[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 173 (Tuesday, September 8, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47542-47543]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-24028]
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OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collections;
Comment Request
AGENCY: U.S. Office of Special Counsel.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) announces an
opportunity for public comment on proposed collections of certain
information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), federal agencies are required to publish
notice in the Federal Register about each proposed collection of
information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the
notice. This notice solicits comments on three forms to be used in
implementing an annual OSC survey requirement enacted by Pub. L. 103-
424.
DATES: Submit written comments on each collection of information by
November 9, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on each collection of information to
Erin M. McDonnell, Associate Special Counsel for Planning and Advice,
U.S. Office of Special Counsel, 1730 M Street, NW, Suite 300,
Washington, DC 20036-4505.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for further information,
including copies of the proposed collections of information, may be
addressed to: Erin M. McDonnell, Associate Special Counsel for Planning
and Advice, U.S. Office of Special Counsel, 1730 M Street, NW, Suite
300, Washington, DC 20036-4505, fax: (202) 653-5151.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA, federal agencies must obtain
approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each
collection of information that they conduct or sponsor. The term
``collection of information'' is defined at 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR
1320.3(c), and includes written surveys. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the
PRA (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) requires federal agencies to provide a
60-day notice in the Federal Register about each proposed collection of
information, before submitting the collection(s) to OMB for approval.
To comply with this requirement, OSC is publishing notice of the
proposed collections of information discussed further below.
The OSC is an independent agency responsible for (1) investigation
of allegations of prohibited personnel practices defined by law at 5
U.S.C. 2302(b), and certain other illegal employment practices under
titles 5 and 38 of the U.S. Code, affecting current or former federal
employees or applicants for employment, and covered state and local
government employees; (2) the interpretation and enforcement of Hatch
Act provisions on political activity in Chapters 15 and 73 of title 5
of the U.S. Code; and (3) the provision of a secure channel through
which federal employees may make disclosures of information evidencing
violations of law, rule or regulation, gross waste of funds, gross
mismanagement, abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger
to public health or safety.
Section 13 of Pub. L. 103-424, enacted in 1994, required OSC, after
consultation with the Office of Policy and Evaluation at the U.S. Merit
Systems Protection Board (MSPB), to conduct annual surveys of
individuals seeking OSC assistance, and to report on survey results in
OSC's annual reports to Congress. Sec. 13 provides that annual surveys
shall determine: (1) Whether individuals seeking assistance were fully
apprised of their rights; (2) whether individuals were successful at
the OSC or the MSPB; and (3) if individuals, whether successful or not,
were satisfied with the treatment received from the OSC.
After consultation with the MSPB, OSC obtained OMB clearance under
the PRA to use three survey forms, one for each category of individuals
seeking the agency's assistance--i.e., persons whose allegations of
prohibited personnel practices and other violations of law within OSC's
jurisdiction were investigated and closed, with or without corrective
or disciplinary action; individuals who received written OSC advisory
opinions about allowable and unallowable political activity under the
Hatch Act; and individuals whose disclosures of possible wrongdoing by
federal agencies were acted on by the OSC Disclosure Unit. The OSC sent
surveys to individuals in these three categories, and reported on the
results in its annual reports to Congress.
Since expiration of the OMB clearance in 1997, the OSC has modified
the survey forms to focus more clearly on customer service issues, to
elicit information that would place responses to the questions
enumerated in the statute in a more meaningful context, and provide a
clearer context for responses received to other questions. The three
survey formats, as revised, are proposed for use in surveying persons
whose matters were closed, or who received written Hatch Act advisory
opinions, between fiscal years (FY) 1998-2000. As before, survey
responses will be voluntary, will not solicit information required by
law or regulation, and will be able to be submitted without personal
identification if the respondent so chooses.
With respect to the following proposed collections of information,
OSC invites comments on: (1) Whether they are necessary for the proper
performance of OSC's functions, including whether the information will
have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of OSC's estimate of the
burden of the proposed collections of information, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;
and (4) ways to minimize the burden of collection of information on
respondents, including through the use of automated information
collection techniques, when appropriate, and other forms of information
technology:
a. OSC Form 48a (Prohibited Personnel Practice/Related Matters).
b. OSC Form 48b (Hatch Act Advisory Opinions).
c. OSC Form 48c (Whistleblower Disclosure Matters).
The OSC estimates that the burden of these collections of
information will be as follows:
[[Page 47543]]
11. OSC Form 48a (Prohibited Personnel Practice/Related Matters)
1998: 2385 complainants in closed matters x 20 mins. = 811 hrs.
1999: 2648 complainants in closed matters x 20 mins. = 901 hrs.
2000: 2940 complainants in closed matters x 20 mins. = 1000 hrs.
2. OSC Form 48b (Hatch Act Advisory Opinions)
1998: 116 recipients of written advisory opinions x 12 mins. = 24
hrs.
1999: 129 recipients of written advisory opinions x 12 mins. = 26
hrs.
2000: 142 recipients of written advisory opinions x 12 mins. = 29
hrs.
13. OSC Form 48c (Whistleblower Disclosure Matters)
1998: 161 submitters in closed disclosure matters x 15 mins. = 41
hrs.
1999: 178 submitters in closed disclosure matters x 15 mins. = 45
hrs.
2000: 196 submitters in closed disclosure matters x 15 mins. = 49
hrs.
These estimates are derived from projected increases in the number
of matters closed and opinions issued between FY 1998-2000, based on FY
1997 totals. Burden means the value of time, effort, and financial
resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose
or provide information to or for a federal agency. The term includes
reviewing instructions; searching data sources; collecting data;
completing and reviewing information collections; and transmitting or
otherwise disclosing information.
Dated: August 24, 1998.
Elaine D. Kaplan,
Special Counsel.
[FR Doc. 98-24028 Filed 9-4-98; 8:45 am]
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