2015-07702. Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, DoD.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness announces a proposed public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

DATES:

Consideration will be given to all comments received by June 2, 2015.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by docket number and title, by any of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail: Department of Defense, Office of the Deputy Chief Management Officer, Directorate of Oversight and Compliance, Regulatory and Audit Matters Office, 9010 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-9010.

Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name, docket number and title for this Federal Register document. The general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.

Any associated forms for this collection may be located within this same electronic docket and downloaded for review/testing. Follow the instructions at http://www.regulations.gov for submitting comments. Please submit comments on any given form identified by docket number, form number, and title.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request more information on this proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and associated collection instruments, please write to the Office of the Joint Personnel Adjudication System, ATTN: JPAS PM 400 Gigling Road, Seaside, CA 93955.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: Personnel Security System Access Request (PSSAR) Form; DD Form 2962.

Needs and Uses: JPAS requires personal data collection to facilitate the initiation, investigation and adjudication of information relevant to DoD security clearances and employment suitability determinations for active duty military, civilian employees and contractors requiring such credentials. As a Personnel Security System it is the authoritative source for clearance information resulting in accesses determinations to sensitive/classified information and facilities. Specific uses include: Facilitation for DoD Adjudicators and Security Managers to obtain accurate up-to-date eligibility and access information on all personnel (military, civilian and contractor personnel) adjudicated by the DoD. The DoD Adjudicators and Security Managers are also able to update eligibility and access levels of military, civilian and contractor personnel nominated for access to sensitive DoD information. Security Managers working in private companies that contract with DoD and who need access to the JPAS system to update security-related information about their company's employees must complete DD Form 2962 to access the system. Completion of the form assures JPAS users have the required need-to-know, security clearance, and requires applicants accept the responsibility to abide by relevant DoD regulations, laws and account management policies necessary to access the system.

DD Form 2962: To Grant Security Manager Applicants Access To JPAS System

Affected Public: Business or other for profit.

Annual Burden Hours: 7,333.

Number of Respondents: 44,000.

Responses per Respondent: 1.

Annual Responses: 44,000.

Average Burden per Response: 10 minutes.

Frequency: On occasion.

The Joint Personnel Adjudication System (JPAS) is a DoD personnel security system and is the authoritative source for clearance information resulting in access determinations to sensitive/classified information and facilities. Collection and maintenance of personal data in JPAS is required to facilitate the initiation, investigation and adjudication of information relevant to DoD security clearances and employment suitability determinations for active duty military, civilian employees, and contractors requiring such credentials. Security Managers working in private companies that contract with DoD and who need access to the JPAS system to update security-related information about their company's employees must complete DD Form 2962 to access the system. Once granted access, the Security Managers maintain employee personal information, submit requests for investigations, and submit other relevant personnel security information into JPAS on over 500,000 contract employees annually.

Dated: March 31, 2015.

Aaron Siegel,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.