Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 113 / Monday, June 15, 2009 / Notices 28279 

continuation coverage following certain 

events that would otherwise result in 

the loss of coverage. Continuation 

coverage is a temporary extension of the 

qualified beneficiary’s previous group 

health coverage. The right to elect 

continuation coverage allows 

individuals to maintain group health 

coverage under adverse circumstances 

and to bridge gaps in health coverage 

that otherwise could limit their access 

to health care. 

COBRA provides the Secretary of 

Labor (the Secretary) with authority 

under section 608 of ERISA to carry out 

the continuation coverage provisions. 

The Conference Report that 

accompanied COBRA divided 

interpretive authority over the COBRA 

provisions between the Secretary and 

the Secretary of the Treasury (the 

Treasury) by providing that the 

Secretary has the authority to issue 

regulations implementing the notice and 

disclosure requirements of COBRA, 

while the Treasury is authorized to 

issue regulations defining the required 

continuation coverage. 

On February 17, 2009, President 

Obama signed the American Recovery 

and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 

(Pub. L. 111–5). Section 3001(a)(5) of 

ARRA provides that if individuals 

request treatment as an assistance 

eligible individual and are denied such 

treatment because of their ineligibility 

for COBRA continuation coverage, the 

Secretary of Labor must provide for 

expedited review of the denial upon 

application to the Secretary in the form 

and manner the Secretary provides. The 

Secretary of Labor is required to act in 

consultation with the Secretary of the 

Treasury and must make a 

determination within 15 business days 

after receipt of an individual’s 

application for review. 

The Application is the form that will 

be used by individuals to file their 

expedited review appeals with EBSA. 

All of the information requested on the 

Application must be completed, and an 

Application may be denied if sufficient 

information is not provided. In certain 

situations, EBSA will have to contact 

plan administrators for additional 

information regarding an applicant’s 

appeal of a denial of premium 

reduction. The Letter will be used for 

this purposes in cases where the 

Department has otherwise been unable 

to contact a plan administrator. 

On May 20, 2009, the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) 

approved the Application and the Letter 

(OMB Control Number 1210–0135) 

under the emergency procedures for 

review and clearance in accordance 

with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995 (Pub. L. 104–13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 

35) and 5 CFR 1320.13. The approval is 

scheduled to expire on November 30, 

2009. 

II. Current Actions 

This notice requests public comment 

pertaining to the Department’s request 

for extension of OMB’s approval of the 

Application. After considering 

comments received in response to this 

notice, the Department intends to 

submit an ICR to OMB for continuing 

approval. No change to the existing ICR 

is proposed or made at this time. The 

Department notes that an agency may 

not conduct or sponsor, and a person is 

not required to respond to, an 

information collection unless it displays 

a valid OMB control number. A 

summary of the ICR and the current 

burden estimates follows: 

Agency: Employee Benefits Security 

Administration, Department of Labor. 

Title: Request to the Department of 

Labor for Expedited Review of Denial of 

COBRA Premium Reduction 

Type of Review: Extension of a 

currently approved collection of 

information. 

OMB Number: 1210–0135. 

Affected Public: Individuals or 

households; Business or other for-profit; 

Not-for-profit institutions. 

Respondents: 593,000. 

Frequency of Responses: On occasion. 

Responses: 104,500. 

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 

99,750. 

Estimated Total Burden Cost 

(Operating and Maintenance): $52,000. 

III. Desired Focus of Comments 

The Department of Labor 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 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., by permitting electronic 

submissions of responses. 

Comments submitted in response to 

this notice will be summarized and/or 

included in the ICR for OMB approval 

of the extension of the information 

collection; they will also become a 

matter of public record. 

Dated: June 8, 2009. 

Joseph S. Piacentini, 

Director, Office of Policy and Research, 

Employee Benefits Security Administration. 

[FR Doc. E9–13995 Filed 6–12–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–29–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Employment and Training 

Administration 

[TA–W–65,884] 

Progressive Stamping Company, Royal 

Oak, MI; Notice of Termination of 

Investigation 

In accordance with Section 221 of the 

Trade Act of 1974, as amended, an 

investigation was initiated on May 5, 

2009 in response to a petition filed by 

a company official on behalf of workers 

of Progressive Stamping Company, 

Royal Oak, Michigan. 

The petitioner has requested that the 

petition be withdrawn. Consequently, 

the investigation has been terminated. 

Signed in Washington, DC, this 15th day of 

May 2009. 

Richard Church, 

Certifying Officer, Division of Trade 

Adjustment Assistance. 

[FR Doc. E9–13919 Filed 6–12–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–FN–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Employment and Training 

Administration 

[TA–W–65,858] 

Schnadig Corporation, Des Plaines, IL; 

Notice of Termination of Investigation 

In accordance with Section 221 of the 

Trade Act of 1974, as amended, an 

investigation was initiated on April 28, 

2009 in response to a worker petition 

filed on behalf of workers of Schnadig 

Corporation, Des Plaines, Illinois. 

The petitioner has requested that the 

petition be withdrawn. Consequently, 

the investigation has been terminated. 

Signed in Washington, DC, this 7th day of 

May 2009. 

Richard Church, 

Certifying Officer, Division of Trade 

Adjustment Assistance. 

[FR Doc. E9–13912 Filed 6–12–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–FN–P 


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