[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 89 (Thursday, May 8, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26402-26403]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-10592]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 89 / Thursday, May 8, 2014 /
Notices
[[Page 26402]]
ADMINISTRATIVE CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED STATES
[OMB Control Number: 3002-0003]
Information Collection Request Submitted to Office of Management
and Budget (Renewal)
AGENCY: Administrative Conference of the United States.
ACTION: Thirty-day notice requesting comments.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Administrative Conference of the United States will submit an
Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) requesting renewal of an existing and previously approved
ICR (No. 3002-0003), substitute ``Confidential Employment and Financial
Disclosure Report.'' This form is a simplified substitute for the
Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Form 450, which non-government
members of the Conference would otherwise be required to file. OGE has
approved the use of this substitute form. The current OMB approval
expires on May 31, 2014. The changes proposed to the current form are
minor in nature. This proposed ICR renewal was published in the Federal
Register at 79 FR 12143 (March 4, 2014), allowing for a 60-day comment
period. No comments were received. The purpose of this notice is to
allow an additional 30 days for public comment.
DATES: Comments must be received by June 9, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons may submit written comments on the
proposed information collection to the Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget. Comments should be
addressed to the attention of the Desk Officer, Administrative
Conference of the United States, and sent via electronic mail to [email protected], or faxed to 202-395-5806, or mailed to the
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and
Budget, New Executive Office Building, 725 17th Street NW., Washington,
DC 20503.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shawne McGibbon, General Counsel,
Administrative Conference of the United States, Suite 706 South, 1120
20th Street NW., Washington, DC 20036; Telephone 202-480-2080, Email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) will
submit an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) requesting renewal of an existing and
previously approved ICR (No. 3002-0003), substitute ``Confidential
Employment and Financial Disclosure Report.'' This proposed ICR renewal
was published in the Federal Register at 79 FR 12143 (March 4, 2014),
allowing for a 60-day comment period. No comments were received. The
purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public
comment.
ACUS is charged with developing recommendations for the improvement
of Federal administrative procedures (5 U.S.C. 591). Its
recommendations are the product of a research process overseen by a
small staff, but ultimately adopted by a membership of 101 experts,
including approximately 45 non-government members--5 Council members
and up to 40 others (5 U.S.C. 593(b) and 5 U.S.C. 595(b)). These
individuals are deemed to be ``special government employees'' within
the meaning of 18 U.S.C. 202(a) and, therefore, are subject to
confidential financial disclosure requirements of the Ethics in
Government Act (5 U.S.C. App. 107) and regulations of the Office of
Government Ethics (OGE). The ACUS substitute ``Confidential Employment
and Financial Disclosure Report'' submitted (``Substitute Disclosure
Form'') is a shorter substitute for OGE Form 450, which ACUS non-
government members would otherwise be required to file.
In addition to the non-government members of the Conference, the
Chairman, with the approval of the Council established under 5 U.S.C.
595(b), may appoint additional persons in various categories, for
participation in Conference activities, but without voting privileges.
These categories include senior fellows, special counsels, and liaison
representatives from other government entities or professional
associations. The estimated maximum number of such individuals that may
also be required to submit the Substitute Disclosure Form at any
particular time is 45.
Prior to the termination of funding for ACUS in 1995, the agency
was authorized to use for this purpose a simplified form that was a
substitute for OGE Form 450. The simplified substitute form was
approved by OGE following a determination by the ACUS Chairman,
pursuant to 5 CFR 2634.905(a), that greater disclosure is not required
because the limited nature of the agency's authority makes very remote
the possibility that a real or apparent conflict of interest will
occur. ACUS received OMB approval for the simplified substitute form in
1994.
ACUS was re-established in 2010. On June 10, 2010, OGE renewed its
approval for this simplified substitute form, which ACUS must provide
to its non-government members in advance of membership meetings. In
2011, ACUS received approval from OMB for use of this form for a 3-year
period through May 31, 2014. ACUS is now requesting approval by OMB for
a renewal period of three years. The changes proposed to the current
form are minor in nature.
Subsequent to OMB's approval of the ICR in 2011, OGE clarified its
opinion and stated that the forms need only be completed by the various
types of ACUS non-government members prior to each plenary session they
attend, but not prior to committee meetings they attend. This will
greatly reduce the number of times individuals will have to complete
the form.
As required by the Ethics in Government Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 107(a);
Executive Order 12674, sec. 201(d); and OGE regulations, 5 CFR
2634.901(d), copies of the substitute form submitted to ACUS by its
members are confidential and may not be released to the public.
The proposed substitute ``Confidential Employment and Financial
Disclosure Report'' and the Supporting Statement submitted to OMB may
be viewed at: http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. To view these
documents, select ``Administrative Conference of
[[Page 26403]]
the United States'' under ``Currently Under Review''; click on the ICR
Reference Number; then click on either ``View Information Collection
(IC) List'' or ``View Supporting Statement and Other Documents.'' To
see the corresponding documents for the currently approved version,
select ``Administrative Conference of the United States'' under
``Current Inventory.''
The total annual burden on respondents for the renewal period is
estimated to be less than the 2011 estimate because the number of times
the form has to be completed by each respondent has been greatly
reduced. ACUS estimates a total burden of 45 hours (down from 135 hours
in 2011), based on estimates of 90 persons submitting the form an
average of 2 times per year, requiring no more than 15 minutes per
response.
Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding this
burden estimate or any other aspect of this information collection,
including its necessity, utility and clarity for the proper performance
of the Conference's functions.
Dated: May 5, 2014.
Shawne C. McGibbon,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2014-10592 Filed 5-7-14; 8:45 am]
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