Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Proposed Collection; Comment Request for a Modified OGE Form 201 Ethics in Government Act Access Form, 56704-56705 [2013-22251]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 178 / Friday, September 13, 2013 / Notices
Office of Federal High-Performance
Green Buildings, Office of Governmentwide Policy, General Services
Administration, 1800 F Street NW.,
Washington, DC 20405, telephone 202–
219–1121 (Note: this is not a toll-free
number). Additional information about
the Committee, including meeting
materials and updates on the task
groups and their schedules, will be
available on-line at https://www.gsa.gov/
portal/content/121999.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Procedures for Attendance and Public
Comment: Contact Ken Sandler at 202–
219–1121 to register to attend the
meeting and/or listen in to and obtain
call-in numbers and Web meeting
information for any or all of these
conference calls. To attend the meeting
and/or conference calls, submit your
full name, organization, email address,
and phone number. Requests to attend
the November 12 meeting must be
received by 5:00 p.m. eastern standard
time on Wednesday, November 6, 2013.
Requests to listen in to the calls must be
received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern time,
Monday, September 30. (GSA will be
unable to provide technical assistance to
any listener experiencing technical
difficulties. Testing access to the Web
meeting site in advance of calls is
recommended.)
Contact Ken Sandler at 202–219–1121
to register to comment during the
November 12th meeting’s public
comment period. Registered speakers/
organizations will be allowed a
maximum of 5 minutes each and will
need to provide written copies of their
presentations. Requests to comment at
the meeting must be received by 5:00
p.m. eastern standard time on
Wednesday, November 6, 2013. Written
comments also may be provided to Mr.
Sandler at ken.sandler@gsa.gov until
5:00 p.m. eastern standard time
Wednesday, November 6, 2013.
Background: The Green Building
Advisory Committee provides advice to
GSA as specified in Public Law 110–
140, as a mandatory Federal advisory
committee. Under this authority, the
Committee advises GSA on the rapid
transformation of the Federal building
portfolio to sustainable technologies and
practices. The Committee focuses
primarily on reviewing strategic plans,
products and activities of the Office of
Federal High-Performance Green
Buildings and providing advice
regarding how the Office can most
effectively accomplish its mission.
The Net Zero task group will consider
a motion of a committee member to
‘‘Strengthen net zero energy
commitments for new and existing
VerDate Mar<15>2010
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federal buildings and federal leased
buildings.’’ The Building Labels task
group will consider a motion of a
committee member to ‘‘Require building
performance labels [for federal
buildings], including current energy and
environmental performance.’’
The conference calls will focus on
how the task groups can best refine
these motions into consensus
recommendations of each group to the
full committee, which will in turn
decide whether to proceed with formal
advice to GSA based upon these
recommendations.
November 12th Meeting Agenda
• Introductions & Plans for Today’s
Meeting
• Committee Membership Renewal
Plans
• Net Zero Federal Buildings
• Federal Building Performance
Labels
• Lunch
• Update: GSA Sustainability Plan
Progress
• GSA Green Building Demonstration
Projects
• Additional Project Updates
• Public Comment Period
Detailed agendas, background
information and updates for the meeting
and conference calls will be posted on
GSA’s Web site at https://www.gsa.gov/
portal/category/102591.
Meeting Access: The Committee will
convene its November 12, 2013, meeting
at the U.S. Department of the Interior
building, Rachel Carson Room, 1849 C
Street, NW., Washington DC 20240, and
the site is accessible to individuals with
disabilities.
Dated: September 6, 2013.
Kevin Kampschroer,
Federal Director, Office of Federal HighPerformance Green Buildings, General
Services Administration.
[FR Doc. 2013–22364 Filed 9–12–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820–14–P
OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission for OMB
Review; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request for a Modified OGE
Form 201 Ethics in Government Act
Access Form
AGENCY:
Office of Government Ethics
(OGE).
ACTION:
Notice.
After publication of this
second round notice, OGE plans to
submit a proposed modified OGE Form
201 Ethics in Government Act access
SUMMARY:
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Frm 00059
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
form to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for review and approval
of a three-year extension under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. chapter 35). The OGE Form 201
is used by persons requesting access to
executive branch public financial
disclosure reports and other covered
records.
Written comments by the public
and the agencies on this proposed
extension are invited and must be
received on or before October 15, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Comments on this
paperwork notice may be submitted to
the Office of Management and Budget,
Attn: Desk Officer for OGE, via fax at
202–395–6974 or email at
OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov.
DATES:
Mr.
Paul D. Ledvina at the U.S. Office of
Government Ethics; telephone: 202–
482–9247; TTY: 800–877–8339; FAX:
202–482–9237; Email:
paul.ledvina@oge.gov. An electronic
copy of the OGE Form 201 version used
to manually submit access requests to
OGE or other executive branch agencies
by mail or FAX is available in the Forms
Library section of OGE’s Web site at
https://www.oge.gov. A copy of the
proposed modified form may be
obtained, without charge, by contacting
Mr. Ledvina. An automated version of
the OGE Form 201, also available on
OGE’s Web site, enables the requester to
fill out, submit and receive immediate
access to financial reports and certain
related records for individuals who have
been nominated by the President to
executive branch positions requiring
Senate confirmation, and individuals
who have declared their candidacy for
the Office of the President of the United
States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Request to Inspect or Receive
Copies of Executive Branch Personnel
Public Financial Disclosure Reports or
Other Covered Records.
Agency Form Number: OGE Form
201.
OMB Control Number: 3209–0002.
Type of Information Collection:
Extension with modifications of a
currently approved collection.
Type of Review Request: Regular.
Respondents: Individuals requesting
access to executive branch public
financial disclosure reports and other
covered records.
Estimated Annual Number of
Respondents: 870.
Estimated Time per Response: 10
minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 145
hours.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
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tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 178 / Friday, September 13, 2013 / Notices
Abstract: The OGE Form 201 (201
form) collects information from, and
provides certain information to, persons
who seek access to OGE Form 278/SF
278 Public Financial Disclosure Reports,
including OGE Form 278–T Periodic
Transaction Reports (collectively
referred to as 278 reports or public
financial disclosure reports), and other
covered records. The form reflects the
requirements of the Ethics in
Government Act (EIGA), the Stop
Trading on Congressional Knowledge
Act of 2012 (STOCK Act), and OGE’s
implementing regulations that must be
met by a person before access can be
granted. These requirements relate to
information collected about the identity
of the requester, as well as any other
person on whose behalf a record is
sought, and notification of prohibited
uses of executive branch public
disclosure financial reports. See EIGA at
5 U.S.C. app. §§ 105(b) and (c), and
402(b)(1); the STOCK Act, Public Law
112–105 (April 4, 2012), as amended by,
Public Law 113–7 (April 15, 2013); and
5 CFR 2634.603(c) and (f) of OGE’s
executive branchwide regulations.
Executive branch departments and
agencies are encouraged to utilize the
201 form for individuals seeking access
to public financial disclosure reports
and other covered documents. OGE
permits departments and agencies to use
or develop their own forms as long as
the forms collect and provide all of the
required information.
OGE is proposing several
modifications to both the nonautomated and automated versions of
the 201 form. Specifically, OGE
proposes to modify the title of the form,
add a warning to requestors that
intentional falsification of the
information required by the 201 form
may result in prosecution under 18
U.S.C. 1001, and update the Privacy Act
Statement to include an additional
routine use. OGE is proposing that this
renewal request to OMB cover the fully
automated version of the 201 form,
available only through the OGE Web site
at www.oge.gov. Initially launched in
March 2012, this automated version of
the access form enables a requestor to
obtain, immediately upon Web site
submission of the completed 201 form,
financial disclosure reports and other
covered records of individuals who
have been nominated by the President
to executive branch positions requiring
Senate confirmation (PAS officials) and
individuals who have declared their
candidacy for the Office of the President
of the United States. The automated
OGE Web site version of the form also
can be used by requestors to download
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:23 Sep 12, 2013
Jkt 229001
or view a list of all 201 form requests
for access to financial disclosure reports
for a specific filer provided through the
OGE Web site.
OGE published a first round notice of
its intent to request paperwork
clearance for a proposed modified OGE
Form 201 Ethics in Government Act
Access Form. See 78 FR 24749–24750
(April 26, 2013). OGE received
comments from two agencies in
response to that paperwork notice. One
agency noted that the proposed addition
of the reference to 18 U.S.C. 1001 would
serve as a useful additional deterrent to
misuse of 278 reports and other covered
records.
Another agency raised a question
regarding how OGE will verify the
identity of requestors and the validity of
requests seeking access to 278 reports
and other documents using the
automated 201 form without some form
of online signature verification. OGE
notes that there is no requirement in
EIGA that a requester’s identity be
verified in order to obtain access to or
copies of 278 reports or other covered
records, and OGE does not perform such
verification. Section 105(b)(2) of EIGA
requires that a requestor provide certain
information, such as the requestor’s
name, occupation, address, and the
name and address of any other person
or organization on whose behalf the
copy of or access to a report is
requested, and to ‘‘acknowledge’’ in
writing the prohibitions on obtaining
and use of a 278 report prior to being
granted a copy of or access to a report.
On the paper version of the 201 form,
the requestor’s signature is intended to
fulfill the acknowledgment requirement;
the signature is not used as a basis to
verify the identity of the requestor or the
validity of a request. On the electronic
version of the 201 form, the
acknowledgment requirement is met by
the requestor checking a box. The same
information and acknowledgement is
required on both the paper and the
automated 201 forms. Therefore, while
the automated 201 form will not have a
separate verification mechanism, it fully
complies with the requirements of EIGA
as set forth in 5 U.S.C app. § 105(b)(2),
and is comparable to the non-automated
201 form.
The same agency questioned whether
the proposed reference to 18 U.S.C.
1001 on the 201 form would serve as an
effective deterrent in the absence of a
process for verifying each requestor’s
identifying information. Section 1001
prohibits the knowing and willful: (1)
Falsification or omission by trick or
scheme of any material fact; (2) making
of material false statements; or (3)
knowing use of a false document
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
56705
containing materially false statements,
in all matters within the jurisdiction of
the executive, legislative or judicial
branches of the United States
Government. The purpose of including
the reference to 18 U.S.C. 1001 is to put
requestors on notice of a legal
prohibition on falsification of
information they are required to provide
on the 201 form. As such, the reference
alone has deterrent value, even if it is
not itself an investigative tool for OGE’s
purposes.
The same agency also requested
clarification as to whether OGE may
legally continue to make the financial
disclosure reports of all PAS officials
available to requestors on-line, in light
of an amendment to the STOCK Act that
limits the requirement of on-line posting
of public financial disclosure reports to
PAS officials occupying positions listed
in 5 U.S.C. 5312 and 5313. See Public
Law 113–7 (April 12, 2013). While
section (a)(1) of Public Law 113–7 limits
the STOCK Act’s requirement that
public financial disclosure reports filed
pursuant to Title I of EIGA be available
on-line to select high-level officials
(president, vice president and officials
occupying positions listed in Executive
Schedules I and II), that section does not
prohibit use of the Internet to release the
reports of PAS officials to requestors
upon written application. The agency’s
comment misses this important
distinction. OGE allows requestors to
submit on-line requests for and gain
access to the public financial disclosure
reports of most PAS officials through an
automated, written application process
that fully conforms to the statutory
requirements of EIGA set forth at 5
U.S.C. app. § 105(b)(2).
Request for Comments: Agency and
public comment is again invited
specifically on the need for and
practical utility of this information
collection, the accuracy of OGE’s
burden estimate, the enhancement of
quality, utility and clarity of the
information collected, and the
minimization of burden (including the
use of information technology).
Comments received in response to this
notice will be summarized for, and may
be included with, the OGE request for
extension of OMB paperwork approval.
The comments will also become a
matter of public record.
Approved: September 6, 2013.
Walter M. Shaub, Jr.,
Director, U.S. Office of Government Ethics.
[FR Doc. 2013–22251 Filed 9–12–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6345–03–P
E:\FR\FM\13SEN1.SGM
13SEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 178 (Friday, September 13, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56704-56705]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-22251]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB
Review; Proposed Collection; Comment Request for a Modified OGE Form
201 Ethics in Government Act Access Form
AGENCY: Office of Government Ethics (OGE).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: After publication of this second round notice, OGE plans to
submit a proposed modified OGE Form 201 Ethics in Government Act access
form to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and
approval of a three-year extension under the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35). The OGE Form 201 is used by persons
requesting access to executive branch public financial disclosure
reports and other covered records.
DATES: Written comments by the public and the agencies on this proposed
extension are invited and must be received on or before October 15,
2013.
ADDRESSES: Comments on this paperwork notice may be submitted to the
Office of Management and Budget, Attn: Desk Officer for OGE, via fax at
202-395-6974 or email at OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Paul D. Ledvina at the U.S. Office
of Government Ethics; telephone: 202-482-9247; TTY: 800-877-8339; FAX:
202-482-9237; Email: paul.ledvina@oge.gov. An electronic copy of the
OGE Form 201 version used to manually submit access requests to OGE or
other executive branch agencies by mail or FAX is available in the
Forms Library section of OGE's Web site at https://www.oge.gov. A copy
of the proposed modified form may be obtained, without charge, by
contacting Mr. Ledvina. An automated version of the OGE Form 201, also
available on OGE's Web site, enables the requester to fill out, submit
and receive immediate access to financial reports and certain related
records for individuals who have been nominated by the President to
executive branch positions requiring Senate confirmation, and
individuals who have declared their candidacy for the Office of the
President of the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Request to Inspect or Receive Copies of Executive Branch
Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Reports or Other Covered Records.
Agency Form Number: OGE Form 201.
OMB Control Number: 3209-0002.
Type of Information Collection: Extension with modifications of a
currently approved collection.
Type of Review Request: Regular.
Respondents: Individuals requesting access to executive branch
public financial disclosure reports and other covered records.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 870.
Estimated Time per Response: 10 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 145 hours.
[[Page 56705]]
Abstract: The OGE Form 201 (201 form) collects information from,
and provides certain information to, persons who seek access to OGE
Form 278/SF 278 Public Financial Disclosure Reports, including OGE Form
278-T Periodic Transaction Reports (collectively referred to as 278
reports or public financial disclosure reports), and other covered
records. The form reflects the requirements of the Ethics in Government
Act (EIGA), the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012
(STOCK Act), and OGE's implementing regulations that must be met by a
person before access can be granted. These requirements relate to
information collected about the identity of the requester, as well as
any other person on whose behalf a record is sought, and notification
of prohibited uses of executive branch public disclosure financial
reports. See EIGA at 5 U.S.C. app. Sec. Sec. 105(b) and (c), and
402(b)(1); the STOCK Act, Public Law 112-105 (April 4, 2012), as
amended by, Public Law 113-7 (April 15, 2013); and 5 CFR 2634.603(c)
and (f) of OGE's executive branchwide regulations. Executive branch
departments and agencies are encouraged to utilize the 201 form for
individuals seeking access to public financial disclosure reports and
other covered documents. OGE permits departments and agencies to use or
develop their own forms as long as the forms collect and provide all of
the required information.
OGE is proposing several modifications to both the non-automated
and automated versions of the 201 form. Specifically, OGE proposes to
modify the title of the form, add a warning to requestors that
intentional falsification of the information required by the 201 form
may result in prosecution under 18 U.S.C. 1001, and update the Privacy
Act Statement to include an additional routine use. OGE is proposing
that this renewal request to OMB cover the fully automated version of
the 201 form, available only through the OGE Web site at www.oge.gov.
Initially launched in March 2012, this automated version of the access
form enables a requestor to obtain, immediately upon Web site
submission of the completed 201 form, financial disclosure reports and
other covered records of individuals who have been nominated by the
President to executive branch positions requiring Senate confirmation
(PAS officials) and individuals who have declared their candidacy for
the Office of the President of the United States. The automated OGE Web
site version of the form also can be used by requestors to download or
view a list of all 201 form requests for access to financial disclosure
reports for a specific filer provided through the OGE Web site.
OGE published a first round notice of its intent to request
paperwork clearance for a proposed modified OGE Form 201 Ethics in
Government Act Access Form. See 78 FR 24749-24750 (April 26, 2013). OGE
received comments from two agencies in response to that paperwork
notice. One agency noted that the proposed addition of the reference to
18 U.S.C. 1001 would serve as a useful additional deterrent to misuse
of 278 reports and other covered records.
Another agency raised a question regarding how OGE will verify the
identity of requestors and the validity of requests seeking access to
278 reports and other documents using the automated 201 form without
some form of online signature verification. OGE notes that there is no
requirement in EIGA that a requester's identity be verified in order to
obtain access to or copies of 278 reports or other covered records, and
OGE does not perform such verification. Section 105(b)(2) of EIGA
requires that a requestor provide certain information, such as the
requestor's name, occupation, address, and the name and address of any
other person or organization on whose behalf the copy of or access to a
report is requested, and to ``acknowledge'' in writing the prohibitions
on obtaining and use of a 278 report prior to being granted a copy of
or access to a report. On the paper version of the 201 form, the
requestor's signature is intended to fulfill the acknowledgment
requirement; the signature is not used as a basis to verify the
identity of the requestor or the validity of a request. On the
electronic version of the 201 form, the acknowledgment requirement is
met by the requestor checking a box. The same information and
acknowledgement is required on both the paper and the automated 201
forms. Therefore, while the automated 201 form will not have a separate
verification mechanism, it fully complies with the requirements of EIGA
as set forth in 5 U.S.C app. Sec. 105(b)(2), and is comparable to the
non-automated 201 form.
The same agency questioned whether the proposed reference to 18
U.S.C. 1001 on the 201 form would serve as an effective deterrent in
the absence of a process for verifying each requestor's identifying
information. Section 1001 prohibits the knowing and willful: (1)
Falsification or omission by trick or scheme of any material fact; (2)
making of material false statements; or (3) knowing use of a false
document containing materially false statements, in all matters within
the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative or judicial branches of
the United States Government. The purpose of including the reference to
18 U.S.C. 1001 is to put requestors on notice of a legal prohibition on
falsification of information they are required to provide on the 201
form. As such, the reference alone has deterrent value, even if it is
not itself an investigative tool for OGE's purposes.
The same agency also requested clarification as to whether OGE may
legally continue to make the financial disclosure reports of all PAS
officials available to requestors on-line, in light of an amendment to
the STOCK Act that limits the requirement of on-line posting of public
financial disclosure reports to PAS officials occupying positions
listed in 5 U.S.C. 5312 and 5313. See Public Law 113-7 (April 12,
2013). While section (a)(1) of Public Law 113-7 limits the STOCK Act's
requirement that public financial disclosure reports filed pursuant to
Title I of EIGA be available on-line to select high-level officials
(president, vice president and officials occupying positions listed in
Executive Schedules I and II), that section does not prohibit use of
the Internet to release the reports of PAS officials to requestors upon
written application. The agency's comment misses this important
distinction. OGE allows requestors to submit on-line requests for and
gain access to the public financial disclosure reports of most PAS
officials through an automated, written application process that fully
conforms to the statutory requirements of EIGA set forth at 5 U.S.C.
app. Sec. 105(b)(2).
Request for Comments: Agency and public comment is again invited
specifically on the need for and practical utility of this information
collection, the accuracy of OGE's burden estimate, the enhancement of
quality, utility and clarity of the information collected, and the
minimization of burden (including the use of information technology).
Comments received in response to this notice will be summarized for,
and may be included with, the OGE request for extension of OMB
paperwork approval. The comments will also become a matter of public
record.
Approved: September 6, 2013.
Walter M. Shaub, Jr.,
Director, U.S. Office of Government Ethics.
[FR Doc. 2013-22251 Filed 9-12-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6345-03-P