34664 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 122 /Thursday, June 25, 1998 / Notices

wildland fire management activities for

units of the National Park System.

Copies of the proposed guidance

document will be made available upon

request by writing: Fire Policy, National

Park Service, National Interagency Fire

Center, 3833 So., Development Avenue,

Boise, Idaho 83705, or on the Internet at:

http;//www.nps.gov/fire/fmpc/

policy.htm.

DATES: Written comments will be

accepted until August 24, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be

addressed to: Fire Policy, National Park

Service, National Interagency Fire

Center, 3833 So. Development Avenue,

Boise, Idaho 83705.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Linda Swain at the above address or by

calling 208–376–5202.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NPS is

revising the policies and procedures

that guide its fire management activities.

To accomplish this,the fire management

policies included in ‘‘National Park

Service Management Policies’’ (1988),

are being revised and the Wildland Fire

Management Guidelines (NPS–18, 1990)

is being rescinded. The new policies

will be issued as Director’s Order #18,

in conformance with the NPS’s new

system of internal guidance documents.

Director’s Order #18 will contain: (1)

new policy statements to replace those

now contained in the ‘‘Management

Policies’’, and (2) new fire management

procedures and standards that will be

adhered to.

The 1994 wildland fire season created

a renewed awareness and concern

among Federal land management

agencies and their constituents about

the impacts of wildland fire. A Federal

Wildland Fire Management Policy and

Program Review was chartered by the

Departments of Interior and Agriculture

to ensure that uniform Federal policies

and cohesive interagency and

Inter-governmental fire management

programs existed.

Early in the review process, internal

and external ideas were sought and

broad program management issues were

identified. The review was announced

and input was requested in the Federal

Register on January 3, 1995 (60 FR 95).

The input received was used to develop

a draft report. The draft report was

published in its entirety in the Federal

Register on June 22,1995 (60 FR 32485),

and a 30-day public comment period

was announced. The full report was also

available on the Internet. Because of

numerous requests to extend the

comment period, the comment period

did not end until September 25, 1995.

A total of 308 comments were received

on the draft report. The final report was

accepted by the Secretaries of Interior

and Agriculture on December 18, 1995.

From this report, uniform policies and

cohesive fire management programs

have been developed by the Federal

land management agencies.

Director’s Order #18 Wildlife Fire

Management, will establish fire

management policy throughout the NPS

in concert with cooperating agencies.

Director’s Order #18 will be considered

for adoption by the NPS after the

comment period closes.

Dated: June 15, 1998.

Chris Andress,

Chief, Ranger Activities Division.

[FR Doc. 98–16832 Filed 6–24–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request

June 22, 1998.

The Department of Labor (DOL) has

submitted the following public

information collection request (ICR) to

the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) for review and approval in

accordance with the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13,

44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). A copy of this

ICR, with applicable supporting

documentation, may be obtained by

calling the Department of Labor,

Departmental Clearance Officer, Todd R.

Owen (202) 210–5096 ext. 143) or by EMail to Owen-Todd@dol.gov.

Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TTY/TDD) may call (202) 219–4720

between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern

time, Monday–Friday.

Comments should be send to Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs,

Attn: OMB Desk Officer for the

Employment Standards Administration,

Office of Management and Budget,

Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503

(202) 395–7316), within 30 days from

the date of this publication in the

Federal Register.

The OMB 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 submission of

responses.

Agency: Employment Standards

Administration.

Title: Employment Information

Forms.

OMB Number: 1215–0001 (revision).

Form Numbers: WH–3 and WH–3

Spanish.

Frequency: On occasion.

Affected Public: Individuals or

households.

Number of Respondents: 37,000.

Estimated Time Per Respondent: 20

minutes.

Total Burden Hours: 12,333 Hours.

Total annualized capital/startup

costs: $0.

Total annual costs (operating/

maintaining systems or purchasing

services): $0.

Description: Forms WH–3 and WH–3

Spanish are optional forms used to

obtain information from individuals

about alleged violations of various laws

enforced by the Wage and Hour

Division. It is also used as a screening

device to determine whether the

Division has jurisdiction in handling the

alleged violations.

Todd R. Owen,

Departmental Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 98–16937 Filed 6–24–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–27–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Pension and Welfare Benefits

Administration

Proposed Extension of Information

Collection Request Submitted for

Public Comment and

Recommendations

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as

part of its continuing effort to reduce

paperwork and respondent burden

conducts a preclerance consultation

program to provide the general public

and other Federal agencies with an

opportunity to comment on proposed

and continuing collections of

information in accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA

95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This

program helps to ensure that requested
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 122 /Thursday, June 25, 1998 / Notices 34665

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

Pension and Welfare Benefits

Administration is soliciting comments

concerning the proposed extension of a

currently approved collection of

information, Prohibited Transaction

Class Exemption 81–8 for investment of

plan assets in certain types of short-term

investments. A copy of the proposed

information collection request (ICR) can

be obtained by contacting the office

listed below in the ADDRESSES section of

this notice.

DATES: Written must be submitted to the

office listed in ADDRESSES section below

on or before August 24, 1998. The

Department of Labor is particularly

interested in comments which:

• Evalaute 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;

• 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.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties are

invited to submit written comments

regarding the collection of information

of any or all of the Agencies. Send

comments to Mr. Gerald B. Lindrew,

Office of Policy and Research, U.S.

Department of Labor, Pension and

Welfare Benefits Administration, 200

Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N–

56457, Washington, D.C. 20210.

Telephone: (202) 219–4782 (this is not

a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

Prohibited Transaction Class

Exemption 81–8 permits the investment

of plan assets which involve the

purchase or other acquisition, holding,

sale, exchange or redemption by or on

behalf of an employee benefit plan of

certain types of short-term investments.

These include investments in banker’s

acceptances, commercial paper,

repurchase agreements, certificates of

deposit, and bank securities. In absence

of the exemption, certain aspects of

these transactions might be prohibited

by section 406 of the Employee

Retirement Income Security Act

(ERISA).

II. Current Actions

The Office of Management and

Budget’s approval of this ICR will expire

on September 30, 1998. This existing

collection of information should be

continued because without the relieve

provided by this exemption, plans

would not be able to continue to invest

plan assets in certain short term

investments in debt obligations issued

by certain persons who provide services

to the plan or who are affiliated with

such service providers. In most

instances, the service providers

engaging in such transactions with the

plans are already providing services to

the plan. Without this exemption, these

types of transactions could not

continue, causing disruption of the

existing business practices of the plan

and the businesses that service them.

In order to ensure that the exemption

is not abused, that the rights of

participants and beneficiaries are

protected, and that the exemption’s

conditions are being complied with, the

Department has included in the

exemption two basic disclosure

requirements. Both affect only the

portion of the exemption dealing with

repurchase agreements. The first

requirement calls for the repurchase

agreements between the seller and the

plan to be in writing. These repurchase

agreements cover a period of one year or

less and may be in the form of a blanket

agreement for one year. The second

requirement obliges the seller of such

repurchase agreements to agree to

provide financial statements to the plan

at the time of the sale and as the

statements are issued. The seller must

also represent, either in the repurchase

agreement or prior to each repurchase

agreement transaction, that as of the

time the transaction is negotiated, there

has been no material adverse change in

the seller’s financial condition since the

date the most recent financial statement

was furnished that has not been

disclosed to the plan fiduciary with

whom the written agreement is made.

This requirement may be met by the

seller stating in the repurchase

agreement that by making the sale they

are representing that there is no material

or adverse change their financial

condition.

Agency: Department of Labor, Pension

and Welfare Benefits Administration.

Title: Prohibited Transaction Class

Exemption 81–8 for Investment of Plan

Assets in Certain Types of Short-Term

Investments.

Type of Review: Extension of

currently approved collection.

OMB Number: 1210–0061.

Affected Public: Individuals or

households; Business or other for-profit;

Not-for-profit institutions.

Total Respondents: 18,245.

Total Responses: 91,225.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Total Annual Burden: 15,204 hours.

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 will

also become a matter of public record.

Dated: June 19, 1998.

Gerald B. Lindrew,

Deputy Director, Pension and Welfare

Benefits Administration, Office of Policy and

Research.

[FR Doc. 98–16936 Filed 6–24–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4570–29–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Pension and Welfare Benefits

Administration

Proposed Extension of Information

Collection Request Submitted for

Public Comment and

Recommendations

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as

part of its continuing effort to reduce

paperwork and respondent burden,

provides 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 (PRA 95) (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 Pension and Welfare

Benefits Administration is soliciting

comments concerning the proposed

extension of a currently approved

collection of information included in

rules regarding participant directed

individual account plans under section

404(c) of the Employee Retirement

Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA)