Preclearance Federal Register

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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 151 / Monday, August 7, 2006 / Notices

Registered apprenticeship is a timetested training method, involving
hands-on instruction by experienced
workers, a jobsite mentor, and related
classroom instruction, all within a
framework that identifies needed skills
and provides recognized credentials.
Apprenticeship programs are financed,
sponsored, and implemented primarily
by private sector employers and their
workers, thus presenting minimal costs
to the taxpayer. Programs may be
sponsored unilaterally by employers or
jointly by employers and unions. There
are currently about 28,800 programs
with an estimated 413,000 registered
apprentices in the U.S.
DOL in accordance with the 1937
National Apprenticeship Act, is
responsible for promoting the
apprenticeship concept, assisting
interested employers in developing
apprenticeship programs, recognizing
State Apprenticeship Agencies and
Councils, registering apprenticeship
programs and agreements, certifying
registered apprentices, and monitoring
registered programs and apprentices. In
the last five years, the Department has
focused on expanding use of registered
apprenticeship in high-growth
industries and new occupations. These
promotional efforts have been an
important element in the broader DOL
initiative to create a demand-driven
workforce system responsive to
employer needs and successful in
developing worker talent.
The proposed survey will be
conducted by telephone and Internet
with about 1,400 sponsors, of whom 80
percent, or 1,100 individuals, are
expected to respond. A random
stratified sample will be used to ensure
broad representation nationally and to
permit detailed information on the
views of sponsors in clusters of
industries, including those identified in
the President’s High Growth Job
Training (HGJT) Initiative. Examples of
newer industries identified in this
initiative are Aerospace, Geospatial, and
Health Services, among many others.
The information from the survey will
provide a thorough and systematic
understanding of sponsors’ views,
identifying what they value, dislike, or
would like changed about registered
apprenticeship; what they see as its
main benefits and costs; what data they
maintain on it; and how they interface
with other parts of the workforce
system. The data will show how, if at
all, views differ by type of industry,
number of apprentices, by type of
program (unilateral or joint), or region.
The data collection will fill a gap in
knowledge, since there is no systematic
information on the views of sponsors in

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general nor of sponsors in high-growth
industries who have recently embraced
apprenticeship as a training method.
The survey is part of a larger evaluation
that will also involve on-site
discussions in five states with key
stakeholders. In each state, the
contractor will talk in depth with
apprentices, sponsors, state
apprenticeship administrators, OneStop Career Center directors, and
community college officials involved in
providing related instruction to
apprentices.
The information collected in the
survey, combined with findings from
the site visits, will be used by the
Department to inform policy
development on registered
apprenticeship, including how to make
the system more responsive to
employers and to further expand
registered apprenticeship in high
growth industries. The information will
also be used to determine what data is
available for possible impact or benefitcost studies.
Section 172 of WIA is the authority
under which the Employment and
Training Administration (ETA) will
collect the information proposed in this
evaluation.
II. Desired Focus of Comments

III. Current Actions
Type of Review: New
Agency: Employment and Training
Administration.
Title: Survey of Registered
Apprenticeship Program Sponsors.
OMB Number: New collection.
Affected Public: Sponsors of
registered apprenticeship training
programs, which may include small
businesses.
Respondents and Burden Hours: The
number of respondents who complete
the interview is expected to be 1,144.
The annual hour burden is calculated to
be 324 hours, based on 1,144
respondents and a survey length of 17
minutes.
Total Burden Cost for capital and
startup: $0.
Total Burden Cost for operation and
maintenance: $0.
Comments submitted in response to
this comment request will be
summarized and/or included in the
request for OMB approval of the
information collection request; they will
also become a matter of public record.
Dated: July 31, 2006.
Emily Stover DeRocco,
Assistant Secretary, Employment and
Training Administration.
[FR Doc. E6–12737 Filed 8–4–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–30–P

Currently, ETA is soliciting
comments, concerning the proposed
survey of registered apprenticeship
sponsors, that:
(a) 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;
(b) 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;
(c) Enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and
(d) 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.
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.

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration
[Docket No. ICR–1218–0NEW–(2006)–01]

Peer Review, Conflict of Interest and
Disclosure Form; Request for the
Office of Management and Budget’s
(OMB) Approval of Information
Collection (Paperwork) Requirements
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA), labor.
ACTION: Request for public comment.
AGENCY:

SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public
comment on the proposed Conflict of
Interest and Disclosure Form (COI)
form, which will be used to determine
whether or not a conflict of interest
exists for a potential peer review panel
member.
DATES: Comments must be submitted by
the following dates:
Hard copy: Your comments must be
submitted (postmarked or received) by
October 6, 2006.
Facsimile and electronic
transmission: Your comments must be
received by October 6, 2006.

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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 151 / Monday, August 7, 2006 / Notices
You may submit comments,
identified by OSHA Docket No. ICR–
1218–0NEW–01–(2006), by any of the
following methods:
Regular mail, express delivery, hand
delivery, and messenger service: Submit
your comments and attachments to the
OSHA Docket Office, Room N–2625,
U.S. Department of Labor, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington,
DC 20210; telephone (202) 693–2350
(OSHA’s TTY number is (877) 889–
5627). OSHA Docket Office and
Department of Labor hours are 8:15 to
4:45 p.m., e.t.
Facsimile: If your comments are 10
pages or fewer, including attachments,
you may fax them to the OSHA Docket
Office at (202) 693–1648.
Electronic: You may submit
comments through the Internet at http://
ecomments.osha.gov. Follow
instructions on the OSHA Web page for
submitting comments.
Docket: For access to the docket to
read or download comments or
background materials, such as the
complete Information Collection
Request (ICR) (containing the
Supporting Statement, OMB–83–I Form,
and attachments), go to OSHA’s Web
page at http://www.OSHA.gov. In
addition, the ICR, comments and
submissions are available for inspection
and copying at the OSHA Docket Office
at the address above. You may also
contact Todd Owen at the address
below to obtain a copy of the ICR. For
additional information on submitting
comments, please see the ‘‘Public
Participation’’ section in
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Todd Owen, Directorate of Standards
and Guidance, OSHA, Room N–3609,
200 Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202)
693–2222.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Administration conducts peer reviews
to review a draft product for quality by
specialists in the field who were not
involved in producting the draft. The
selection of participants in a peer
review is based on expertise, with due
consideration of independence. The
Office of Management and Budget
published the Final Information Quality
Bulletin for Peer Review on December
15, 2004. The Bulletin states ‘‘* * * the
agency must address reviewers’
potential conflicts of interest (including
those stemming from ties to regulated
businesses and other stakeholders) and
independence from the agency.’’ The
Bulletin requires agencies to adopt or
adapt the committee selection policies
employed by the National Academy of
Sciences (NAS) when selecting peer
reviewers who are not government
employees. To fulfill this requirement
OSHA has developed a Conflict of
Interest and Disclosure Form, based on
NAS, Conflict of Interest Disclosure
form. This form will be used to
determine whether or not a conflict
exists for a potential peer review panel
member.

I. Background

III. Proposed Actions
OSHA is requesting OMB to approve
OSHA’s COI form. The COI form would
add 27 hours to OSHA’s 114 million
burden hour inventory. The Agency will
summarize the comments submitted in
response to this notice, and will include
this summary in its request to OMB.
Type of Review: New information
collection requirements.
Title: OSHA’s Conflict of Interest and
Disclosure Form (COI) form.
OMB Number: 1218–0NEW.
Affected Public: Individuals or
households.
Number of Respondents: 36.
Frequency: On occasion.
Average Time Per Response: One half
hour for respondents to complete Tier 1

sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES

ADDRESSES:

The Department of Labor, as part of its
continuing effort to reduce paperwork
and respondent (i.e., employer) burden,
conducts a preclearance consultation
program to provide the public with an
opportunity to comment on proposed
and continuing information collection
requirements in accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program
ensures that information is in the
desired format, reporting burden (time
and costs) is minimal, collection
instruments are clearly understood, and
OSHA’s estimate of the information
collection burden is accurate. The
Occupational Safety and Health

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II. Special Issues for Comment
OSHA has a particular interest in
comments on the following issues:
• Whether the proposed information
collection requirements are necessary
for the proper performance of the
Agency’s functions, including whether
the information is useful;
• The accuracy of OSHA’s estimate of
the burden (time and costs) of the
information collection requirements,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
• The quality, utility, and clarity of
the information collected; and
• Ways to minimize the burden on
employers who must comply; for
example, by using automated or other
technological information collection
and transmission techniques.

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for ‘‘influential scientific assessments;’’
and 1 hour for respondent to complete
both Tier 1 and Tier 2 for ‘‘highly
influential scientific assessments.’’
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 27
hours.
Estimated Cost (Operation and
Maintenance): $0
IV. Public Participation—Submission of
Comments on this Notice and Internet
Access to Comments and Submissions.
You may submit comments and
supporting materials in response to this
notice by (1) hardy copy, (2) FAX
transmission (facsimile), or (3)
electronically through the OSHA Web
page. Because of security-related
problems, there may be a significant
delay in the receipt of comments by
regular mail. Please contact the OSHA
Docket Office at (202) 693–2350 (FFY
(877) 889–5627) for information about
security procedures concerning the
delivery of submissions by express
delivery, hand delivery, and courier
service.
All comments, submissions, and
background documents are available for
inspection and copying at the OSHA
Docket Office at the above address.
Comments and submissions posted on
OSHA’s Web page are available at
http://www.OSHA.gov. Contact the
OSHA Docket Office for information
about materials not available through
the OSHA Web page and for assistance
using the Web page to locate docket
submissions.
Electronic copies of this Federal
Register notice as well as other relevant
documents are available on OSHA’s
Web page. Since all submissions
become public, private information such
as social security numbers should not be
submitted.
V. Authority and Signature
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., Assistant
Secretary of Labor for Occupational
Safety and Health, directed the
preparation of this notice. The authority
for this notice is the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506
et seq.) and Secretary of Labor’s Order
No. 5–2002 (67 FR 65008).
Signed at Washington, DC, on July 31,
2006.
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 06–6738 Filed 7–4–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–26–M

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