2013-23835. Submission for Review: Information Collection 3206-NEW; Standard Form 86 Certification (SF 86C)

AGENCY:

U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION:

30-Day notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

Federal Investigative Services (FIS), U. S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on an information collection request (ICR), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control No. 3206-NEW, for Standard Form 86 Certification (SF 86C). As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35) as amended by the Clinger-Cohen Act (Pub. L. 104-106), OPM is soliciting comments for this collection. The Office of Management and Budget is particularly interested in comments that:

1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of OPM, including whether the information will have practical utility;

2. Evaluate the accuracy of OPM's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information 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 submissions of responses.

DATES:

Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until October 30, 2013. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.1.

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 and Budget, 725 17th Street NW., Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, Attention: Jasmeet K. Seehra, OMB Desk Officer or sent by email to [e-mail] or faxed to [phone]; and Federal Investigative Services, U. S. Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street, NW., Washington, DC 20415, Attention: Donna McLeod or sent by email to [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

A copy of this ICR, with applicable supporting documentation, may be obtained by contacting the Federal Investigative Services, U. S. Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20415, Attention: Donna McLeod or sent by email to [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This notice announces that OPM is submitting to OMB a request for review and clearance of the revised collection of information, Standard Form 86 Certification (SF 86C). The SF 86C is an information collection completed by applicants for, or incumbents of, Federal Government civilian or military positions, or positions in private entities performing work for the Federal Government under contract. The collection is used as the basis of information:

• By the Federal Government in conducting background investigations, reinvestigations, and continuous evaluations, as appropriate, of persons under consideration for or retention in national security sensitive positions as defined in Executive Order 10450 and 5 CFR part 732, and for positions requiring eligibility for access to classified information under Executive Order 12968;
• by agencies in determining whether a person performing work for or on behalf of the Federal Government under a contract should be deemed eligible for logical or physical access when the nature of the work is sensitive and could bring about a material adverse effect on national security.

The SF 86C is completed by civilian employees of the Federal Government, military personnel, and non-federal employees, including Federal contractors and individuals otherwise not directly employed by the Federal Government but who perform work for or on behalf of the Federal Government. Numerous situations exist that require an individual to complete a new SF 86 for the sole purpose of determining if any information on the previously executed SF 86 has changed. The SF 86C is used in lieu of a new SF 86 to permit the individual to indicate that no data changes occurred, or to provide new or changed information. The SF 86C is a certification document that permits the reporting of changes on previously reported SF 86 information. Individual agencies maintain the form.

It is estimated that no non-Federal individuals will complete the SF 86C annually for investigations conducted by OPM. The SF 86C is not used as the basis for any investigations conducted by OPM. The SF 86C takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. The estimated annual burden for this form when used in OPM investigations is zero hours.

OPM solicits comments to determine the utility of this collection. If the form no longer meets the intended purpose, OPM recommends abolishing the form.

This ICR also requests categorizing this form as a common form. Once OMB approves the use of this common form, all Federal agencies using the form not in connection with an OPM investigation may request use of this common form without additional 60- or 30-day notice and comment requirements. At that point, each agency will account for its number of respondents and the burden associated with the agency's use.

The 60-day notice of the proposed information collection was published in the Federal Register on July 29, 2013 (Federal Register Notices/Volume 78, Number 145, page 45579-45580), as required by 5 CFR 1320, affording the public an opportunity to comment on the form. No comments were received.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Elaine Kaplan,

Acting Director.