Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 74 / Thursday, April 17, 1997 / Notices 18819

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the Agency,

including whether the information shall

have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of

the Agency’s estimate of the burden of

the proposed collection of information;

(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility,

and clarity of the information on

respondents, including through the use

of automated collection techniques or

other forms of information technology.

Proposed Renewal Project: The

current National Science Foundation

Applicant Survey has been in use for 3

years. Data were collected from

applicant pools to examine the racial/

sexual/disability composition and to

determine the source of information

about NSF vacancies.

Use of the information: Analysis of

the applicant pools is necessary to

determine if NSF’s targeted recruitment

efforts are reaching groups that are

underrepresented in the Agency’s

workforce and/or to defend the

Foundation’s practices in

discrimination cases.

Burden on the public: The Foundation

estimates about 5,000 responses

annually at 3 minutes per response; this

computes to approximately 250 hours

annually.

Please send comments to Gail A.

McHenry, Reports Clearance Officer,

National Science Foundation, 4201

Wilson Boulevard, Suite 245, Arlington,

Virginia 22230 or send email to

gmchenry@nsf.gov. Written comments

should be received within 60 days of the

date of this notice.

Dated: April 11, 1997.

Gail A. McHenry,

Reports Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–9899 Filed 4–16–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7555–01–M

NATIONAL SKILL STANDARDS

BOARD

Request for Comments; Notice of

Public Hearing

The National Skill Standards Board

(NSSB) announces a public hearing to

stimulate public dialogue on key issues

relevant to the decision-making of the

NSSB, and notifies the public of the

date, location, and time of the hearing.

This public hearing will solicit the

public’s views on the NSSB’s proposed

criteria necessary to receive NSSB

recognition as a Voluntary Partnership,

the entity that will develop skill

standards systems in accordance with

the 1994 National Skill Standards Act.

The NSSB’s proposed criteria cover:

roles and governance of a Voluntary

Partnership’ voting leadership; and

diversity requirements.

DATE AND ADDRESS:

Hearing Date and Address

Monday, May 12, 1997, Hyatt Regency

on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey

Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC

20001, (202) 737–1234.

Comment Date for Public Hearing

Comments and notices of intent to

present oral statements at the hearing

must be received 5 business days before

the hearing by the NSSB Public Hearing

Coordinator at the address below.

Written comments may be submitted

through the hearing date, May 12, to the

National Skill Standards Board office.

The requirements for the comments are

set forth in the ‘‘Additional

Information’’ section below.

TO SUBMIT WRITTEN TESTIMONY OR FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: NSSB

Public Hearing Coordinator, National

Skill Standards Board, 1441 L Street,

NW, Suite 9000, Washington, DC

20005–3512, (202)–254–8628 (voice)

(202)–254–8646 (fax).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Form of Public Comment

The hearing will begin at 9:00 a.m.

and adjourn at 3:00 p.m. To assist the

NSSB in scheduling speakers, the

written notice of intent to present oral

comments should include the following

information: 1) the name, address, and

telephone number of each person to

appear; 2) title and affiliation; and 3) the

specific questions, issues or concerns

that will be addressed.

Individuals who do not register in

advance will be permitted to register

and speak, if time permits, in order of

registration. Speakers should limit their

oral remarks to no more than 10

minutes. Although it is anticipated that

all persons desiring to speak will have

an opportunity to do so, time limits may

not allow this to occur. However, all

written statements will be accepted and

incorporated into the public record. The

proceedings will be audit-taped and

transcribed.

Meeting Procedure

Members of the National Skill

Standards Board will comprise the

hearing panel. A designated member of

the NSSB will preside at the hearing.

The Presiding Board Member will:

(1) Regulate the course of the meeting,

including the order of appearance of

persons presenting oral statements;

(2) Dispose of procedural matters; and

(3) Limit the presentations to matters

pertinent to the issues raised in this

notice.

Background: National Skill Standards

Board

The National Skill Standards Board

was created by The National Skill

Standards Act of 1994 (108 Stat 192,20

U.S.C. 5933), signed into law by

President Clinton on March 31, 1994.

The Board’s purpose as stated in the Act

is ‘‘to serve as a catalyst in stimulating

the development and adoption of a

voluntary national system of skill

standards and of assessment and

certification of attainment of skill

standards: (1) that will serve as a

cornerstone of the national strategy to

enhance workforce skills; (2) that will

result in increased productivity,

economic growth, and American

economic competitiveness; and (3) that

can be used consistent with civil rights

laws’’ by the stakeholders enumerated

in the Act: the nation, industries,

employers, labor organizations, workers,

students, entry-level workers, training

providers, educators and government.

This hearing is one in a series of

activities conducted by the NSSB to

engage in extensive public consultation

as it deliberates the creation of a

national voluntary skill standards

system. At prior public hearings held in

1996 at numerous locations throughout

the country, the Board gathered input

from employers, professional

associations, trade associations, unions,

educators, parents, community

organizations, state government

agencies, and others. Their views

provided a framework for the Board’s

development of a voluntary system of

skill standards. The National Skill

Standards Board will continue to

develop its policies and approaches by

sharing its preliminary thinking with

the public before the Board’s final

adoption of policies.

The Board also published in the

December 19, 1996 Federal Register its

Proposal to Establish a Voluntary

National Skill Standard System and

requested comments from the public.

The Proposal described the grouping of

jobs for the purpose of creating skill

standards, as required by the National

Skill Standards Act, and the framework

to guide the establishment of a skill

standards system.

Background: Voluntary Partnerships

To create these skill standards, the

enabling legislation charges the NSSB

with the encouragement of the

establishment of voluntary Partnerships

within each cluster. These Voluntary

Partnerships will establish the
18820 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 74 / Thursday, April 17, 1997 / Notices

standards, subject to NSSB approval, for

basic skill certificates. They will also

review and endorse the standards for

specialty certificates established for

more narrowly defined occupations

within the occupational cluster by

groups other than the voluntary

Partnership.

The enabling legislation requires

representation of all key stakeholders

groups as described herein:

Excerpted from the National Skill

Standards Act of 1994

Establishment of Voluntary

Partnerships to Develop Standards.—

(1) In General—For each of the

occupational clusters identified

pursuant to subsection (a), the National

Board shall encourage and facilitate the

establishment of voluntary partnerships

to develop a skill standards system in

accordance with subsection (d).

(2) Representatives—Such voluntary

partnerships shall include the full and

balanced participation of—

(A)(i) representatives of business

(including representatives of large

employers and representatives of small

employers) who have expertise in the

area of workforce skill requirements,

and who are recommended by national

business organizations or trade

associations representing employers in

the occupation or industry for which a

standard is being developed; and

(ii) representatives of trade

associations that have received grants

from the Department of Labor or the

Department of Education to establish

skill standards prior to the date of

enactment of this title;

(B) employee representatives who

have expertise in the area of workforce

skill requirements and who shall be—

(i) individuals recommended by

recognized national labor organizations

representing employees in the

occupation or industry for which a

standard is being developed; and

(ii) such other individuals who are

nonmanagerial employees with

significant experience and tenure in

such occupation or industry as are

appropriate given the nature and

structure of employment in the

occupation or industry;

(C) representatives of—

(i) educational institutions;

(ii) community-based organizations;

(iii) State and local agencies with

administrative control or direction over

education, vocational-technical

education, or employment and training;

(iv) other policy development

organizations with expertise in the area

of workforce skill requirements; and

(v) non-governmental organizations

with a demonstrated history of

successfully protecting the rights of

racial, ethnic, or religious minorities,

women, individuals with disabilities, or

older persons; and

(D) individuals with expertise in

measurement and assessment, including

relevant experience in designing

unbiased assessments and performancebased assessments.

(3) Experts—The partnerships

described in paragraph (1) may also

include such other individuals who are

independent, qualified experts in their

fields.

The NSSB Proposed Criteria in Addition

to Statutory Criteria Necessary for

Recognition as a Voluntary Partnership

The NSSB proposes that there will be

two levels of participation in the

Voluntary Partnerships; (1) general

membership; and (2) voting

membership.

General membership will be open to

all individuals interested in

participating in the discussion and

receiving communications about the

development of a voluntary skill

standards system for the cluster.

Representatives from the trade

associations that have received grants

from the Department of Labor or the

Department of Education to establish

skill standards prior to the date of

enactment of the National Skill

Standards Act of 1994 are specifically

invited to participate at this level, and

may participate in the voting

membership as well.

Voting membership will be

determined by the general membership

through a democratic process. The

voting membership will make decisions

regarding the cluster’s skill standards

systems. The voting leadership must

reflect, to the extent possible, the

criteria defined below.

The NSSB mission statement

indicates that ‘‘voluntary skill standards

will be developed by industry in full

partnership with education, labor and

community stakeholders.’’ The NSSB

expects that, in keeping with its mission

statement, the Voluntary Partnerships

will demonstrate employer leadership,

but will make every effort to include

equal numbers from each of the

following three broadly defined groups

of stakeholders in the voting leadership:

(1) Employer representatives from

large, medium, small companies, public

and private employers, and trade

associations.

(2) Worker representatives from

recognized national labor organizations

and expert workers who are

representatives of employee

associations.

(3) Community representatives from

education and training institutions,

community-based organizations,

relevant state and local agencies, other

policy development organizations with

expertise in the area of workforce skill

requirements, individuals with

expertise in measurement and

assessment, and non-governmental

organizations with a demonstrated

history of successfully protecting the

rights of women, individuals with

disabilities, older persons, and racial,

ethnic or religious minorities.

Specific representation from

community members and institutions

will be determined as is logical for the

cluster, e.g. if training is primarily

delivered in community and career

colleges, then representation should

include individuals from that

community.

The voting members of the Voluntary

Partnerships shall also, to the extent

feasible, be geographically

representative of the United States and

reflect the racial, ethnic, and gender

diversity of the United States.

A copy of the authorizing legislation

will be available at the hearing.

Interested parties may access a copy on

the National Skill Standards Board web

site, www.nssb.org or call (202) 254–

8628 to request a copy.

Signed at Washington, DC, this 14th day of

April, 1997.

Edie West,

Executive Director, National Skill Standards

Board.

[FR Doc. 97–9973 Filed 4–16–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–23–M

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Abnormal Occurrence Reports:

Implementation of Section 208 Energy

Reorganization Act of 1974; Revision

to Policy Statement

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory

Commission.

ACTION: Revise policy statement.

SUMMARY: This policy statement

presents the revised criteria the

Commission will use in submitting the

annual abnormal occurrence (AO)

reports to Congress and the public in a

timely manner as stated in Section 208

of the Energy Reorganization Act of

1974, as amended. The AO policy

statement incorporates minor changes to

implement the Commission’s direction

to develop conforming changes as

necessary and revise criteria III., ‘‘For

Fuel Cycle Licensees,’’ to include

facilities that are not licensed but are