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Paperwork Reduction

Overview

The primary goals of the Department of Labor (DOL) paperwork reduction effort are:

  • Minimizing paperwork burden imposed on the American public
  • Ensuring maximum utility and quality of federal information
  • Ensuring the use of information technology to improve Government performance
  • Improving the federal government's accountability for managing information collection activities.

These goals were set by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. The PRA requires DOL and other federal agencies to be accountable for reducing the burden of federal paperwork requirements. The Department's commitment to reducing paper burdens is reflected in our Progress Summary below.

The DOL Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) maintains a team that provides oversight for paperwork reduction. Responsibilities include:

Progress Summary and Analysis for Reducing Paperwork Burden

The DOL is committed to reducing paperwork burden, and we have made progress in achieving federal goals. The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) set government wide burden hour reduction goals of 10% for Fiscal Year (FY) 1996 and FY 1997, and 5% for FY 1998 - FY 2001. The Department adopted these reduction goals and by FY 2001, achieved an approximate 30% reduction in public burden hours. These reductions came as a result of program changes (those changes as a result of deliberate federal government action) and the recognition of adjustments (those changes that are not a result of federal government action, such as new estimates).

While the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 does not specify burden reduction goals for periods following FY 2001, the Department still makes every effort to ensure that it achieves maximum practicable reductions given its statutory and programmatic responsibilities. To that end, DOL’s total burden reduction for Fiscal Years 1995 through 2008 is approximately 41%. As noted above, these reductions came as a result of both program changes and the recognition of adjustments. The below table provides a year-by-year summary of DOL’s burden reduction progress.


ACTUAL BURDEN HOURS COMPARED TO PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT GOALS FISCAL YEARS 1995 THROUGH 2008
Fiscal Year Actual Burden Hours Burden Hour Reduction Goals Reduction Goal Percentage Actual Reduction Percentage
FY 1995 266 N/A N/A N/A
FY 1996 241 241 10% -10%
FY 1997 208 217 10% -14%
FY 1998 199 198 5% -4%
FY 1999 196 189 5% -2%
FY 2000 182 186 5% -7%
FY 2001 186 173 5% 2%
FY 2002 189 184 1% 2%
FY 2003 160 187 1% -16%
FY 2004 164 158 1% 3%
FY 2005 166 163 1% 1%
FY 2006 160 164 1% -4%
FY 2007 157 158 1% -2%
FY 2008 157 155 1% 0%
Total Change -109 -111 ///////////////////////// -41%

Overseeing Information Collections and Paperwork Reduction Process

The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) is responsible for overseeing the paperwork reduction process. Requests for information collections subject to the PRA must be announced for public comment in the Federal Register, reviewed by the OCIO, and approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The CIO certifies that the DOL program agency has fully complied with all provisions of the PRA and other applicable laws and policies.

The OCIO reviews information collection requirements contained in regulatory documents and in information collection requests to ensure:

  • Legal authority or necessity for the collection of information
  • Compliance with the PRA, GPEA, Privacy Act, and other applicable laws
  • The collection imposes minimum burden on the public and offers practical utility

We also provide overall management of DOLs information collection enterprise including:

  • Managing efforts to reduce DOL's public paperwork burden in accordance with the Presidents Management Agenda
  • Coordinating information collection activity with OMB and DOL agencies
  • Conducting public consultations as required by 5 CFR 1320.5
  • Providing training and technical assistance on PRA requirements
  • Managing data associated with DOLs information collection inventory
  • Providing reports to OMB and DOL senior management

Maintaining and Reporting the Results of an Annual Information Collection Budget

Annually, OMB issues a data request via an OMB Bulletin to all federal agencies, which contains instructions for agency preparation of the Information Collection Budget (ICB) submissions. The ICB serves as a mechanism to implement the paperwork reduction program and to help Executive Branch departments to better manage and control the use of federal information collections. Throughout the year, OCIO tracks ICB data and initiatives designed to reduce paperwork burden on the public, including the use of information technology to reduce the burden. OCIO coordinates with DOL agencies to complete the ICB and submits the report to OMB. OMB, in turn, uses this information to prepare the federal government's ICB, which is submitted to Congress.

The Information Collection Budget of the United Statesis available on the White House Web Site and can be viewed at the following URL: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg/infocoll.html#icbusg