Proposed collection; comment request

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance 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 Standards Administration is soliciting comments concerning the proposed collection: Report of Construction Contractor's Wage Rates (WD-10). A copy of the proposed information collection request can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addresses section of this Notice.

DATES:

Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the addresses section below on or before September 20, 2004.

ADDRESSES:

Ms. Hazel M. Bell, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave., NW, Room S-3201, Washington, DC 20210, telephone (202) 693-0418, fax (202) 693-1451, Email bell.hazel@dol.gov. Please use only one method of transmission for comments (mail, fax, or Email).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

I. Background

The Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 3141, et seq.) provides that every contract in excess of $2,000 to which the United States or the District of Columbia is a party for construction, alteration, and/or repair which requires or involves the employment of mechanics and/or laborers shall contain a provision stating the minimum wages to be paid various classes of laborers and mechanics which shall be based upon the wages that will be determined by the Secretary of Labor to be prevailing for the corresponding classes of laborers and mechanics employed on projects of a character similar to the contract work in the city, town, village or other civil subdivision of the State in which the work is to be performed. Further, Section 1.3 of Regulations 29 CFR part 1 provides that the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division (WHD), through a delegation of authority, is responsible for making these wage determinations. Form WD-10 is used by the U.S. Department of Labor to elicit construction project data from contractor associations, contractors and unions. The wage data is used to determine locally prevailing wages under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts. This information collection is currently approved for use through February 28, 2005.

II. Review Focus

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, 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 Actions

The Wage and Hour Division seeks the approval of the extension of this information collection to obtain wage data in order to determine current prevailing wage rates in the various localities throughout the country.

Type of Review: Extension.

Agency: Employment Standards Administration.

Title: Report of Construction Contractor's Wage Rates.

OMB Number: 1215-0046.

Agency Number: WD-10.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.

Total Respondents: 37,500.

Total Annual Responses: 75,000.

Time Per Response: 20 minutes.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 25,000.

Frequency: On occasion.

Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.

Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): $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; they will also become a matter of public record.