82 FR 56997 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Annual Refiling Survey

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of the Secretary

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 230 (December 1, 2017)

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) sponsored information collection request (ICR) revision titled, ``Annual Refiling Survey,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. Public comments on the ICR are invited.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 230 (Friday, December 1, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56997-56998]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-25864]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Annual Refiling Survey

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Bureau of 
Labor Statistics (BLS) sponsored information collection request (ICR) 
revision titled, ``Annual Refiling Survey,'' to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for use in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. Public 
comments on the ICR are invited.

DATES: The OMB will consider all written comments that agency receives 
on or before January 2, 2018.

ADDRESSES: A copy of this ICR with applicable supporting documentation, 
including a description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency 
of response, and estimated total burden may be obtained free of charge 
from the RegInfo.gov Web site at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=201708-1220-005 (this link will only become active 
on the day following publication of this notice) or by contacting 
Michel Smyth by telephone at 202-693-4129, TTY 202-693-8064 (these are 
not toll-free numbers) or sending an email to [email protected].
    Submit comments about this request by mail to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for DOL-BLS, 
Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20503; by Fax: 202-395-5806 (this is not a toll-free 
number); or by email: [email protected]. Commenters are 
encouraged, but not required, to send a courtesy copy of any comments 
by mail or courier to the U.S. Department of Labor--OASAM, Office of 
the Chief Information Officer, Attn: Departmental Information 
Compliance Management Program, Room N1301, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20210; or by email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michel Smyth by telephone at 202-693-
4129, TTY 202-693-8064 (these are not toll-free numbers) or sending an 
email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This ICR seeks OMB approval for revisions to 
the Annual Refiling Survey (ARS). The ARS is used in conjunction with 
the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program. The 
primary purpose of the ARS is to verify or to correct the North 
American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to 
establishments as well as to obtain accurate mailing and physical 
location addresses of establishments. As a result, changes in the 
industrial and geographical compositions of the economy are captured in 
a timely manner and reflected in BLS statistical programs. The QCEW 
program provides data necessary to administer State Unemployment 
Insurance systems. QCEW data accurately reflect the extent of coverage 
of the State UI laws and are used for determining UI total and taxable 
wages rates and for other purposes. Federal, State, and local 
government officials as well as private researchers depend on accurate 
geographical and industrial coding based on the NAICS Manual. This ICR 
has been classified as a revision because BLS will increase efforts to 
collect information from more establishments that are in NAICS Code 
999999. These are unclassified establishments (NCA) for which there is 
no information

[[Page 56998]]

currently available about their industrial activities. Online 
collection has made it easier to pursue data from unclassified 
establishments and more NCA contacts are attempted than in past years. 
The BLS Authorizing Statute authorizes this information collection. See 
29 U.S.C. 2.
    This information collection is subject to the PRA. A Federal agency 
generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and 
the public is generally not required to respond to an information 
collection, unless it is approved by the OMB under the PRA and displays 
a currently valid OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any 
other provisions of law, no person shall generally be subject to 
penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information that 
does not display a valid Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 
1320.6. The DOL obtains OMB approval for this information collection 
under Control Number 1220-0032. The current approval is scheduled to 
expire on December 31, 2017; however, the DOL notes that existing 
information collection requirements submitted to the OMB receive a 
month-to-month extension while they undergo review. New requirements 
would only take effect upon OMB approval. For additional substantive 
information about this ICR, see the related notice published in the 
Federal Register on July 21, 2017 (82 FR 33928).
    Interested parties are encouraged to send comments to the OMB, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the address shown in 
the ADDRESSES section within thirty (30) days of publication of this 
notice in the Federal Register. In order to help ensure appropriate 
consideration, comments should mention OMB Control Number 1220-0032. 
The OMB 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., permitting 
electronic submission of responses.
    Agency: DOL-BLS.
    Title of Collection: Annual Refiling Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 1220-0032.
    Affected Public: Private Sector--businesses or other for-profits, 
not-for-profit institutions, and farms.
    Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 998,107.
    Total Estimated Number of Responses: 998,107.
    Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 109,881 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $0.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D).

    Dated: November 27, 2017.
Michel Smyth,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-25864 Filed 11-30-17; 8:45 am]
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