E9-12346. Office of Civil Rights; Information Collection; Nondiscrimination in Federal Financial Assistance Programs

AGENCY:

Office of Civil Rights, GSA.

ACTION:

Notice of request for comments regarding a renewal to an existing OMB clearance.

SUMMARY:

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Regulatory Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve a renewal of a currently approved information collection requirement regarding nondiscrimination in Federal financial assistance programs. This information is needed to facilitate nondiscrimination in GSA's Federal Financial Assistance Programs, consistent with Federal civil rights laws and regulations that apply to recipients of Federal financial assistance. The clearance currently expires on July 31, 2009.

Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate and based on valid assumptions and methodology; and ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected.

DATES:

Submit comments on or before: July 27, 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sloan Farrell, Compliance Officer, Office of Civil Rights, at telephone [phone] or via e-mail to [e-mail].

ADDRESSES:

Submit comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to the Regulatory Secretariat (VPR), General Services Administration, 1800 F Street, Room 4041, NW., Washington, DC 20405. Please cite OMB Control No. 3090-0228, Nondiscrimination in Federal Financial Assistance Programs, in all correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Purpose

The General Services Administration (GSA) has mission responsibilities related to monitoring and enforcing compliance with Federal civil rights laws and regulations that apply to Federal Financial Assistance programs administered by GSA. Specifically, those laws provide that no person on the ground of race, color, national origin, disability, sex or age shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program in connection with which Federal financial assistance is extended under laws administered in whole or in part by GSA. These mission responsibilities generate the requirement to request and obtain certain data from recipients of Federal surplus property for the purpose of determining compliance, such as the number of individuals, based on race and ethnic origin, of the recipient's eligible and actual serviced population; race and national origin of those denied participation in the recipient's program(s); non-English languages encountered by the recipient's program(s) and how the recipient is addressing meaningful access for individuals that are Limited English Proficient; whether there have been complaints or lawsuits filed against the recipient based on prohibited discrimination and whether there have been any findings; and whether the recipient's facilities are accessible to qualified individuals with disabilities.

B. Annual Reporting Burden

Respondents: 200.

Responses per Respondent: 1.

Total Responses: 200.

Hours per Response: 2.

Total Burden Hours: 400.

Obtaining Copies of Proposals: Requesters may obtain a copy of the information collection documents from the General Services Administration, Regulatory Secretariat (VPR), 1800 F Street, NW., Room 4041, Washington, DC 20405, telephone [phone]. Please cite OMB Control No. 3090-0228, Nondiscrimination in Federal Financial Assistance Programs, in all correspondence.

Dated: May 14, 2009.

Casey Coleman,

Chief Information Officer.