Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 208 / Tuesday, October 28, 2014 / Notices 64217 

his or her information. Comments 

submitted through http://

www.regulations.gov will not include 

the commenter’s email address unless 

the commenter chooses to include that 

information as part of his or her 

comment. If you are unable to provide 

submissions by either of these means, 

please contact James Rude (202–693– 

4806) to arrange for an alternative 

method of submission. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

James Rude, Office of Trade and Labor 

Affairs, Bureau of International Labor 

Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 

Constitution Avenue NW., Room S– 

5303, Washington, DC 20210. Email: 

Rude.James@DOL.Gov, Telephone: (202) 

693–4806. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

1. Background Information 

During the legislative approval 

process for the CAFTA–DR, the 

Administration and the Congress 

reached an understanding on the need 

to support labor capacity-building 

efforts linked to recommendations 

identified in the ‘‘White Paper’’ of the 

Working Group of the Vice Ministers 

Responsible for Trade and Labor in the 

countries of Central America and the 

Dominican Republic. Appropriations 

were made available from FY 2005 

through 2013 to support labor capacity 

building efforts in CAFTA–DR 

countries. For more information, see the 

full text of the CAFTA–DR at http://

www.ustr.gov/trade-agreements/freetrade-agreements/cafta-dr-dominicanrepublic-central-america-fta/final-text 

and the ‘‘White Paper’’ at http://

www.sice.oas.org/labor/

White%20Paper_e.pdf. 

In addition, in December 2006, the 

U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) 

published its procedural guidelines for 

the receipt and review of submissions 

under U.S. Free Trade Agreements, 

including the CAFTA–DR (71 FR 76691 

Dec. 21, 2006). Subsequently, pursuant 

to CAFTA–DR Article 16.4.2, in 

November 2008, the United States and 

CAFTA–DR partner countries held the 

first Labor Affairs Council meeting in 

San Salvador, El Salvador. Since the 

CAFTA–DR came into force, USDOL’s 

Office of Trade and Labor Affairs 

(OTLA) has received and accepted three 

submissions under the labor chapter of 

the CAFTA–DR. OTLA issued a public 

report in January 2009 on its review of 

a submission regarding Guatemala and 

another in September 2013 regarding 

the Dominican Republic. Another 

submission regarding Honduras is 

currently in the review process with the 

public report expected in 2014. 

Under section 403(a) of the CAFTA– 

DR Implementation Act, 19 U.S.C. 

4111(a), the President must report 

biennially to the Congress on the 

progress made by the CAFTA–DR 

countries in implementing the labor 

obligations and the labor capacitybuilding provisions found in the Labor 

Chapter and in Annex 16.5, and in 

implementing the recommendations 

contained in the ‘‘White Paper.’’ Section 

403(a)(4) requires that the President 

establish a mechanism to solicit public 

comments on the matters described in 

section 403(a)(3)(D) of the CAFTA–DR 

Implementation Act, 19 U.S.C. 

4111(a)(4) (listed below in 2). 

By Proclamation, the President 

delegated the reporting function and the 

responsibility for soliciting public 

comments under section 403(a) of the 

CAFTA–DR Implementation Act, 19 

U.S.C. 4111(a), to the Secretary of Labor, 

in consultation with the USTR. 

Proclamation No. 8272, 73 FR 38,297 

(June 30, 2008). This notice serves to 

request public comments as required by 

this section. 

2. The USDOL Is Seeking Comments on 

the Following Topics as Required 

Under Section 403(a)(3)(D) of the 

CAFTA–DR Implementation Act 

a. Capacity-building efforts by the United 

States government envisaged by Article 16.5 

of the CAFTA–DR Labor Chapter and Annex 

16.5; 

b. Efforts by the United States government 

to facilitate full implementation of the 

‘‘White Paper’’ recommendations; and 

c. Efforts made by the CAFTA–DR 

countries to comply with Article 16.5 of the 

Labor Chapter and Annex 16.5 and to fully 

implement the ‘‘White Paper’’ 

recommendations, including progress made 

by the CAFTA–DR countries in affording to 

workers internationally-recognized worker 

rights through improved capacity. 

3. Requirements for Submission 

Persons submitting comments must 

do so in English and must make the 

following note on the first page of their 

submissions: ‘‘Comments regarding the 

CAFTA–DR Implementation Act.’’ In 

order to be assured consideration, 

comments should be submitted by 5 

p.m. (EDT) October 27, 2014. The 

Department of Labor encourages 

commenters to make on-line 

submissions using the 

www.regulations.gov Web site. When 

entering this site, enter docket number 

DOL 2014–0005 on the home page and 

click ‘‘search.’’ The site will provide a 

search-results page listing all documents 

associated with this docket. Find a 

reference to this notice and click on the 

link entitled ‘‘Comment Now.’’ (For 

further information on using the 

www.regulations.gov Web site, please 

consult the resources provided on the 

Web site by clicking on ‘‘How to Use 

This Site’’ (found on the left side of the 

home page)). 

The www.regulations.gov Web site 

allows users to provide comments by 

filling in a ‘‘Type Comment field,’’ or by 

attaching a document using an ‘‘Upload 

File’’ field. The USDOL prefers that 

uploaded submissions be in Microsoft 

Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). If 

the submission is in an application 

other than those two, please indicate the 

name of the application in the ‘‘Type 

Comment’’ field. 

Please do not attach separate cover 

letters to electronic submissions; rather 

include any information that might 

appear in a cover letter in the 

submission itself. Similarly, to the 

extent possible, please include any 

exhibits, annexes, or other attachments 

in the same file as the submission itself 

and not as separate files. 

As noted, USDOL strongly urges 

submitters to file comments through the 

www.regulations.gov Web site. 

Comments will be placed in the 

docket and open to public inspection. 

Comments may be viewed on the 

www.regulations.gov Web site by 

entering the relevant docket number in 

the search field on the home page. 

Signed at Washington, DC, the 16 day of 

October 2014. 

Carol Pier, 

Deputy Undersecretary for International 

Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 2014–25535 Filed 10–27–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–28–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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 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 


asabaliauskas on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
64218 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 208 / Tuesday, October 28, 2014 / Notices 

requirements on respondents can be 

properly assessed. The Bureau of Labor 

Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments 

concerning the proposed revision of the 

‘‘Local Area Unemployment Statistics 

(LAUS) Program’’. A copy of the 

proposed information collection request 

(ICR) can be obtained by contacting the 

individual 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 December 29, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Carol 

Rowan, BLS Clearance Officer, Division 

of Management Systems, Bureau of 

Labor Statistics, Room 4080, 2 

Massachusetts Avenue NE., 

Washington, DC 20212. Written 

comments also may be transmitted by 

fax to 202–691–5111 (this is not a toll 

free number). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Carol Rowan, BLS Clearance Officer, at 

202–691–7628 (this is not a toll free 

number). (See Addresses section.) 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

The BLS has been charged by 

Congress (29 U.S.C. 1 and 2) with the 

responsibility of collecting and 

publishing monthly information on 

employment, the average wage received, 

and the hours worked by area and 

industry. The process for developing 

residency-based employment and 

unemployment estimates is a 

cooperative Federal-State program 

which uses employment and 

unemployment inputs available in State 

Workforce Agencies. 

The labor force estimates developed 

and issued in this program are used for 

economic analysis and as a tool in the 

implementation of Federal economic 

policy in such areas as employment and 

economic development under the 

Workforce Investment Act and the 

Public Works and Economic 

Development Act, among others. 

The estimates also are used in 

economic analysis by public agencies 

and private industry, and for State and 

area funding allocations and eligibility 

determinations according to legal and 

administrative requirements. 

Implementation of current policy and 

legislative authorities could not be 

accomplished without collection of the 

data. 

The reports and manual covered by 

this request are integral parts of the 

LAUS program insofar as they ensure 

and measure the timeliness, quality, 

consistency, and adherence to program 

directions of the LAUS estimates and 

related research. 

II. Current Action 

Office of Management and Budget 

clearance is being sought for a revision 

of the information collection request 

that makes up the LAUS program. All 

aspects of the information collection are 

conducted electronically. All data are 

entered directly into BLS-provided 

systems. 

The BLS, as part of its responsibility 

to develop concepts and methods by 

which States prepare estimates under 

the LAUS program, developed a manual 

for use by the States. The manual 

explains the conceptual framework for 

the State and area estimates of 

employment and unemployment, 

specifies the procedures to be used, 

provides input information, and 

discusses the theoretical and empirical 

basis for each procedure. This manual is 

updated on a regular schedule. The 

LAUS program will implement a major 

program redesign in January 2015. The 

Redesign was announced in the Federal 

Register on September 10, 2014 (79 FR 

53787). 

III. Desired Focus of Comments 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is 

particularly interested in comments 

that: 

• Evaluate whether the proposed 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of the 

functions of the agency, including 

whether the information continues to 

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 submissions 

of responses. 

Type of Review: Revision of a 

currently approved collection. 

Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Title: Local Area Unemployment 

Statistics (LAUS) Program. 

OMB Number: 1220–0017. 

Affected Public: State governments. 

Total respondents Frequency Total responses 

Average time per 

response 

(hours) 

Estimated total 

burden 

(hours) 

LAUS 3040 ........................... 52 respondents with 7403 reporting units.13 96,239 1 .5 144,358 .5 

LAUS 8 ................................. 52 .......................................... 11 572 1 572 

LAUS 15 ............................... 6 ............................................ 1 6 2 12 

LAUS 16 ............................... 52 .......................................... 1 52 1 52 

Totals ............................. ............................................... .............................. 96,869 .............................. 144,994 .5 

Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): 

$0. 

Total Burden Cost (operating/

maintenance): $0. 

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, this 22nd day 

of October 2014. 

Kimberley Hill, 

Chief, Division of Management Systems, 

Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

[FR Doc. 2014–25490 Filed 10–27–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–24–P 


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