Billing Code:

4510-CH-P

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs
Proposed Revision of Information Collection; Peace Corps
Volunteer Authorization for Examination and/or Treatment,
CA-15
(OMB Control No. 1240-0059)
AGENCY:

Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, Division

of Federal Employees’ Longshore and Harbor Workers’
Compensation, (OWCP/DFELHWC) Labor.
ACTION:
SUMMARY:

Request for public comments.
The Department of Labor, as part of its

continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent
burden, conducts a pre-clearance request for comment to
provide the general public and Federal agencies with an
opportunity to comment on proposed collections of
information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995.

This request 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 Office of Workers’ Compensation

Programs, Division of Federal Employees’ Longshore and
Harbor Workers’ Compensation, (OWCP/DFELHWC) is soliciting

comments on the information collection for Peace Corps
Volunteer Authorization for Examination and/or Treatment,
CA-15.
DATES:

All comments must be received on or before [INSERT

DATE 60 DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL
REGISTER].
ADDRESSES:

You may submit comment as follows.

Please note

that late, untimely filed comments will not be considered.
Electronic Submissions:

Submit electronic comments in the

following way:
•

Federal eRulemaking Portal:
https://www.regulations.gov.

Follow the instructions

for submitting comments for WCPO-2024-0013.

Comments

submitted electronically, including attachments, to
https://www.regulations.gov will be posted to the
docket, with no changes. Because your comment will be
made public, you are responsible for ensuring that
your comment does not include any confidential
information that you or a third party may not wish to
be posted, such as your or anyone else’s Social
Security number or confidential business information.
•

If your comment includes confidential information that
you do not wish to be made available to the public,
submit the comment as a written/paper submission.

Written/Paper Submissions:

Submit written/paper

submissions in the following way:

•

Mail/Hand Delivery: Mail or visit DOL- OWCP/DFELHWC,
Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, Division of
Federal Employees’ Longshore and Harbor Workers’
Compensation, U.S. Department of Labor, 200
Constitution Ave., NW, Room S-3323, Washington,
DC

•

OWCP/DFELHWC will post your comment as well as any
attachments, except for information submitted and
marked as confidential, in the docket at
https://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Anjanette Suggs, Office

of Workers’ Compensation Programs, Division of Federal
Employees’ Longshore, and Harbor Workers’ Compensation,
OWCP/DFELHWC, at suggs.anjanette@dol.gov @dol.gov (email);
(202) 354-9660.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I.

Background
The Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP)

administers the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA),
5 U.S.C. 8101 et seq.

The statute provides for the payment

of benefits for wage loss and/or for permanent impairment
to a scheduled member, arising out of a work-related injury
or disease.

The Act outlines the elements of pay which are

to be included in an individual's pay rate, and sets forth
various other criteria for determining eligibility to and
the amount of benefits, including: augmentation of basic

compensation for individuals with qualifying dependents; a
requirement to report any earnings during a period that
compensation is claimed; a prohibition against concurrent
receipt of FECA benefits and benefits from the Office of
Personnel Management

or certain Department of Veterans

Affairs benefits; a mandate that money collected from a
liable third party found responsible for the injury for
which compensation has been paid is applied to benefits
paid or payable.
A Peace Corps Volunteer who sustains an injury or
contracts an illness overseas while in Peace Corps service
may be entitled to benefits under the FECA. Peace Corps
Volunteers are in the performance of duty while abroad
during the period of Peace Corps service for purposes of
FECA coverage. An injury sustained outside the United
States during service is deemed proximately caused by such
service, unless the injury or illness was proximately
caused by willful misconduct, intention to bring about
injury or death, or intoxication.
The Sam Farr and Nick Castle Peace Corps Reform Act of
2018 (Farr-Castle), regulates various aspects of the Peace
Corps, including changes to the provision of health care to
volunteers.

The legislation is named in honor of former

Peace Corps volunteers Sam Farr, a retired Democratic
congressman, and Nick Castle, who lost his life at age 23
while serving overseas in the Peace Corps in 2013.

The Peace Corps was established on September 22, 1961,
by Public Law 87-293, known as the "Peace Corps Act." It
authorizes the enrollment of qualified citizens and
nationals of the United States as "volunteers" and
"volunteer leaders" for service abroad in interested
countries and areas, to help the people of such countries
and areas in meeting their needs for trained workers, and
to help promote a better understanding of the American
people on the part of the peoples served and a better
understanding of other peoples on the part of the American
people.

Under the provisions of the FECA, 5 U.S.C. 8142 of the FECA
provides that,
(a) For the purpose of this section, "volunteer" means—
(1) a volunteer enrolled in the Peace Corps under section
2504 of title 22;
(2) a volunteer leader enrolled in the Peace Corps under
section 2505 of title 22; and
(3) an applicant for enrollment as a volunteer or volunteer
leader during a period of training under section 2507(a) of
title 22 before enrollment.
Entitlement to disability compensation payments does
not commence until the day after the date of termination of
service as a volunteer. 5 U.S.C. 8142(b).
Farr-Castle directs the Secretary of the Department of
Labor to authorize the Director of the Peace
Corps to furnish medical benefits to a volunteer, who is
injured during the volunteer’s period of service, for a
period of 120 days following the termination of such
service if the Director certifies that the volunteer’s
injury probably meets the requirements set forth in 5
U.S.C. 8142(c)(3). The Secretary may then certify vouchers
for these expenses for such volunteers out of the
Employees’ Compensation Fund.

OWCP and the Peace Corps collaborated on this form which
authorizes medical treatment for recently terminated Peace

Corps volunteers who require medical treatment for
injuries/exposure sustained in the performance of their
volunteer service. Issuance of this form will solely be at
the discretion of the Peace Corps.

This bridges the gap

between the occurrence of an initial injury and/or disease
exposure and the actual adjudication of a claim by OWCP by
helping ensure that recently terminated volunteers receive
prompt medical care, without delay, for a period of 120
days following separation from service.
References:
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/owcp/FECA/regs/statutes/feca
Sam Farr & Nick Castle Peace Corps Reform Act of 2018, Pub.
L. No. 115-256, § 102, 132 Stat. 3650 (2018) (codified as
amended at 5 U.S.C. 8142).
https://www.congress.gov/115/plaws/publ256/PLAW115publ256.pdf
II.

Desired Focus of Comments
OWCP/DFELHWC is soliciting comments concerning the

proposed information collection related to the Peace Corps
Volunteer Authorization for Examination and/or Treatment,
CA-15.
OWCP/DFELHWC is particularly interested in comments that:
•

Evaluate whether the collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions
of the Agency, including whether the information has
practical utility;

•

Evaluate the accuracy of OWCP/DFELHWC’s estimate of
the burden related to the information collection,
including the validity of the methodology and
assumptions used in the estimate;

•

Suggest methods to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be collected; and

•

Minimize the burden of the information collection 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.
Background documents related to this information

collection request are available at https://regulations.gov
and at DOL-OWCP/DFELHWC located at 200 Constitution Ave.,
NW, Room S-3323, Washington, DC

20210.

Questions about

the information collection requirements may be directed to
the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION section of
this notice.
III. Current Actions
This information collection request concerns Peace
Corps Volunteer Authorization for Examination and/or
Treatment, CA-15. OWCP/DFELHWC has updated the data with
respect to the number of respondents, responses, burden
hours, and burden costs supporting this information

collection request from the previous information collection
request.
Type of Review:

Revision of a currently approved

collection
Agency:

Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, Division

of Federal Employees’ Longshore, and Harbor Workers’
Compensation, OWCP/DFELHWC
OMB Number: 1240-0059
Affected Public: Private Sector – Businesses or other Forprofits.
Number of Respondents: 252
Frequency: On Occasion.
Number of Responses: 252
Annual Burden Hours: 63 hours
Annual Respondent or Recordkeeper Cost:

$179.00

OWCP/DFELHWC Forms: OWCP/DFELHWC Form CA-15, Peace Corps
Volunteer Authorization for Examination and/or Treatment.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be
summarized in the request for Office of Management and
Budget approval of the proposed information collection
request; they will become a matter of public record and
will be available at https://www.reginfo.gov.

Anjanette Suggs,
Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-13439 Filed: 6/18/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 6/20/2024]