Paid Leave Analysis Solicitation for Grant Applications Supplemental Supporting Statement

Solicitation for Grant Applications

Paid Leave Analysis

Supplemental Justification

Supplemental Supporting Statement A: Justification

This request seeks OMB approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act for the unique information collection requirements contained in the solicitation for letters of interest for the Paid Leave Analysis Grant Initiative. The Women’s Bureau and Employment and Training Administration, will announce the availability of approximately $500,000 in grant funds, and the DOL expects to fund up to five grants with a budget that will not exceed $500,000.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) became law in 1993 and guaranteed job-protected leave, but not paid leave, for men and women to care for their newborn or adopted children, seriously ill family members or for their own serious health conditions. A few states have implemented their own paid leave programs to ensure workers have the economic security to meet their families’ needs. Paid family and medical leave programs enhance job retention and help workers stay on career paths, which benefits both workers and businesses.¹

The grant funds that will be provided to the participating states are FY 2014 funds and the expected period of performance for these grants to be one year starting in September 2014, and the will require grantees to submit quarterly financial and programmatic narratives, to be cleared under another control number via an ICR to be submitted in the future. The DOL will provide additional information post award. Grantees may use the funds to carry out research and analysis activities in the categories listed below that advance the state’s work on development or implementation of a state paid leave program:

1) Statistical analysis such as feasibility, cost benefit, and actuarial studies;

2) Economic impact analysis;

3 Financing, eligibility, and benefit modeling; and

4) Education, outreach and marketing analysis for implementation purposes.

Applications include the following information collections: 1) A letter of interest that briefly describes the current status of any existing paid leave program in the State or the level of interest and status of development of any possible future program, the goals and characteristics of the existing or contemplated program, as well as major legislative, legal, budgetary or other obstacles and challenges to implementation. The letter must also describe which one or more of the four research activities, outlined above, the State would like to conduct and how the activities will support or advance the ability of the state to implement a new or expand an existing state paid leave program. 2) Form SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance” separately cleared under control number 4040-0004; 3) Form SF-424A separately cleared under OMB control number 4040-0006; 3) Project Budget Narrative; 4) Project Narrative; and 5) a signed letter from the governor.

Electronic availability:

This grant solicitation is available on the grants.gov Web site. Based on past DOL experience, the Department anticipates 80 percent of responses will be submitted electronically.

Small Entities:

This information collection will not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities.

Assurances of confidentiality:

These grant solicitations do not offer applicants assurances of confidentiality.

Special circumstances:

This SGA implicates no special circumstances.

Burden:

Based on past experience, the DOL expects to receive approximately 10 applications from an equal number of respondents. The ETA estimates public reporting burden for the information collection to average 15 hours per response for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining needed data, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

10 applications x 15 hours =150 hours.

The DOL has increased the October 2013, average hourly earnings in the professional and business services industry of $29.02 by 40 percent (total $40.63) to monetize this burden. See The Employment Situation—June 2014, DOL, Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_07032014.pdf at 33.

150 hours x $40.63 = $6,094.50.

The DOL associates no other burden costs with this information collection. In addition to the application, each grantee will be required to submit quarterly financial, performance, and narrative reports to the ETA. Those information collection requirements will be cleared under a separate control number.

Total burden: 10 respondents, 10 responses, 150 hours, $0 other cost burden.

Supplemental Supporting Statement B: Statistical Methods

This information collection does not employ statistical methods.

1 Gault, B., Hartmann, H., Hegewisch, A., Milli, J., & Reichlin, L. (2014, March). Paid Parental Leave in the United States: What the Data Tell Us About Access, Usage, and Economic and Health Benefits. Institute for Women’s Policy Research, p.12.

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