Foundation for financial

support.

Agenda: To review and evaluate proposals

submitted to the AST/MRI Program.

Reason For Closing: The proposals being

reviewed include information of a

proprietary or confidential nature, including

technical information; financial data, such as

salaries and personal information concerning

individuals associated with the proposals.

These matters are exempt under 5 U.S.C.

552b(c)(4) and (6) of the Government in the

Sunshine Act.