[Federal Register: March 31, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 61)]
[Notices]               
[Page 16525-16527]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31mr05-90]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

 
Proposed Information Collection; Comments: Work Opportunity Tax 
Credit Program and the Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit

ACTION: Notice.

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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 requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. 
Currently, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is 
soliciting comments on the proposed extension (without change) of the 
Work

[[Page 16526]]

Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) Program and the Welfare-to-Work Tax 
Credit (WtWTC) electronic reporting forms ETA 9057-9059; administrative 
forms ETA 9061-9065; and the following program related documents: 
November 2002, Third Edition of ETA Handbook No. 408; Planning Guidance 
Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) for the Work Opportunity 
Tax Credit Program and Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit Allotments Fiscal 
Year (FY) 2005; and the Technical Assistance and Review Guide. This 
request covers the period from March 31, 2005 through June 30, 2006. 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.

DATES: Submit comments on or before May 31, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to: Anthony Dais, U.S. Department of Labor, 
Employment and Training Administration, Division of Employment 
Services, Office of Workforce Investment, Room S-4231, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210 (202-693-2784--not a toll free 
number), fax: 202-693-3015, and e-mail address: dais.anthony@dol.gov; 
or
    Send comments to: Dennis I. Lieberman, U.S. Department of Labor, 
Employment and Training Administration, Division of Adults and 
Dislocated Workers, Office of Workforce Investment, Room S-4231, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210 (202-693-3580--not a 
toll free number), fax: 202-693-3587, and e-mail address: 
lieberman.dennis@dol.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carmen Ortiz, U.S. Department of 
Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Employment 
Services, Office of Workforce Investment, Room S-4231, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210 (202-693-2786--not a toll free 
number), fax: 202-693-3015, and e-mail address: ortiz.carmen@dol.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Data on the WOTC and the WtWTC Tax Credits will be collected by the 
state workforce agencies (SWAs) and provided to the Division of 
Employment Services, Office of Workforce Investment, Washington, DC, 
through the appropriate Department of Labor (DOL) regional offices via 
quarterly management reports. The data obtained from the administrative 
or processing forms will be used for WOTC and WtWTC national office 
program performance management and outcome reporting.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

    Currently, ETA is soliciting comments concerning the proposed 
extension (without change) of the WOTC Program and the WtWTC electronic 
reporting forms ETA 9057-9059; administrative forms ETA 9061-9065; and 
the following program related documents: November 2002, Third Edition 
of ETA Handbook No. 408; Planning Guidance TEGL for the Work 
Opportunity Tax Credit Program and Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit 
Allotments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2004; and the Technical Assistance and 
Review Guide.
    The Department of Labor is particularly interested in comments 
which:
     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 by including 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 above in the addressee section 
of this notice.

III. Current Actions

    This is a request for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)) to extend the collection of information and use of 
program materials for the WOTC and WtWTC. On October 4, 2004, the 
President signed into law the ``Working Families Tax Relief Act of 
2004,'' P.L. 108-311. This law reauthorized the WOTC and WtWTC, without 
changes, through December 31, 2005. The reauthorization is retroactive 
to the tax credits' expiration date of December 31, 2003. OMB 
authorization for the WOTC and WtWTC administrative and electronic 
reporting forms will expire on March 31, 2005. Further, the Government 
Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-277) requires 
that, when feasible, Federal agencies design and implement the use of 
automated systems that facilitate the electronic signature and filing 
of forms (by participants) to conduct official business with the public 
by 2003. The Division of Employment Services, Office of Workforce 
Investment, complied with this requirement by successfully implementing 
an electronic reporting system for the tax credits' program and the 
WOTC and WtWTC quarterly reports. The automated reporting system is 
known as ETA's Enterprise Information Management System (EIMS) Tax 
Credit Reporting System (TCRS). The EIMS/TCRS is a Web-based system 
that allows states to meet the reporting responsibilities in a more 
efficient manner while reducing the reporting burden on the state, 
regional, and national levels. Through this system, states can manually 
enter or electronically upload the required quarterly data reports (ETA 
forms 9057, 9058 and 9059). This electronic reporting system reduced 
burden hours by 78 percent from 3,215,368 annual burden hours estimated 
for these forms in the 2002 ICR to 703,125 actual burden hours in 2004. 
The present ICR reflects the substantial decrease in response time for 
these forms.
    Type of Review: Extension (without change).
    Agency: employment and Training Administration.
    Title: Work Opportunity Tax Credit and Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit.
    OMB Number: 1205-0371.
    Burden Hours: (See Chart Below)

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                                     Total                            Annual          Average     Annual  burden
          Requirement             respondents       Frequency        response     response  time       hours
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Form 9057.....................              52  Quarterly.......             208            1:00             208
Form 9058.....................              52  Quarterly.......             208            1:00             208
Form 9059.....................              52  Quarterly.......             208            1:00             208

[[Page 16527]]


Employer/Job-seeker Complete           770,000  On occasion.....         770,000             .33         254,100
 Form 9061.
Form 9061 processed by SWAs...              52  On occasion.....         770,000             .33         254,100
Form 9062.....................              52  On occasion.....              40             .33              13
Form 9063.....................              52  On occasion.....         440,000             .33         145,200
Form 9065.....................              52  Quarterly.......             208            1:00             208
Recordkeeping.................              52  Annually........              52             931          48,412
Planning Guidance.............              52  One time........              52            8:00             416
Modification Planning Guidance              52  One time........              52            1:00              52
                                                                 -----------------
    Total.....................  ..............  ................       1,801,028  ..............         703,125
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    Total Burden Hours: 703,125.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): 0.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): 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, and they will also 
become a matter of public record.

    Dated: Signed at Washington, DC, this 25th day of March, 2005.
Emily Stover DeRocco,
Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training.
[FR Doc. E5-1412 Filed 3-30-05; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510-30-P