Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 177 / Wednesday, September 14, 2005 / Notices 54409 

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. 

DATES: Submit comments on or before 

November 14, 2005. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Edward 

M. Dullaghan, Office of Workforce 

Security, Employment and Training 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Labor, Room S4231, 200 Constitution 

Ave. NW., Washington, DC, 20210; 

telephone number (202) 693–2927 (this 

is not a toll-free number); e-mail 

dullaghan.edward@dol.gov; fax (202) 

693–2874. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

The data submitted annually on the 

ETA–204 report enables the 

Employment and Training 

Administration to project revenues for 

the Unemployment Insurance program 

on a state-by-state basis and to measure 

the variations in assigned contribution 

rates which result from different 

experience rating systems. Used in 

conjunction with other data, the ETA–

204 assists in determining the effects of 

certain factors (e.g., seasonality, 

stabilization, expansion, or contraction 

in employment, etc.) on the 

unemployment experience of various 

groups of employers. The data also 

provide an early signal for potential 

solvency problems and are useful in 

analyzing factors which give rise to 

these potential problems and permit an 

evaluation of the effectiveness of the 

various approaches available to correct 

the detected problems. Further, the data 

are the basis for determining the 

Experience Rating Index, which allows 

for the evaluation of the extent to which 

benefits in states are effectively charged, 

noncharged, and ineffectively charged. 

II. Desired Focus of Comments 

Currently, the Employment and 

Training Administration is soliciting 

comments concerning the proposed 

extension of the ETA–204, Experience 

Rating Report which: 

• Evaluates 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; 

• Evaluates 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; 

• Enhances the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and 

• Minimizes 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. 

A copy of the proposed information 

collection request (ICR) can be obtained 

by contacting the office listed below in 

the addressee section of this notice. 

III. Current Actions 

Type of Review: Extension. 

Agency: Employment and Training 

Administration. 

Title: Experience Rating Report. 

OMB Number: 1205–0164. 

Agency Number: ETA–204. 

Affected Public: State Government. 

Cite/Reference/Form/etc: ETA–204. 

Frequency: Annually. 

Total Responses: 53. 

Average Time per Response: 15 

minutes. 

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 13. 

Total Burden Cost (Operating/ 

Maintaining): $325. 

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: August 9, 2005. 

Cheryl Atkinson, 

Administrator, Office of Workforce Security, 

Employment and Training Administration. 

[FR Doc. 05–18213 Filed 9–13–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–30–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Employment Standards Administration 

Proposed Collection; Comment 

Request 

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 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 Standards Administration 

is soliciting comments concerning the 

proposed collection: Notice of Final 

Payment or Suspension of 

Compensation Benefits (LS–208). A 

copy of the proposed information 

collection request can be obtained by 

contacting the office listed below in the 

addresses section of this Notice. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted to the office listed in the 

addresses section below on or before 

November 14, 2005. 

ADDRESSES: Ms. Hazel M. Bell, U.S. 

Department of Labor, 200 Constitution 

Ave., NW., Room S–3201, Washington, 

DC 20210, telephone (202) 693–0418, 

fax (202) 693–1451, E-mail 

bell.hazel@dol.gov. Please use only one 

method of transmission for comments 

(mail, fax, or E-mail). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

The Office of Workers’ Compensation 

Programs administers the Longshore 

and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act 

(LHWCA). The Act provides benefits to 

workers injured in maritime 

employment on the navigable waters of 

the United States or in an adjoining area 

customarily used by an employee in 

loading, unloading, repairing, or 

building a vessel. Under Section 914(g) 

of the Longshore Act, the employer or 

its insurance carrier must file a report of 

the compensation paid to a claimant at 

the time final payment is made. The Act 

requires that the form must be filed 

within 16 days of the final payment of 

compensation with the District Director 

in the compensation district in which 

the injury occurred. Form LS–208 

requests information regarding the 

beginning and ending dates of 

compensation payments, compensation 

rates, reason payments were terminated 

and types and amounts of compensation 

payments. This information collection is 

currently approved for use through 

March 31, 2006. 

II. Review Focus 

The Department of Labor is 

particularly interested in comments 

which: 

54410 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 177 / Wednesday, September 14, 2005 / Notices 

• 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 submissions 

of responses. 

III. Current Actions 

The Department of Labor seeks the 

approval of the extension of this 

information collection in order to carry 

out its responsibility to notify OWCP 

district offices that payment of 

compensation benefits has been stopped 

or suspended in a case. The report is 

required by law. The report is necessary 

for OWCP to determine whether benefits 

have been suspended in a case and to 

effectively manage the case file and 

verify that the injured worker has 

received all benefits to which he/she is 

entitled to under the Act. 

Type of Review: Extension. 

Agency: Employment Standards 

Administration. 

Titles: Notice of Final Payment or 

Suspension of Compensation Benefits. 

OMB Number: 1215–0024. 

Agency Numbers: LS–208. 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit. 

Total Respondents: 500. 

Total Annual Responses: 22,722. 

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 5,681. 

Estimated Time Per Response: 15 

minutes. 

Frequency: On Occasion. 

Total Burden Cost (Capital/Startup): 

$0. 

Total Burden Cost (Operating/ 

Maintenance): $16,353.00. 

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: September 8, 2005. 

Bruce Bohanon, 

Chief, Branch of Management Review and 

Internal Control, Division of Financial 

Management, Office of Management, 

Administration and Planning, Employment 

Standards Administration. 

[FR Doc. 05–18215 Filed 9–13–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–CF–P 

MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION 

BOARD 

Variation From Normal Procedures—

Effects of Hurricane Katrina 

AGENCY: Merit Systems Protection 

Board. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of 

variations from the Board’s normal case 

processing procedures as a result of 

Hurricane Katrina and the related relief 

efforts in the gulf coast region of the 

United States. 

DATES: This rule is effective September 

14, 2005. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Bentley M. Roberts, Jr., Clerk of the 

Board, Merit Systems Protection Board, 

1615 M Street, NW., Washington, DC 

20419; (202) 653–7200; fax: (202) 653–

7130; or e-mail: mspb@mspb.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Merit 

Systems Protection Board is providing 

notice of variations in its normal case 

processing procedures that have been 

placed into effect as a result of 

Hurricane Katrina and the related relief 

efforts in the gulf coast region of the 

United States. 

The Board’s adjudicatory regulations 

contain time limits for filing documents 

in Federal employee appeals of agency 

personnel actions and other matters 

within the Board’s jurisdiction. In 

addition, MSPB judges issue various 

orders in the course of an adjudicatory 

proceeding that set time limits for 

responses by the parties. The Board’s 

regulations permit five methods of filing 

and serving documents—regular mail, 

commercial overnight delivery, 

facsimile, e-filing, and personal delivery 

to the appropriate MSPB office. The 

date of filing by regular mail is 

determined by the postmark date. For 

filing by commercial overnight delivery, 

it is the date the document is delivered 

to the commercial overnight delivery 

service. For filing by facsimile, it is the 

date recorded on the facsimile 

transmission. For filing electronically, it 

is the date of the electronic submission. 

For filing by personal delivery, it is the 

date the MSPB office receives the 

document. 

At the time of Hurricane Katrina and 

the related devastation, there were 

approximately 1,800 cases pending in 

MSPB regional and field offices and 

almost 800 cases pending at the Board’s 

headquarters in Washington. It is 

reasonable to assume, therefore, that a 

number of filings due to a MSPB office 

in early September 2005 could not be 

made in a timely manner. An unknown 

number of filings of new cases subject 

to filing deadlines falling in early 

September, 2005, also may have been 

affected by the events surrounding 

Hurricane Katrina. 

Several circumstances may have 

affected filings due in early September, 

2005 including the closing of Federal 

agencies and the displacement of 

Federal employees in the affected areas. 

Accordingly, the Board has placed 

into effect the following variations from 

its normal case processing procedures: 

1. In MSPB regional and field offices, 

judges will exercise discretion in 

accepting filings due in early 

September, 2005, and for the foreseeable 

future, that were filed (by any filing 

method) after the deadline, particularly 

from the gulf coast region of the United 

States. 

2. At Board headquarters, the Clerk of 

the Board will exercise discretion in 

accepting filings due in early 

September, 2005, and for the foreseeable 

future, that were filed after the deadline. 

Normally, a show cause order is issued 

when a late filing is received, but the 

Clerk of the Board may accept certain 

filings, particularly from the gulf coast 

region of the United States, without 

issuing a show cause order. 

3. Where MSPB case files or evidence 

were lost or destroyed as a result of 

devastation by Hurricane Katrina, MSPB 

judges may grant appropriate 

continuances until the case files or 

evidence can be reconstructed or 

dismiss cases without prejudice to their 

later re-filing. MSPB offices will also 

assist the parties in reconstructing case 

files. 

The Board and its employees 

throughout the country will 

accommodate parties to MSPB cases 

whose ability to pursue those cases was 

affected by Hurricane Katrina. Where 

the variations from normal case 

processing procedures set forth above 

do not adequately address the 

circumstances in an individual case, the 

individual circumstances, and 

appropriate solutions, will be 

considered on a case-by-case basis. The 

Board and MSPB judges may waive any 

Board regulation the application of 

which is not required by law.