Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
[12/21/2005]
Volume 70, Number 244, Page 75831-75833
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of Disability Employment Policy
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
ACTION: Notice of extension of approved data collection.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance
consultation process 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 process helps
ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format,
reporting burdens are minimized, collection instruments are clearly
understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents
can be properly assessed. Currently the Office
[[Page 75832]]
of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is soliciting comments
concerning an already approved data collection for the following
Employer Assistance Referral Network (EARN) forms: EARN Provider
Enrollment Form; EARN Employer Enrollment Form; EARN Employer and
Provider Surveys. A copy of the approved information collection request
(ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the
address section of this notice.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office shown in the
address section below on or before February 21, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Richard Horne, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of
Disability Employment Policy, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Suite S-
1303, Washington, DC 20210. Telephone: (202) 693-7880. This is not a
toll-free number.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Horne, telephone: (202) 693-
7880, e-mail: horne.richard@dol.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Employer Assistance Referral Network (EARN) is a nationwide
service designed to provide employers with a technical, educational,
and informational resource to simplify and encourage the hiring of
qualified workers. Historically, disability programs required employers
to do much of the work in the finding and hiring of people with
disabilities. The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) of the
Department of Labor has designed EARN to alleviate these barriers and
do much of the work for the employer.
EARN is a service from the Office of Disability Employment Policy
(ODEP) of the Department of Labor. This referral service links
employers with providers who refer appropriate candidates with
disabilities. The service is provided by means of a nationwide toll-
free Call Center.
EARN is a service of the Office of Disability Employment Policy
which was established pursuant to section 1(a)(1) of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2001 (Pub. L. 106-554) H.R. 5656, see Title I,
(``Departmental Management'') 29 U.S.C. 551 et seq.; 5 U.S.C. 301; and
Executive Order 13187, ``The President's Disability Employment
Partnership Board (PDEPB)'' (January 10, 2001).
This service, and the data collection component is authorized
pursuant to Public Law 106-554 which direct the Office of Disability
Policy to provide initiatives such as EARN to ``further the objective
of eliminating employment barriers to the training and employment of
people with disabilities''.
II. Desired Focus of Comments
The Department is particularly interested in comments which:
Evaluate whether the 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 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 Action
This extended ICR covers four forms: EARN Provider Enrollment Form,
EARN Employer Enrollment Form, EARN Employer Survey and EARN Provider
Survey. The enrollment forms (Employer Enrollment and Provider
Enrollment) will be used to enroll provider and employers who wish to
participate and use this service. The surveys (Employer Survey and
Provider Survey) will collect quantitative data on participants' levels
of satisfaction with individual service elements and their satisfaction
with the service as a whole. The surveys will also solicit free-text
comments from participants regarding the service.
Agency: Office of Disability Employment Policy.
Titles: EARN Provider Enrollment Form, EARN Employer Enrollment
Form, EARN Employer Survey, EARN Provider Survey.
OMB Number: 1230-0003.
Frequency: On occasion.
Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit; Not-for-profit
institutions; Farms; Government; and State, local, or tribal
government.
Number of Respondents: 13,500.
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Estimated
number of Average Estimated
Form annual response time burden hours
responses (hours)
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EARN Provider Enrollment Form................................... 6,000 0.33 1,980
EARN Employer Enrollment Form................................... 7,500 0.33 2,475
EARN Employer Survey............................................ 300 0.33 99
EARN Provider Survey............................................ 300 0.33 99
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Total....................................................... 14,100 .............. 4,653
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Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.
Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $0.
Description: These surveys are designed to collect data from
service providers and employers. For each provider, we will collect
Point of Contact (POC) information and information about the types of
clients the provider serves. We also request information about the size
of the provider organization, whether a fee is charged for placement
services, and employer references. For each employer, we will collect
information about the number of employees, geographic location,
industry, specific jobs offered, and Point of Contact (POC)
information. The Employer Survey and Provider Survey will collect
quantitative data on participants' levels of satisfaction with
individual service elements and their satisfaction with the service as
a whole. The surveys will also solicit free-text comments from
participants regarding the service. We will present survey data in the
aggregate for all Employers and Providers. We will combine survey data
with system-generated data reports containing demographic data for the
sample groups as well as performance data for the Call Center.
[[Page 75833]]
Signed at Washington, DC, this December 14, 2005.
Roy Grizzard,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 05-24277 Filed 12-20-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-CX-P
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