Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Unmodified SF 278 Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report, 64708-64710 [E6-18554]
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64708
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 213 / Friday, November 3, 2006 / Notices
(GAO) or other Federal agency when the
information is required for program
evaluation purposes.
f. To a Member of Congress or staff on
behalf of and at the request of the
individual who is the subject of the
record.
g. To the National Archives and
Records Administration (NARA) for
records management purposes.
h. To an expert, consultant, or
contractor in the performance of a
Federal duty to which the information
is relevant, including individuals,
organizations, private or public
agencies, or other entities or individuals
with whom a Federal agency/
organization has a contract or agreement
to perform such services, including
issuance of charge cards, as that agency/
organization may deem practicable for
the purposes of laws administered by
the agency/organization, in order for the
contractor, subcontractor, public or
private agency, or other entity or
individual with whom the agency/
organization has an agreement or
contract to perform the services of the
contract or agreement. This routine use
includes disclosures by the individual
or entity performing the service for the
Federal agency/organization to any
secondary entity or individual to
perform an activity that is necessary for
individuals, organizations, private or
public agencies, or other entities or
individuals with whom the agency/
organization has a contract or agreement
to provide the service to the agency/
organization.
i. To GSA in the form of listings,
reports, and records of all transportation
related transactions, including refunds
and adjustments, by the contractor to
enable audits of transportation related
charges to the Government.
j. To GSA contract agents assigned to
participating agencies for billing of
purchase expenses.
k. To agency finance offices for debt
collection purposes.
SAFEGUARDS:
OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS
System records are safeguarded in
accordance with the requirements of the
Privacy Act, the Computer Security Act,
and OMB Circular A–130. Technical,
administrative, and personnel security
measures are implemented to ensure
confidentiality and integrity of the
system data stored, processed, and
transmitted. Paper records are stored in
secure cabinets or rooms to which only
authorized individuals have access.
Electronic records are protected by
passwords and other appropriate
security measures.
RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:
Disposition of records is according to
the National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA) guidelines, as
set forth in the handbook, GSA Records
Maintenance and Disposition System
(OAD P 1820.2A and CIO P 1820.1),
authorized GSA records schedules, and
by individual agencies.
SYSTEM MANAGER AND ADDRESS:
Director, Office of Commercial
Acquisition (FC), General Services
Administration, 1901 South Bell Street,
Arlington VA 22202. Also, officials
responsible for individual agency
purchase card programs using the
SmartPay system (e.g., Federal
Agency/Organization Program
Coordinators).
NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:
Individuals may obtain information
about their records from the purchase
charge card program manager of the
agency for which they transact
purchases.
RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
Requests from individuals for access
to their records should be addressed to
their agency’s purchase charge card
program manager or to the finance office
of the agency for which the individual
transacts purchases.
CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
Individuals may access their records,
contest the contents, and appeal
determinations according to their
agency’s rules.
STORAGE:
RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
Information may be collected on
paper or electronically and may be
stored on paper or on electronic media,
as appropriate.
mstockstill on PROD1PC68 with NOTICES
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING,
RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, AND
DISPOSING OF SYSTEM RECORDS:
Information is obtained from
individuals submitting charge card
applications, monthly contractor
reports, purchase records, managers,
other agencies, non-Federal sources
such as private firms, and other agency
systems containing information
pertaining to the purchase charge card
program.
RETRIEVABILITY:
Records may be retrieved by name,
Social Security Number, credit card
number, and/or other personal identifier
(e.g., employee ID) or appropriate type
of designation.
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[FR Doc. E6–18600 Filed 11–02–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820–34–S
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Proposed Collection; Comment
Request for Unmodified SF 278
Executive Branch Personnel Public
Financial Disclosure Report
AGENCY:
Office of Government Ethics
(OGE).
ACTION:
Notice.
SUMMARY: The Office of Government
Ethics is publishing this first round
notice and seeking comment on the
Standard Form (SF) 278 because it
intends to submit the form for extension
of approval (up to three years) by the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction
Act. OGE is making no changes to the
SF 278 at this time. As in the past, OGE
will ask agencies to notify filers of two
updates to the information contained in
the existing SF 278.
DATES: Written comments by the public
and the agencies on this proposed
extension are invited and must be
received by January 2, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
to OGE on this paperwork notice by any
of the following methods:
• E-mail: usoge@oge.gov. (Include
reference to ‘‘SF 278 Paperwork
Comment’’ in the subject line of the
message).
• Fax: 202–482–9237.
• Mail, Hand Delivery/Courier: Office
of Government Ethics, Suite 500, 1201
New York Avenue, NW., Washington,
DC 20005–3917, Attention: Paul D.
Ledvina, Records Officer, Information
Resources Management Division.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Ledvina at the Office of Government
Ethics; telephone: 202–482–9281; TDD:
202–482–9293; fax: 202–482–9237; email: pdledvin@oge.gov. A copy of a
blank SF 278 may be obtained, without
charge, by contacting Mr. Ledvina. Also,
a copy of a blank SF 278 is available
through the Forms, Publications & Other
Ethics Documents section of OGE’s Web
site at www.usoge.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office
of Government Ethics intends to submit,
after this notice and comment period,
the unmodified Standard Form 278
Executive Branch Personnel Public
Financial Disclosure Report (OMB
control number 3209–0001) for
extension of approval for (up to) three
years by OMB under the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
chapter 35). The current paperwork
approval for the SF 278 expires at the
end of November 2006. The Office of
Government Ethics, as the supervising
ethics office for the executive branch of
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 213 / Friday, November 3, 2006 / Notices
mstockstill on PROD1PC68 with NOTICES
the Federal Government under the
Ethics in Government Act (the Ethics
Act), is the sponsoring agency for the
Standard Form 278. OGE will not seek
General Services Administration (GSA)
standard forms clearance for this
extension because no modification to
this standard form is proposed.
In accordance with section 102 of the
Ethics Act, 5 U.S.C. app. section 102,
and OGE’s implementing financial
disclosure regulations at 5 CFR part
2634, the SF 278 collects pertinent
financial information from certain
officers and high-level employees in the
executive branch for conflicts of interest
review and public disclosure. The SF
278 is also completed by individuals
who are nominated by the President for
high-level executive branch positions
requiring Senate confirmation and new
entrants to other public reporting
positions in the executive branch. The
financial information collected under
the statute and regulations relates to:
assets and income; transactions; gifts,
reimbursements and travel expenses;
liabilities; agreements or arrangements;
outside positions; and compensation
over $5,000 paid by a source—all
subject to various reporting thresholds
and exclusions.
Current Version of the SF 278
The Office of Government Ethics is
proposing no modifications to the SF
278 at this time. OGE will continue to
make the unmodified SF 278 available
to departments and agencies and their
reporting employees through the Forms,
Publications & Other Ethics Documents
section of OGE’s Web site. This provides
filers with two electronic options for
preparing their report on a computer (as
well as a downloadable blank form).
There is also a link on the OGE Web site
to another electronic version of the SF
278 maintained by the Department of
Defense. In addition, GSA separately
maintains two electronic versions of the
form on its Web site (www.gsa.gov);
paper forms can also be ordered through
GSA.
The Office of Government Ethics has
determined that at this time, electronic
filing of the SF 278 using an Internetbased system will not be permitted. A
printout and manual signature of the
form are still required unless otherwise
specifically approved by OGE. Further
developments on electronic filing may
be forthcoming as part of a broader EGov initiative.
Agency Notification of Updates
There are two ways in which the
content of the current SF 278 report
form is affected. The first concerns
adjustments in the gifts/reimbursements
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15:24 Nov 02, 2006
Jkt 211001
reporting thresholds. The second
involves revised routine use language
contained in the Privacy Act Statement
of the form. OGE is proposing no
revisions to the SF 278, but will
continue to ask executive branch
departments and agencies to inform SF
278 filers, through cover memorandum
or otherwise, of these two updates when
the existing March 2000 edition of the
SF 278 report forms are provided for
completion. See OGE’s August 25, 2003
memorandum to designated agency
ethics officials (DO–03–015), posted in
the ‘‘DAEOgrams’’ section of the OGE
Web site. Information regarding these
changes is also posted along with the SF
278 in the forms section of OGE’s Web
site. In addition, OGE will post on its
Web site an updated summary of one of
the Privacy Act routine uses on the
report form (see discussion below).
Gifts/Reimbursements Reporting
Thresholds
Every three years OGE issues final
rule amendments that revise the
executive branch financial disclosure
regulation to increase the aggregation
and exception thresholds for reporting
of gifts, reimbursements and travel
expenses for the public and confidential
report systems. See 5 U.S.C. app. section
102(a)(2)(A) & (B). The OGE aggregation
threshold limits the total value of gifts
and reimbursements from any one
source. The exception threshold limits
the value of individual gifts that must be
counted toward the aggregation
threshold.
OGE’s threshold adjustments are tied
to the ‘‘minimal value’’ threshold of the
Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act, as
determined by GSA under 5 U.S.C.
7342. Since 2002, OGE has asked
agencies to notify filers of the SF 278 of
the updated adjustments to the
reporting thresholds for gifts and
reimbursements. Effective January 1,
2005, GSA raised the ‘‘minimal value’’
threshold under 5 U.S.C. 7342 to $305
or less for the three-year period 2005–
2007. See 70 FR 2317–2318 (part V)
(January 12, 2005). Following GSA’s
action, OGE advised agencies of the
adjusted thresholds and revised its
financial disclosure regulation to reflect
the increase in the thresholds for SF 278
reporting of gifts and travel
reimbursements received from any one
source to ‘‘more than $305’’ for the
aggregation level for reporting and to
‘‘$122 or less’’ for the de minimis
aggregation exception threshold. See
March 17, 2005 memorandum to
designated agency ethics officials (DO–
05–007) and 70 FR 12111–12112 (March
11, 2005). Both GSA and OGE
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64709
rulemakings and OGE’s memorandum
are posted on the OGE Web site.
Privacy Act Statement
In addition, OGE has updated the
OGE/GOVT–1 Privacy Act system of
records notice (covering SF 278 Public
Financial Disclosure Reports and other
name-retrieved ethics program records).
See 68 FR 3097–3109 (January 22,
2003), as corrected at 68 FR 24744 (May
8, 2003). As a result, the Privacy Act
Statement, which includes summaries
of the routine uses on page 11 of the
instructions on the SF 278, is affected.
As explained in the above-noted OGE
memorandum DO–03–015 and the SF
278 notice posted on OGE’s Web site,
the system notice update added three
new routine uses applicable to SF 278
reports. Moreover, OGE will also ask
agencies to inform filers of an update
needed to the summary of the sixth
listed routine use on the form in their
periodic notifications to filers of
changes to the SF 278. See revised
routine use ‘‘h’’ at 68 FR 3100 for the
OGE/GOVT–1 records system notice.
OGE has already updated that same
sixth routine use summary for two of its
other forms, the OGE Form 201 and the
OGE Optional Form 450–A, and is
preparing to do so for the proposed
future modified OGE Form 450 for use
starting in 2007. The first two forms are
posted in the forms section of the OGE
Web site; see the paperwork notices in
2005 and 2006 for the latter form posted
in the Laws & Regulations section of
OGE’s Web site. A summary of the
updates relevant to that SF 278
statement will be included with the
paperwork clearance submission to
OMB.
SF 278 Filers
The SF 278 is completed by
candidates, nominees, new entrants,
incumbents and terminees of certain
high-level positions in the executive
branch of the Federal Government.
These reports are routinely reviewed by
the agencies concerned. The Office of
Government Ethics, along with the
agencies concerned, conducts the
review of the SF 278 reports of
Presidential nominees subject to Senate
confirmation and incumbents in and
terminees from such positions.
Reporting Burden
The Office of Government Ethics
estimates, based on the agency ethics
program questionnaire responses for
2003–2005, that an average of some
23,971 SF 278 report forms are filed
annually at departments and agencies
throughout the executive branch. Most
of those executive branch filers are
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current Federal employees at the time
they file. However, an estimated 4.9
percent, or some 1,175 of the
branchwide total SF 278 filers are
members of the public, including
private citizen Presidential nominees to
positions subject to Senate confirmation
(and their private representativeslawyers, accountants, brokers and
bankers), other private citizen
prospective new entrants to reportable
positions, and those who file
termination reports from such positions
after their Government service ends, and
Presidential and Vice Presidential
candidates. The OGE estimate covers
the next three years, 2007–2009,
including a significant increase in
reports anticipated with the fall 2008
Presidential election and following
transition. The estimated average
amount of time to complete the report
form, including review of the
instructions and gathering of needed
information, remains the same as
previously reported, at three hours.
Thus, the overall estimated annual
public burden for the SF 278 for the
private citizen/representative nominee
and terminee report forms processed in
executive branch agencies, and those
report forms processed by the OGE,
including private citizen Presidential
and Vice Presidential candidates report
forms, is 3,525 hours.
The prior paperwork burden estimate
for the 2003–2005 period was 1,347
hours. This estimate was based upon an
annual average of 449 SF 278 forms,
those received only at OGE from private
citizen/representative nominee and
terminee filers, and Presidential and
Vice Presidential candidates. The
burden estimate for 2007–2009 is
adjusted to cover private citizen filers in
departments and agencies throughout
the executive branch.
Consideration of Comments
Public comment is invited on each
aspect of the SF 278 Public Financial
Disclosure Report as set forth in this
notice, including specifically views on
the need for and practical utility of this
collection of information, the accuracy
of OGE’s burden estimate, the potential
for enhancement of quality, utility and
clarity of the information collected, and
the minimization of burden (including
the use of information technology).
Any comments received in response
to this notice will be summarized for,
and may be included with, OGE’s
request to OMB for paperwork approval
for this information collection.
Comments will also become a matter of
public record. After reviewing any
comments received, OGE will also
publish a second round notice in the
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15:24 Nov 02, 2006
Jkt 211001
Federal Register to inform the public
and the agencies at the time it submits
the request for OMB paperwork
approval.
Approved: October 26, 2006.
Robert I. Cusick,
Director, Office of Government Ethics.
[FR Doc. E6–18554 Filed 11–2–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6345–02–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services
[Document Identifier: CMS–R–234]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services, HHS.
In compliance with the requirement
of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) is publishing the
following summary of proposed
collections for public comment.
Interested persons are invited to send
comments regarding this burden
estimate or any other aspect of this
collection of information, including any
of the following subjects: (1) The
necessity and utility of the proposed
information collection for the proper
performance of the agency’s functions;
(2) the accuracy of the estimated
burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and (4) the use of
automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology to
minimize the information collection
burden.
Type of Information Collection
Request: Extension of a currently
approved collection.
Title of Information Collection:
Subpart D—Private Contracts and
Supporting Regulations in 42 CFR
405.410, 405.430, 405.435, 405.440,
405.445, and 405.455.
Use: Under the section 4507 of the
Balanced Budget Act of 1997, CMS is
required to permit certain physicians
and practitioners to opt out of Medicare
and furnish covered services to
Medicare beneficiaries through private
contracts.
Form Number: CMS–R–234 (OMB#:
0938–0730).
Frequency: Reporting—Biennially.
Affected Public: Business or other forprofits.
Number of Respondents: 26,820.
AGENCY:
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Total Annual Responses: 26,820.
Total Annual Hours: 7,197.
To obtain copies of the supporting
statement and any related forms for the
proposed paperwork collections
referenced above, access CMS’ Web site
address at https://www.cms.hhs.gov/
PaperworkReductionActof1995, or Email your request, including your
address, phone number, OMB number,
and CMS document identifier, to
Paperwork@cms.hhs.gov, or call the
Reports Clearance Office on (410) 786–
1326.
To be assured consideration,
comments and recommendations for the
proposed information collections must
be received at the address below, no
later than 5 p.m. on January 2, 2007.
CMS, Office of Strategic Operations
and Regulatory Affairs, Division of
Regulations Development—C, Attention:
Bonnie L Harkless, Room C4–26–05,
7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore,
Maryland 21244–1850.
Dated: October 24, 2006.
Michelle Shortt,
Director, Regulations Development Group,
Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory
Affairs.
[FR Doc. E6–18412 Filed 11–2–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services
[Document Identifier: CMS–R–64, CMS–
3070G–I, CMS–576A, and CMS–304/304A]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request
Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services, HHS.
In compliance with the requirement
of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS), Department of Health
and Human Services, is publishing the
following summary of proposed
collections for public comment.
Interested persons are invited to send
comments regarding this burden
estimate or any other aspect of this
collection of information, including any
of the following subjects: (1) The
necessity and utility of the proposed
information collection for the proper
performance of the Agency’s function;
(2) the accuracy of the estimated
burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and (4) the use of
automated collection techniques or
AGENCY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 213 (Friday, November 3, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64708-64710]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-18554]
=======================================================================
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OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS
Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Unmodified SF 278
Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report
AGENCY: Office of Government Ethics (OGE).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Office of Government Ethics is publishing this first round
notice and seeking comment on the Standard Form (SF) 278 because it
intends to submit the form for extension of approval (up to three
years) by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork
Reduction Act. OGE is making no changes to the SF 278 at this time. As
in the past, OGE will ask agencies to notify filers of two updates to
the information contained in the existing SF 278.
DATES: Written comments by the public and the agencies on this proposed
extension are invited and must be received by January 2, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments to OGE on this paperwork notice by
any of the following methods:
E-mail: usoge@oge.gov. (Include reference to ``SF 278
Paperwork Comment'' in the subject line of the message).
Fax: 202-482-9237.
Mail, Hand Delivery/Courier: Office of Government Ethics,
Suite 500, 1201 New York Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20005-3917,
Attention: Paul D. Ledvina, Records Officer, Information Resources
Management Division.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Ledvina at the Office of
Government Ethics; telephone: 202-482-9281; TDD: 202-482-9293; fax:
202-482-9237; e-mail: pdledvin@oge.gov. A copy of a blank SF 278 may be
obtained, without charge, by contacting Mr. Ledvina. Also, a copy of a
blank SF 278 is available through the Forms, Publications & Other
Ethics Documents section of OGE's Web site at www.usoge.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Government Ethics intends to
submit, after this notice and comment period, the unmodified Standard
Form 278 Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report
(OMB control number 3209-0001) for extension of approval for (up to)
three years by OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
chapter 35). The current paperwork approval for the SF 278 expires at
the end of November 2006. The Office of Government Ethics, as the
supervising ethics office for the executive branch of
[[Page 64709]]
the Federal Government under the Ethics in Government Act (the Ethics
Act), is the sponsoring agency for the Standard Form 278. OGE will not
seek General Services Administration (GSA) standard forms clearance for
this extension because no modification to this standard form is
proposed.
In accordance with section 102 of the Ethics Act, 5 U.S.C. app.
section 102, and OGE's implementing financial disclosure regulations at
5 CFR part 2634, the SF 278 collects pertinent financial information
from certain officers and high-level employees in the executive branch
for conflicts of interest review and public disclosure. The SF 278 is
also completed by individuals who are nominated by the President for
high-level executive branch positions requiring Senate confirmation and
new entrants to other public reporting positions in the executive
branch. The financial information collected under the statute and
regulations relates to: assets and income; transactions; gifts,
reimbursements and travel expenses; liabilities; agreements or
arrangements; outside positions; and compensation over $5,000 paid by a
source--all subject to various reporting thresholds and exclusions.
Current Version of the SF 278
The Office of Government Ethics is proposing no modifications to
the SF 278 at this time. OGE will continue to make the unmodified SF
278 available to departments and agencies and their reporting employees
through the Forms, Publications & Other Ethics Documents section of
OGE's Web site. This provides filers with two electronic options for
preparing their report on a computer (as well as a downloadable blank
form). There is also a link on the OGE Web site to another electronic
version of the SF 278 maintained by the Department of Defense. In
addition, GSA separately maintains two electronic versions of the form
on its Web site (www.gsa.gov); paper forms can also be ordered through
GSA.
The Office of Government Ethics has determined that at this time,
electronic filing of the SF 278 using an Internet-based system will not
be permitted. A printout and manual signature of the form are still
required unless otherwise specifically approved by OGE. Further
developments on electronic filing may be forthcoming as part of a
broader E-Gov initiative.
Agency Notification of Updates
There are two ways in which the content of the current SF 278
report form is affected. The first concerns adjustments in the gifts/
reimbursements reporting thresholds. The second involves revised
routine use language contained in the Privacy Act Statement of the
form. OGE is proposing no revisions to the SF 278, but will continue to
ask executive branch departments and agencies to inform SF 278 filers,
through cover memorandum or otherwise, of these two updates when the
existing March 2000 edition of the SF 278 report forms are provided for
completion. See OGE's August 25, 2003 memorandum to designated agency
ethics officials (DO-03-015), posted in the ``DAEOgrams'' section of
the OGE Web site. Information regarding these changes is also posted
along with the SF 278 in the forms section of OGE's Web site. In
addition, OGE will post on its Web site an updated summary of one of
the Privacy Act routine uses on the report form (see discussion below).
Gifts/Reimbursements Reporting Thresholds
Every three years OGE issues final rule amendments that revise the
executive branch financial disclosure regulation to increase the
aggregation and exception thresholds for reporting of gifts,
reimbursements and travel expenses for the public and confidential
report systems. See 5 U.S.C. app. section 102(a)(2)(A) & (B). The OGE
aggregation threshold limits the total value of gifts and
reimbursements from any one source. The exception threshold limits the
value of individual gifts that must be counted toward the aggregation
threshold.
OGE's threshold adjustments are tied to the ``minimal value''
threshold of the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act, as determined by
GSA under 5 U.S.C. 7342. Since 2002, OGE has asked agencies to notify
filers of the SF 278 of the updated adjustments to the reporting
thresholds for gifts and reimbursements. Effective January 1, 2005, GSA
raised the ``minimal value'' threshold under 5 U.S.C. 7342 to $305 or
less for the three-year period 2005-2007. See 70 FR 2317-2318 (part V)
(January 12, 2005). Following GSA's action, OGE advised agencies of the
adjusted thresholds and revised its financial disclosure regulation to
reflect the increase in the thresholds for SF 278 reporting of gifts
and travel reimbursements received from any one source to ``more than
$305'' for the aggregation level for reporting and to ``$122 or less''
for the de minimis aggregation exception threshold. See March 17, 2005
memorandum to designated agency ethics officials (DO-05-007) and 70 FR
12111-12112 (March 11, 2005). Both GSA and OGE rulemakings and OGE's
memorandum are posted on the OGE Web site.
Privacy Act Statement
In addition, OGE has updated the OGE/GOVT-1 Privacy Act system of
records notice (covering SF 278 Public Financial Disclosure Reports and
other name-retrieved ethics program records). See 68 FR 3097-3109
(January 22, 2003), as corrected at 68 FR 24744 (May 8, 2003). As a
result, the Privacy Act Statement, which includes summaries of the
routine uses on page 11 of the instructions on the SF 278, is affected.
As explained in the above-noted OGE memorandum DO-03-015 and the SF 278
notice posted on OGE's Web site, the system notice update added three
new routine uses applicable to SF 278 reports. Moreover, OGE will also
ask agencies to inform filers of an update needed to the summary of the
sixth listed routine use on the form in their periodic notifications to
filers of changes to the SF 278. See revised routine use ``h'' at 68 FR
3100 for the OGE/GOVT-1 records system notice. OGE has already updated
that same sixth routine use summary for two of its other forms, the OGE
Form 201 and the OGE Optional Form 450-A, and is preparing to do so for
the proposed future modified OGE Form 450 for use starting in 2007. The
first two forms are posted in the forms section of the OGE Web site;
see the paperwork notices in 2005 and 2006 for the latter form posted
in the Laws & Regulations section of OGE's Web site. A summary of the
updates relevant to that SF 278 statement will be included with the
paperwork clearance submission to OMB.
SF 278 Filers
The SF 278 is completed by candidates, nominees, new entrants,
incumbents and terminees of certain high-level positions in the
executive branch of the Federal Government. These reports are routinely
reviewed by the agencies concerned. The Office of Government Ethics,
along with the agencies concerned, conducts the review of the SF 278
reports of Presidential nominees subject to Senate confirmation and
incumbents in and terminees from such positions.
Reporting Burden
The Office of Government Ethics estimates, based on the agency
ethics program questionnaire responses for 2003-2005, that an average
of some 23,971 SF 278 report forms are filed annually at departments
and agencies throughout the executive branch. Most of those executive
branch filers are
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current Federal employees at the time they file. However, an estimated
4.9 percent, or some 1,175 of the branchwide total SF 278 filers are
members of the public, including private citizen Presidential nominees
to positions subject to Senate confirmation (and their private
representatives-lawyers, accountants, brokers and bankers), other
private citizen prospective new entrants to reportable positions, and
those who file termination reports from such positions after their
Government service ends, and Presidential and Vice Presidential
candidates. The OGE estimate covers the next three years, 2007-2009,
including a significant increase in reports anticipated with the fall
2008 Presidential election and following transition. The estimated
average amount of time to complete the report form, including review of
the instructions and gathering of needed information, remains the same
as previously reported, at three hours. Thus, the overall estimated
annual public burden for the SF 278 for the private citizen/
representative nominee and terminee report forms processed in executive
branch agencies, and those report forms processed by the OGE, including
private citizen Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates report
forms, is 3,525 hours.
The prior paperwork burden estimate for the 2003-2005 period was
1,347 hours. This estimate was based upon an annual average of 449 SF
278 forms, those received only at OGE from private citizen/
representative nominee and terminee filers, and Presidential and Vice
Presidential candidates. The burden estimate for 2007-2009 is adjusted
to cover private citizen filers in departments and agencies throughout
the executive branch.
Consideration of Comments
Public comment is invited on each aspect of the SF 278 Public
Financial Disclosure Report as set forth in this notice, including
specifically views on the need for and practical utility of this
collection of information, the accuracy of OGE's burden estimate, the
potential for enhancement of quality, utility and clarity of the
information collected, and the minimization of burden (including the
use of information technology).
Any comments received in response to this notice will be summarized
for, and may be included with, OGE's request to OMB for paperwork
approval for this information collection. Comments will also become a
matter of public record. After reviewing any comments received, OGE
will also publish a second round notice in the Federal Register to
inform the public and the agencies at the time it submits the request
for OMB paperwork approval.
Approved: October 26, 2006.
Robert I. Cusick,
Director, Office of Government Ethics.
[FR Doc. E6-18554 Filed 11-2-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6345-02-P
