Study Evaluating, and Making Recommendations for Improving, the Financial Disclosure Process for Employees of the Executive Branch; Opportunity for Comment, 2407 [05-710]

Agencies

• Office of Government Ethics
• Government Ethics Office

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 9 (Thursday, January 13, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 2407]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-710]


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OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS


Study Evaluating, and Making Recommendations for Improving, the 
Financial Disclosure Process for Employees of the Executive Branch; 
Opportunity for Comment

AGENCY: Office of Government Ethics (OGE).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Government Ethics is conducting a study, 
pursuant to the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 
2004, to evaluate and recommend improvements to the public financial 
disclosure process for employees of the executive branch. This notice 
indicates the pendency of OGE's study and provides the public and 
agencies the opportunity to comment.

DATES: Any comments from the public and the agencies must be received 
by February 11, 2005.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments to OGE on the study by any of the 
following methods:
     E-mail: usoge@oge.gov. For E-mail messages, the subject 
line should include the following reference: ``Comments Regarding 
Financial Disclosure Process Study.''
     FAX: 202-482-9237.
     Mail, Hand Delivery or Courier: Office of Government 
Ethics, Suite 500, 1201 New York Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20005-
3917, Attention: Ira S. Kaye, Associate General Counsel.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ira S. Kaye, Associate General 
Counsel, Office of Government Ethics, telephone: 202-482-9300; TDD: 
202-482-9293; FAX: 202-482-9237.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 8403 of the Intelligence Reform and 
Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, Public Law 108-458 (December 17, 
2004), directs the Office of Government Ethics to provide a report to 
Congress, within 90 days, evaluating the financial disclosure process 
for employees of the executive branch, and recommending improvements to 
it. In order to comply with this mandate, OGE has undertaken a study of 
this subject. OGE's report will focus on whether to recommend amending 
the body of information that is statutorily required to be included on 
the Standard Form (SF) 278 Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial 
Disclosure Report, as well as whether to recommend changes to the 
public financial disclosure system itself. Specifically, OGE will 
analyze whether to recommend changing: the number of asset, income, 
transaction and liability valuation categories; the various reporting 
time periods; the dollar thresholds for reporting particular assets, 
income, transactions and liabilities; the requirements to report most 
transactions, to identify the type of income earned, and to report the 
actual dollar amounts of particular types of income; and the level of 
description and detail required, particularly on Schedules C 
(liabilities and agreements or arrangements) and D (outside positions 
and compensation over $5,000) of the SF 278 report form.
    As part of its consideration of these important matters, OGE 
believes it would be both appropriate and helpful to give the public 
and agencies an opportunity to express their views. Interested persons 
may submit comments to OGE, to be received by February 11, 2005, 
regarding any specific part of the financial disclosure process study 
or just to give general views on the study in order to assist OGE.

    Approved: January 7, 2005.
Marilyn L. Glynn,
Acting Director, Office of Government Ethics.
[FR Doc. 05-710 Filed 1-12-05; 8:45 am]
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