2021-18930. Notice of Submission for Renewal of a Previously Approved Information Collection: Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF 85)

AGENCY:

Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION:

30-Day notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Suitability Executive Agent Programs, is notifying the general public and other federal agencies that OPM proposes to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to renew a previously-approved information collection, Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF 85).

DATES:

Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until October 1, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on the proposed information collection to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management Budget by the following method: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. All submissions received must include the agency name and docket number for this document. The general policy for comments and other submissions from member of the public is to make these submissions available for public viewing at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

A copy of this ICR, with applicable supporting documentation, may be obtained by contacting Christine Bilunka, 724-738-1190, ext. 7400, or the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Suitability Executive Agent Programs, P.O. Box 699, Slippery Rock, PA 16057, or sent by email to [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This notice announces that OPM has submitted to OMB a request for renewal of a previously-approved information collection, control number 3206-0261, Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF 85). The public has an additional 30-day opportunity to comment.

The Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions, SF 85 is an information collection completed by applicants for, or incumbents of, Federal Government civilian positions, or positions in private entities performing work for the Federal Government under contract. The collection is used as the basis of information for background investigations to establish that such persons are:

Suitable for employment or retention in Federal employment in a low risk, non-sensitive position, or fit for employment or retention in Federal employment in the excepted service when the duties to be performed are equivalent to a low risk, non-sensitive position;

Fit to perform work on behalf of the Federal Government pursuant to the Government contract, when the duties to be performed are equivalent to a low risk, non-sensitive position;

Eligible for physical and logical access to federally controlled facilities or information systems, when the duties to be performed by the individual are equivalent to the duties performed by an employee in a low risk, non-sensitive position.

For applicants, the SF 85 is to be used only after a conditional offer of employment has been made. e-QIP (Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing) is a web-based system application that houses the SF 85. A variable in assessing burden hours is the nature of the electronic application. The electronic application includes branching questions and instructions which provide for a tailored collection from the respondent based on varying factors in the respondent's personal history. The burden on the respondent is reduced when the respondent's personal history is not relevant to particular question, since the question branches, or expands for additional details, only for those persons who have pertinent information to provide regarding that line of questioning. Accordingly, the burden on the respondent will vary depending on whether the information collection relates to the respondent's personal history.

OPM recommends renewal of the form without any proposed changes, except to underlying authorities, which have been revised in the period since the last renewal; the Privacy Act Information Statement, to acknowledge the transfer of background investigations files from OPM to the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency; and the Purpose Statement, to make more clear that the form may be used for investigations for fitness for appointment to a position in the excepted service. No other changes are recommended at this time.

Ongoing assessments will occur to ensure the SF 85 reflects and collects pertinent information for the investigative process and aligns with governing policies, rules, and regulations requiring use of this form.

The 60 day Federal Register Notice was published on June 25, 2021 (86 FR 13524). No comments were received.

Analysis

Agency: Office of Personnel Management, Suitability Executive Agent Programs.

Title: Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF 85).

OMB Number: 3206-0261.

Affected Public: Individuals.

Number of Respondents: 55,040.

Estimated Time per Respondent: 120 minutes.

Total Burden Hours: 110,080.

Office of Personnel Management.

Alexys Stanley,

Regulatory Affairs Analyst.