Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comments Requested for Freedom To Compete Award Program, 49278-49280 [E7-17023]
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49278
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 166 / Tuesday, August 28, 2007 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[FRL–8461–6]
[Docket Nos. ER01–2569–005; ER98–4652–
005; ER02–1175–004; ER01–2568–003]
Boralex Livemore Falls LP; Boralex
Stratton Energy LP; Boralex Ft.
Fairfield LP; Boralex Ashland LP;
Second Notice of Technical
Conference
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
As announced on August 8, 2007, the
staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission will hold a technical
conference in the above-referenced
proceeding on Wednesday, August 29,
2007, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the offices
of the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20426.
All parties and interested persons are
invited to attend.
The conference will address the
following issues raised with regard to
Boralex’s updated market power
analysis:
1. What is the relevant geographic
market for Boralex’s market power
analysis—the Northeast Power
Coordinating Council’s Maritimes
Control Area (MCA) or the Northern
Maine Independent System
Administrator (NMISA) region?
2. Should Boralex be disallowed from
deducting long-term firm nonrequirements capacity in its market
power analysis due to extraordinary
circumstances (i.e., unique structural
issues) in the relevant geographic
market?
3. Should uncommitted capacity from
Boralex’s remote generation in the ISO–
NE balancing authority area be
considered in Boralex’s market power
analysis?
4. How should transmission import
capacity into NMISA be allocated, and
what impact will planned transmission
additions have on import capabilities?
5. Why is the Boralex Sherman plant
currently mothballed?
FERC conferences are accessible
under section 508 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973. For accessibility
accommodations please send an e-mail
to accessibility@ferc.gov or call toll free
(866) 208–3372 (voice) or 202–502–8659
(TTY), or send a fax to 202–208–2106
with the required accommodations.
For further information please contact
Marek Smigielski at (202) 502–6818 or
e-mail marek.smigielski@ferc.gov.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7–16948 Filed 8–27–07; 8:45 am]
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Environmental Protection
Agency.
ACTION: Notice; request for public
comment.
AGENCY:
August 21, 2007.
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
Proposed CERCLA Section 122(g)
Administrative Agreement for de
minimis Settlement for the
Consolidated Iron and Metal Co.
Superfund Site, City of Newburgh,
Orange County, NY
SUMMARY: In accordance with Section
122(i) of the Comprehensive
Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act of
1980, as amended (‘‘CERCLA’’), 42
U.S.C. 9622(i), notice is hereby given by
the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (‘‘EPA’’), Region II, of a
proposed de minimis administrative
agreement pursuant to Section 122(g) of
CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9622(g), between
EPA and nine (9) settling parties
pertaining to the Consolidated Iron and
Metal Co. Superfund Site (‘‘Site’’)
located in the City of Newburgh, Orange
County, New York. The settlement
requires specified individual payments
by each settling party to the EPA
Hazardous Substance Superfund
Consolidated Iron and Metal Co.
Superfund Site Special Account, which
combined total $304,916.16. Each
settling party’s individual settlement
amount is considered to be that party’s
fair share of cleanup costs incurred and
anticipated to be incurred in the future,
plus a ‘‘premium’’ that accounts for,
among other things, uncertainties
associated with the costs of that future
work at the Site. The settlement
includes a covenant not to sue pursuant
to Sections 106 and 107 of CERCLA, 42
U.S.C. 9606 and 9607, relating to the
Site, subject to limited reservations, and
protection from contribution actions or
claims as provided by Sections 113(f)(2)
and 122(g)(5) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C.
9613(f)(2) and 9622(g)(5). For thirty (30)
days following the date of publication of
this notice, EPA will receive written
comments relating to the settlement.
EPA will consider all comments
received and may modify or withdraw
its consent to the settlement if
comments received disclose facts or
considerations that indicate that the
proposed settlement is inappropriate,
improper, or inadequate. EPA’s
response to any comments received will
be available for public inspection at
EPA Region 2, 290 Broadway, New
York, New York 10007–1866.
PO 00000
Frm 00032
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Comments must be submitted on
or before September 27, 2007.
ADDRESSES: The proposed settlement is
available for public inspection at EPA
Region 2 offices at 290 Broadway, New
York, New York 10007–1866. Comments
should reference the Consolidated Iron
and Metal Co. Superfund Site, Index No.
CERCLA–02–2007–2001. To request a
copy of the proposed settlement
agreement, please contact the individual
identified below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Carol Y. Berns, Assistant Regional
Counsel, New York/Caribbean
Superfund Branch, Office of Regional
Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, 17th Floor, 290 Broadway, New
York, New York 10007–1866.
Telephone: 212–637–3177.
DATES:
Dated: August 15, 2007.
William McCabe,
Acting Director, Emergency and Remedial
Response Division, EPA, Region 2.
[FR Doc. E7–16999 Filed 8–27–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
COMMISSION
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comments Requested for Freedom To
Compete Award Program
Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission.
ACTION: Notice of Extension with
Revisions.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (Commission or EEOC),
announces that it intends to submit to
the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), a request for a three-year
extension of the collection of
information for the Freedom To
Compete (FTC) Award program with
revisions to the application criteria,
procedures and process.
DATE: Written comments on this notice
must be submitted on or before October
29, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to
Stephen Llewellyn, Acting Executive
Officer, Executive Secretariat, Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission,
10th Floor, 1801 L Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20507. As a
convenience to commentators, the
Executive Secretariat will accept
comments totaling six or fewer pages by
facsimile (‘‘FAX’’) machine. This
limitation is necessary to assure access
to the equipment. The telephone
E:\FR\FM\28AUN1.SGM
28AUN1
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 166 / Tuesday, August 28, 2007 / Notices
number of the FAX receiver is (202)
663–4114. (This is not a toll-free
number.) Receipt of FAX transmittals
will not be acknowledged, except that
the sender may request confirmation of
receipt by calling the Executive
Secretariat staff at (202) 663–4070
(voice) or (202) 663–4074 (TTY). (These
are not toll-free telephone numbers.)
Copies of comments submitted by the
public will be available for review at the
Commission’s library, Room 6502, 1801
L Street, NW., Washington, DC 20507
between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 5
p.m.
For
further information about the FTC
Award program and the proposed
revisions contact Jay Friedman,
Director, Strategic Planning and
Management Controls Division, Office
of Research, Information and Planning,
at 1801 L Street, NW., Room 8219,
Washington, DC 20507; or by telephone
at (202) 663–4094 (voice) or (202) 663–
7124 (TTY); or by e-mail at
Freedom.Award@eeoc.gov. This notice
is also available in the following
formats: large print, braille, audiotape
and electronic file on computer disk.
Requests for this notice in an alternative
format should be made to the EEOC
Publications Center at 1–800–669–3362.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The EEOC
launched its Freedom to Compete (FTC)
initiative in 2002. The FTC initiative is
a national outreach, education, and
coalition-building strategy designed to
complement the agency’s enforcement
and litigation efforts by identifying
equal employment opportunity (EEO)
practices and programs worthy of
emulation. In 2004, the EEOC added the
Freedom to Compete (FTC) Award as
another component of its FTC initiative;
issuing the first awards in 2005. The
Award recognizes employers,
organizations and other entities whose
extraordinary efforts embody the
EEOC’s mission of ensuring individuals
the freedom to compete in the
workplace on a level playing field
regardless of race, color, gender, age,
national origin, religion or disability.
The EEOC has collected information in
the past from employers, organizations,
other entities, and members of the
public who voluntarily submitted
nominations to be considered for the
Award. The Commission is soliciting
public comment on its proposals to
modify the criteria, procedures, and
processes for collecting information and
determining the eligibility of
nominations for consideration for an
Award.
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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19:52 Aug 27, 2007
Jkt 211001
Overview of This Information
Collection
Collection Title: Freedom To Compete
Award Nominations.
OMB Number: 3046–0044.
Frequency of Report: Annually.
Type of Respondent: Individuals;
businesses or other for-profit and notfor-profit institutions; State or local
governments; or other entities.
Description of Affected Public:
Individuals; businesses or other forprofit and not-for-profit institutions;
State or local governments; or other
entities.
Responses: 50–100.
Reporting Hours: 500–1,000 (10 hours
for each response).
Federal Cost: $6,000.
Number of Forms: 1.
Form Number: EEOC Nomination
Form [unnumbered].
Abstract: The EEOC’s Freedom to
Compete (FTC) Award is designed to
recognize organizations whose practices
and procedures embody the EEOC’s
mission of ensuring individuals the
freedom to compete in the workplace on
a level playing field and to go as far as
their talent and abilities will allow
regardless of race, color, gender, age,
national origin, religion or disability.
Award winners will be presented the
EEOC’s FTC Award at a ceremony in
Washington, DC. The EEOC provides
specific nomination instructions on its
Internet Web site each year when the
period for accepting applications is
announced. Nominees voluntarily
participate by submitting information
about a nominated procedure or practice
and the organization implementing the
procedure/practice.
Proposed Criteria and Nomination
Materials: The EEOC proposes revisions
to the criteria and the nomination
materials previously used for the FTC
Award program. The EEOC requests
public comment on the program and the
revisions.
Summary of Major Revisions
There are two major revisions to the
FTC Award program under Eligibility
Criteria. Other types of revisions are
included under Requirements for
Submitting Nominations. These
revisions are designed to better explain
the information EEOC requests, which it
has collected in the past. The major
revisions are:
A. A nomination will not be
considered if a nominee meets the
requirements for filing an EEOC EEO
survey form and did not file. This
criterion was not explicitly mentioned
in the previous nomination instructions,
but the EEOC believes it was an implied
PO 00000
Frm 00033
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
49279
criterion because eligible organizations
are required by law and EEOC
regulation to file the appropriate survey
form. This revision makes the
requirement explicit.
B. Nominees must use the
Nomination Form designed by the EEOC
to submit the information requested. In
the first year of the Award program, a
nominee was required to submit an
essay containing the information
requested by the EEOC. For the second
and third years of the program, the
EEOC designed a Nomination Form to
collect information about the entity, so
that the required essay could solely
focus on describing the procedure/
practice nominated. Use of the Form
was optional and an entity could still
file just an essay as long as it contained
all of the information EEOC requested.
Most nominees over the two year period
used the Form along with their essay to
file their applications. The EEOC
believes that the Form improved the
quality of submissions. It provides
important information in a logical and
consistent fashion; ensures that all of
the information is provided, eliminating
the need to contact the nominee to
obtain it; and, takes less time to provide
the information than in the essay. In
addition, the Form enabled the nominee
to describe the procedure/practice more
thoroughly, while meeting the word
limitation required for the essay.
Organizations using only the essay
substantially limited their descriptive
information about the procedure/
practice nominated, because other
required information had to be included
within the essay. For these reasons, the
EEOC will require the use of the
Nomination Form to provide all of the
information requested, unless the
nominee provides a reasonable
justification for not being able to use it.
A section of the Form will require an
essay on the procedure/practice
nominated.
Eligibility Criteria
The following criteria apply to the
Freedom to Compete Award Nominees.
A nominee must:
A. Be a public or private employer,
corporation, association, organization,
or other entity whose nominated
practice exemplifies the goals of the
Freedom to Compete initiative. A
nominee may self-nominate or be
nominated by others.
B. Have implemented a program or
practice that has successfully removed
barriers that hinder free and fair
workplace competition and increased
access, inclusion, and/or other
workplace opportunities for qualified
workers.
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28AUN1
49280
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 166 / Tuesday, August 28, 2007 / Notices
C. Have filed an EEOC Equal
Employment Opportunity survey, if it is
required to do so based upon the
appropriate survey filing requirements.
Filing requirements for each type of
survey are available on EEOC’s Web site
at https://www.eeoc.gov/employers/
surveys.html.
D. Use the Nomination Form designed
by the EEOC for submitting applications
for the FTC Award. The Form will be
available each year on EEOC’s Internet
Web site or by contacting the agency for
a copy when the nomination period
opens.
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
Requirements for Submitting
Nominations
The nominee for the Freedom to
Compete Award must complete and
submit the Nomination Form provided
by the EEOC each year. The form
collects information to evaluate (1) The
eligibility criteria described above, and
(2) the merits of the procedure or
practice nominated for the Award. The
nominee must provide the following
types of information:
A. Information about the organization
using the procedure/practice
nominated, including its mission, size,
number of employees, and products/
services.
B. Contact information.
C. Activities the organization
proposes to undertake in collaboration
with the EEOC to promote the
procedure/practice with other
organizations that seek to replicate it,
and to promote the Award and the
principles of a free and fair competition
in the workplace, if the organization
receives an Award.
D. Pending charges, complaints or
legal or enforcement actions involving
violations of Federal, state or local
employment discrimination law, or any
corrective actions, consent decrees or
other settlement agreements currently in
effect that have resulted from litigation
or other enforcement actions under
these same employment discrimination
laws.
E. A short essay that describes the
procedure/practice nominated for the
FTC Award and the results achieved
from using the procedure/practice. The
essay is a critical component of the
application. It must describe a specific
procedure/practice; not multiple
procedures/practices (multiple
nominations from the same organization
are acceptable). In addition, specific
results obtained by using the procedure/
practice nominated must be included.
The essay should include the following
elements:
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19:52 Aug 27, 2007
Jkt 211001
(1) The original purpose for
implementing the procedure/practice
nominated;
(2) A detailed description of the
procedure/practice nominated;
(3) The major obstacles encountered
during the implementation of the
procedure/practice and how they were
overcome;
(4) The length of time the practice has
been in effect;
(5) How the organization or operation
of the procedure/practice is managed/
supervised;
(6) The specific, tangible results that
have been achieved over time (the
practice/procedure must have been in
place for at least one year to obtain
tangible results);
(7) The methodology for collecting
and analyzing the results to determine
the effectiveness of the procedure/
practice;
(8) Who is held accountable for
achieving the results;
(9) The level of executive involvement
in, and commitment to, the procedure/
practice during its development and
during its implementation; and,
(10) What are the key factors that
makes the procedure/practice effective.
Application Period and Submission of
Nominations
Each year the EEOC announces the
inclusive dates for submitting
applications for the FTC Award, the
date and location of the Awards
ceremony, specific details about the
information to submit, the Nomination
Form required, and the methods for
submitting an application. The
announcement and all relevant
application materials are available on
EEOC’s Internet Web site at https://
www.eeoc.gov/. Requests for application
materials in hard copy or other formats
are available by contacting Jay Friedman
(see contact information, above).
However, the EEOC prefers that
organizations obtain the application
materials on EEOC’s Web site or submit
all application materials by e-mail at
Freedom.Award@eeoc.gov.
EEOC Statutory Responsibilities:
Receipt of the Freedom to Compete
Award does not constitute or be
considered a waiver by the EEOC of its
statutory responsibilities with respect to
any future charges, investigations, or
litigation against a nominee or the
recipient of an award.
Burden Statement: The estimated
number of respondents included in the
annual process is estimated at 50–100
applicants. Submitting a voluntary
application for an award and
subsequent requests for information to
clarify or supplement application
PO 00000
Frm 00034
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
materials is estimated at 500–1,000
Respondent burden hours (10 hours for
each Respondent). Because the program
has already been established, there are
no substantive one time implementation
costs.
Paperwork Reduction Act Notice:
Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, and
OMB regulations 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), the
Commission solicits public comment to
enable it to:
1. Evaluate whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
Commission’s functions, including
whether the information will have
practical utility;
2. Evaluate the accuracy of the
Commission’s estimate of the burden of
the proposed collection of information,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
3. Enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and
4. Minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are respond, including the use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submission of responses.
Dated: August 21, 2007.
For the Commission.
Naomi C. Earp,
Chair.
[FR Doc. E7–17023 Filed 8–27–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6570–01–P
FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
Formations of, Acquisitions by, and
Mergers of Bank Holding Companies
The companies listed in this notice
have applied to the Board for approval,
pursuant to the Bank Holding Company
Act of 1956 (12 U.S.C. 1841 et seq.)
(BHC Act), Regulation Y (12 CFR Part
225), and all other applicable statutes
and regulations to become a bank
holding company and/or to acquire the
assets or the ownership of, control of, or
the power to vote shares of a bank or
bank holding company and all of the
banks and nonbanking companies
owned by the bank holding company,
including the companies listed below.
The applications listed below, as well
as other related filings required by the
Board, are available for immediate
inspection at the Federal Reserve Bank
indicated. The application also will be
available for inspection at the offices of
the Board of Governors. Interested
E:\FR\FM\28AUN1.SGM
28AUN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 166 (Tuesday, August 28, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49278-49280]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-17023]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comments Requested for Freedom To Compete Award Program
AGENCY: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
ACTION: Notice of Extension with Revisions.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (Commission or EEOC), announces
that it intends to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB),
a request for a three-year extension of the collection of information
for the Freedom To Compete (FTC) Award program with revisions to the
application criteria, procedures and process.
DATE: Written comments on this notice must be submitted on or before
October 29, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Stephen Llewellyn, Acting
Executive Officer, Executive Secretariat, Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, 10th Floor, 1801 L Street, NW., Washington, DC 20507. As a
convenience to commentators, the Executive Secretariat will accept
comments totaling six or fewer pages by facsimile (``FAX'') machine.
This limitation is necessary to assure access to the equipment. The
telephone
[[Page 49279]]
number of the FAX receiver is (202) 663-4114. (This is not a toll-free
number.) Receipt of FAX transmittals will not be acknowledged, except
that the sender may request confirmation of receipt by calling the
Executive Secretariat staff at (202) 663-4070 (voice) or (202) 663-4074
(TTY). (These are not toll-free telephone numbers.) Copies of comments
submitted by the public will be available for review at the
Commission's library, Room 6502, 1801 L Street, NW., Washington, DC
20507 between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information about the FTC
Award program and the proposed revisions contact Jay Friedman,
Director, Strategic Planning and Management Controls Division, Office
of Research, Information and Planning, at 1801 L Street, NW., Room
8219, Washington, DC 20507; or by telephone at (202) 663-4094 (voice)
or (202) 663-7124 (TTY); or by e-mail at Freedom.Award@eeoc.gov. This
notice is also available in the following formats: large print,
braille, audiotape and electronic file on computer disk. Requests for
this notice in an alternative format should be made to the EEOC
Publications Center at 1-800-669-3362.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EEOC launched its Freedom to Compete
(FTC) initiative in 2002. The FTC initiative is a national outreach,
education, and coalition-building strategy designed to complement the
agency's enforcement and litigation efforts by identifying equal
employment opportunity (EEO) practices and programs worthy of
emulation. In 2004, the EEOC added the Freedom to Compete (FTC) Award
as another component of its FTC initiative; issuing the first awards in
2005. The Award recognizes employers, organizations and other entities
whose extraordinary efforts embody the EEOC's mission of ensuring
individuals the freedom to compete in the workplace on a level playing
field regardless of race, color, gender, age, national origin, religion
or disability. The EEOC has collected information in the past from
employers, organizations, other entities, and members of the public who
voluntarily submitted nominations to be considered for the Award. The
Commission is soliciting public comment on its proposals to modify the
criteria, procedures, and processes for collecting information and
determining the eligibility of nominations for consideration for an
Award.
Overview of This Information Collection
Collection Title: Freedom To Compete Award Nominations.
OMB Number: 3046-0044.
Frequency of Report: Annually.
Type of Respondent: Individuals; businesses or other for-profit and
not-for-profit institutions; State or local governments; or other
entities.
Description of Affected Public: Individuals; businesses or other
for-profit and not-for-profit institutions; State or local governments;
or other entities.
Responses: 50-100.
Reporting Hours: 500-1,000 (10 hours for each response).
Federal Cost: $6,000.
Number of Forms: 1.
Form Number: EEOC Nomination Form [unnumbered].
Abstract: The EEOC's Freedom to Compete (FTC) Award is designed to
recognize organizations whose practices and procedures embody the
EEOC's mission of ensuring individuals the freedom to compete in the
workplace on a level playing field and to go as far as their talent and
abilities will allow regardless of race, color, gender, age, national
origin, religion or disability. Award winners will be presented the
EEOC's FTC Award at a ceremony in Washington, DC. The EEOC provides
specific nomination instructions on its Internet Web site each year
when the period for accepting applications is announced. Nominees
voluntarily participate by submitting information about a nominated
procedure or practice and the organization implementing the procedure/
practice.
Proposed Criteria and Nomination Materials: The EEOC proposes
revisions to the criteria and the nomination materials previously used
for the FTC Award program. The EEOC requests public comment on the
program and the revisions.
Summary of Major Revisions
There are two major revisions to the FTC Award program under
Eligibility Criteria. Other types of revisions are included under
Requirements for Submitting Nominations. These revisions are designed
to better explain the information EEOC requests, which it has collected
in the past. The major revisions are:
A. A nomination will not be considered if a nominee meets the
requirements for filing an EEOC EEO survey form and did not file. This
criterion was not explicitly mentioned in the previous nomination
instructions, but the EEOC believes it was an implied criterion because
eligible organizations are required by law and EEOC regulation to file
the appropriate survey form. This revision makes the requirement
explicit.
B. Nominees must use the Nomination Form designed by the EEOC to
submit the information requested. In the first year of the Award
program, a nominee was required to submit an essay containing the
information requested by the EEOC. For the second and third years of
the program, the EEOC designed a Nomination Form to collect information
about the entity, so that the required essay could solely focus on
describing the procedure/practice nominated. Use of the Form was
optional and an entity could still file just an essay as long as it
contained all of the information EEOC requested. Most nominees over the
two year period used the Form along with their essay to file their
applications. The EEOC believes that the Form improved the quality of
submissions. It provides important information in a logical and
consistent fashion; ensures that all of the information is provided,
eliminating the need to contact the nominee to obtain it; and, takes
less time to provide the information than in the essay. In addition,
the Form enabled the nominee to describe the procedure/practice more
thoroughly, while meeting the word limitation required for the essay.
Organizations using only the essay substantially limited their
descriptive information about the procedure/practice nominated, because
other required information had to be included within the essay. For
these reasons, the EEOC will require the use of the Nomination Form to
provide all of the information requested, unless the nominee provides a
reasonable justification for not being able to use it. A section of the
Form will require an essay on the procedure/practice nominated.
Eligibility Criteria
The following criteria apply to the Freedom to Compete Award
Nominees. A nominee must:
A. Be a public or private employer, corporation, association,
organization, or other entity whose nominated practice exemplifies the
goals of the Freedom to Compete initiative. A nominee may self-nominate
or be nominated by others.
B. Have implemented a program or practice that has successfully
removed barriers that hinder free and fair workplace competition and
increased access, inclusion, and/or other workplace opportunities for
qualified workers.
[[Page 49280]]
C. Have filed an EEOC Equal Employment Opportunity survey, if it is
required to do so based upon the appropriate survey filing
requirements. Filing requirements for each type of survey are available
on EEOC's Web site at https://www.eeoc.gov/employers/surveys.html.
D. Use the Nomination Form designed by the EEOC for submitting
applications for the FTC Award. The Form will be available each year on
EEOC's Internet Web site or by contacting the agency for a copy when
the nomination period opens.
Requirements for Submitting Nominations
The nominee for the Freedom to Compete Award must complete and
submit the Nomination Form provided by the EEOC each year. The form
collects information to evaluate (1) The eligibility criteria described
above, and (2) the merits of the procedure or practice nominated for
the Award. The nominee must provide the following types of information:
A. Information about the organization using the procedure/practice
nominated, including its mission, size, number of employees, and
products/services.
B. Contact information.
C. Activities the organization proposes to undertake in
collaboration with the EEOC to promote the procedure/practice with
other organizations that seek to replicate it, and to promote the Award
and the principles of a free and fair competition in the workplace, if
the organization receives an Award.
D. Pending charges, complaints or legal or enforcement actions
involving violations of Federal, state or local employment
discrimination law, or any corrective actions, consent decrees or other
settlement agreements currently in effect that have resulted from
litigation or other enforcement actions under these same employment
discrimination laws.
E. A short essay that describes the procedure/practice nominated
for the FTC Award and the results achieved from using the procedure/
practice. The essay is a critical component of the application. It must
describe a specific procedure/practice; not multiple procedures/
practices (multiple nominations from the same organization are
acceptable). In addition, specific results obtained by using the
procedure/practice nominated must be included. The essay should include
the following elements:
(1) The original purpose for implementing the procedure/practice
nominated;
(2) A detailed description of the procedure/practice nominated;
(3) The major obstacles encountered during the implementation of
the procedure/practice and how they were overcome;
(4) The length of time the practice has been in effect;
(5) How the organization or operation of the procedure/practice is
managed/supervised;
(6) The specific, tangible results that have been achieved over
time (the practice/procedure must have been in place for at least one
year to obtain tangible results);
(7) The methodology for collecting and analyzing the results to
determine the effectiveness of the procedure/practice;
(8) Who is held accountable for achieving the results;
(9) The level of executive involvement in, and commitment to, the
procedure/practice during its development and during its
implementation; and,
(10) What are the key factors that makes the procedure/practice
effective.
Application Period and Submission of Nominations
Each year the EEOC announces the inclusive dates for submitting
applications for the FTC Award, the date and location of the Awards
ceremony, specific details about the information to submit, the
Nomination Form required, and the methods for submitting an
application. The announcement and all relevant application materials
are available on EEOC's Internet Web site at https://www.eeoc.gov/.
Requests for application materials in hard copy or other formats are
available by contacting Jay Friedman (see contact information, above).
However, the EEOC prefers that organizations obtain the application
materials on EEOC's Web site or submit all application materials by e-
mail at Freedom.Award@eeoc.gov.
EEOC Statutory Responsibilities: Receipt of the Freedom to Compete
Award does not constitute or be considered a waiver by the EEOC of its
statutory responsibilities with respect to any future charges,
investigations, or litigation against a nominee or the recipient of an
award.
Burden Statement: The estimated number of respondents included in
the annual process is estimated at 50-100 applicants. Submitting a
voluntary application for an award and subsequent requests for
information to clarify or supplement application materials is estimated
at 500-1,000 Respondent burden hours (10 hours for each Respondent).
Because the program has already been established, there are no
substantive one time implementation costs.
Paperwork Reduction Act Notice: Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, and OMB regulations 5 CFR
1320.8(d)(1), the Commission solicits public comment to enable it to:
1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the Commission's functions,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
2. Evaluate the accuracy of the Commission's estimate of the burden
of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
who are respond, including the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic
submission of responses.
Dated: August 21, 2007.
For the Commission.
Naomi C. Earp,
Chair.
[FR Doc. E7-17023 Filed 8-27-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6570-01-P