Notice and Request for Comments-Final Guidelines for Automated Financial-Eligibility Screening, 43261-43262 [2016-15578]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 127 / Friday, July 1, 2016 / Notices asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Instruction Sheet Use this form to file a complaint against an employer for violating any of the three laws the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) enforces: • Executive Order 11246, as amended; • Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; and the • Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended. These laws make it illegal for companies doing business with the Federal Government to discriminate against job applicants and employees based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status and status as a protected veteran. This includes discrimination in pay and other forms of compensation. Executive Order 11246, as amended, also prohibits federal contractors from discriminating against applicants and employees for inquiring about, discussing, or disclosing compensation. In addition, it is illegal for these companies to retaliate or otherwise take employment actions that negatively affect job applicants and employees because they filed a complaint, opposed acts or practices made unlawful by OFCCP’s laws, or provided information or assistance during a compliance evaluation or complaint investigation. Retaliatory actions include any intimidation, threat, coercion or discrimination. General Instructions: Print or type the information when filling in the form. Tell us what happened, why you believe it was discrimination or retaliation, and who took the actions you described. Also, explain where and when these things happened, who saw it, and who may have information about what happened to you. Your signature is required on the complaint form, and if it is not on the form when you submit it, we will ask you to sign it. The form includes a place for you to select the reason why you believe your employer discriminated or retaliated against you. If you believe you may have been discriminated or retaliated against for multiple reasons, such as race and sex, select all the protected bases that apply. When describing what happened, tell us how it changed your work. For example, let us know if it caused you not to be hired for a job; caused you to be fired, laid off, demoted, or denied a promotion; or caused you to lose seniority or have your job assignment VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:05 Jun 30, 2016 Jkt 238001 changed. You may have also been paid less than others doing the same or similar work. We also want to know if what happened involved training, pregnancy leave, harassment, accommodation for a disability or for religious observances, or segregation of facilities. You can use a separate piece of paper if you need more space to describe what happened to you. Remember to attach the piece of paper to the complaint form when you are done. If you are filing a complaint of discrimination because of your veteran status, remember to attach your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (also known as DD Form 214). If one is not provided, we will ask you to provide one later. There are several categories of veterans protected by VEVRAA: disabled veterans, veterans separated from service for no more than three years, active duty wartime or campaign badge veterans, and armed forces service medal veterans. For more details on these categories, visit OFCCP’s Web site at https:// www.dol.gov/ofccp/posters/ Infographics/ProtectedVet.htm. Where to file the complaint? You should send the completed form to the OFCCP regional office that covers the state where the alleged discrimination happened. Send OFCCP your form by U.S. mail, fax, or email. A list of regional offices and the states that each office covers can be found on the OFCCP Web site at: https://www.dol.gov/ ofccp/contacts/regkeyp.htm. When to file a complaint? Complaints based on your race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, must be filed within 180 days of the action(s) taken by your employer that you think was either discrimination or retaliation. The same 180-day time frame applies to pay transparency complaints alleging discrimination for discussing, disclosing, or inquiring about pay. Complaints based on your disability or status as a protected veteran must be filed within 300 days of the action(s) taken by your employer that you think was either discrimination or retaliation. Privacy Act Statement The collection of information using this form is authorized by the laws OFCCP enforces, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), as amended, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as amended. OFCCP uses this information to process complaints and conduct investigations of alleged violations of these employment discrimination laws. OFCCP will provide a copy of this PO 00000 Frm 00080 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 43261 complaint to the employer against whom it is filed, and when the matters alleged are covered by Title VII and/or the ADA, to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The information collected may be: 1) verified with others who may have knowledge relevant to the complaint; 2) used in settlement negotiations with the employer or in the course of presenting evidence at a hearing; or 3) disclosed to other agencies with jurisdiction over the complaint. Providing this information is voluntary; however, failure to provide the information may delay or prevent OFCCP from investigating your complaint and, for matters covered by Title VII or the ADA, may affect your right to sue under those laws. Public Burden Statement The estimated time to complete this form is 1 hour, including time for reviewing instructions, filling out the form and sending it to OFCCP. Please note that you are not required to respond to this collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. If you have comments regarding the estimated burden or any other aspect of this complaint form, including suggestions for reducing the burden, send them to the OFCCP Policy Division (1250–0002), 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Room C3325, Washington, DC 20210. Please do not send the completed complaint form to this address. [FR Doc. 2016–15671 Filed 6–30–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510–CM–P LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION Notice and Request for Comments— Final Guidelines for Automated Financial-Eligibility Screening Legal Services Corporation. Notice; request for comments. AGENCY: ACTION: The Legal Services Corporation is publishing for public comment a proposed program letter addressing standards for automated systems that LSC grantees might use to gather financial-eligibility information from applicants for legal services and to make financial-eligibility decisions for those applicants. DATES: The program letter will be effective August 10, 2016. Written comments will be accepted until August 1, 2016. ADDRESSES: Written comments must be submitted to Mark Freedman, Senior Associate General Counsel, Legal SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\01JYN1.SGM 01JYN1 asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 43262 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 127 / Friday, July 1, 2016 / Notices Services Corporation, 3333 K St. NW., Washington, DC 20007–3522; 202–337– 6519 (fax); mfreedman@lsc.gov. LSC prefers electronic submissions via email with attachments in Acrobat PDF format. Written comments sent to any other address or received after the end of the comment period may not be considered by LSC. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Freedman, Senior Associate General Counsel, Legal Services Corporation, 3333 K St. NW., Washington, DC 20007; 202–295–1623 (phone); 202–337–6519 (fax); mfreedman@lsc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Legal Services Corporation (‘‘LSC’’ or ‘‘Corporation’’) was established by the United States Congress ‘‘for the purpose of providing financial support for legal assistance in noncriminal matters or proceedings to persons financially unable to afford such assistance.’’ 42 U.S.C. 2996b(a). LSC performs this function primarily by funding civil legal aid programs providing legal services to low-income persons throughout the United States and its possessions and territories in geographic areas determined by LSC. Each LSC funding recipient must screen all applicants for LSC-funded legal assistance to determine if the applicant’s household meets the recipient’s financial eligibility requirements for income and assets, which themselves must comply with the LSC financial eligibility requirements set forth at 45 CFR part 1611. On March 26, 2012, LSC published for comment a draft program letter discussing minimum screening requirements for LSC recipients when determining financial eligibility of applicants based on information collected through automated online intake systems. 77 FR 17529. The draft program letter and comments received are in the ‘‘Closed Matters for Comment’’ section of LSC’s Web site at: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/matterscomment under ‘‘Draft FinancialScreening Program Letter’’. LSC received eight comments, all of which encouraged LSC to provide guidance on this topic. Four comments recommended that LSC not require a person at the grantee to make a direct follow-up contact regarding financial information for every applicant using an automated intake system. Three comments suggested clarifying who may provide financial eligibility information for an applicant through an automated system, and to include representatives of applicants, such as family members. One comment recommended separate requirements for applicants to be served VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:05 Jun 30, 2016 Jkt 238001 by private attorneys volunteering with the grantee or providing reduced-fee services. One comment said that the proposed program letter was complete and adequate to explain the requirements. Based on the comments and additional internal review, LSC has substantially revised the program letter to: (1) Eliminate the requirement for a follow-up contact by a person in all situations, (2) clarify that applicants or their authorized representatives may provide the financial information, and (3) provide guidelines for when the automated system may make a financial eligibility determination without review by a person. In all cases, the grantee must maintain clear and accessible records regarding the structure and operation of the system, maintain all information required for clienteligibility determinations, and engage in ongoing review of the system for improvements. Furthermore, grantees must design and operate these systems so as to maintain access to services for people with disabilities. The revised program letter is available on the LSC Web site at https:// www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/matterscomment. LSC will accept comments on the notice for thirty days and, if the comments warrant, will issue an additional notice modifying the proposed program letter and adjusting the effective date. In the absence of any such notice, the revised program letter will be effective forty days after publication of this notice in the Federal Register. Dated: June 27, 2016. Mark Freedman, Senior Associate General Counsel. [FR Doc. 2016–15578 Filed 6–30–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7050–01–P NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION [NARA–2016–037] Records Schedules; Availability and Request for Comments National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). ACTION: Notice of availability of proposed records schedules; request for comments. AGENCY: The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) publishes notice at least once monthly of certain Federal agency requests for records disposition authority (records schedules). Once approved by NARA, records schedules provide mandatory SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00081 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 instructions on what happens to records when agencies no longer need them for current Government business. The records schedules authorize agencies to preserve records of continuing value in the National Archives of the United States and to destroy, after a specified period, records lacking administrative, legal, research, or other value. NARA publishes notice in the Federal Register for records schedules in which agencies propose to destroy records not previously authorized for disposal or reduce the retention period of records already authorized for disposal. NARA invites public comments on such records schedules, as required by 44 U.S.C. 3303a(a). DATES: NARA must receive requests for copies in writing by August 1, 2016. Once NARA finishes appraising the records, we will send you a copy of the schedule you requested. We usually prepare appraisal memoranda that contain additional information concerning the records covered by a proposed schedule. You may also request these. If you do, we will also provide them once we have completed the appraisal. You have 30 days after we send to you these requested documents in which to submit comments. ADDRESSES: You may request a copy of any records schedule identified in this notice by contacting Records Appraisal and Agency Assistance (ACRA) using one of the following means: Mail: NARA (ACRA); 8601 Adelphi Road; College Park, MD 20740–6001. Email: request.schedule@nara.gov. FAX: 301–837–3698. You must cite the control number, which appears in parentheses after the name of the agency that submitted the schedule, and a mailing address. If you would like an appraisal report, please include that in your request. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margaret Hawkins, Director, by mail at Records Appraisal and Agency Assistance (ACRA); National Archives and Records Administration; 8601 Adelphi Road; College Park, MD 20740– 6001, by phone at 301–837–1799, or by email at request.schedule@nara.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Each year, Federal agencies create billions of records on paper, film, magnetic tape, and other media. To control this accumulation, agency records managers prepare schedules proposing records retention periods and submit these schedules for NARA’s approval. These schedules provide for timely transfer into the National Archives of historically valuable records and authorize the agency to dispose of all other records after the agency no longer E:\FR\FM\01JYN1.SGM 01JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 127 (Friday, July 1, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43261-43262]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-15578]


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LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION


Notice and Request for Comments--Final Guidelines for Automated 
Financial-Eligibility Screening

AGENCY: Legal Services Corporation.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Legal Services Corporation is publishing for public 
comment a proposed program letter addressing standards for automated 
systems that LSC grantees might use to gather financial-eligibility 
information from applicants for legal services and to make financial-
eligibility decisions for those applicants.

DATES: The program letter will be effective August 10, 2016. Written 
comments will be accepted until August 1, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Written comments must be submitted to Mark Freedman, Senior 
Associate General Counsel, Legal

[[Page 43262]]

Services Corporation, 3333 K St. NW., Washington, DC 20007-3522; 202-
337-6519 (fax); mfreedman@lsc.gov. LSC prefers electronic submissions 
via email with attachments in Acrobat PDF format. Written comments sent 
to any other address or received after the end of the comment period 
may not be considered by LSC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Freedman, Senior Associate 
General Counsel, Legal Services Corporation, 3333 K St. NW., 
Washington, DC 20007; 202-295-1623 (phone); 202-337-6519 (fax); 
mfreedman@lsc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Legal Services Corporation (``LSC'' or 
``Corporation'') was established by the United States Congress ``for 
the purpose of providing financial support for legal assistance in 
noncriminal matters or proceedings to persons financially unable to 
afford such assistance.'' 42 U.S.C. 2996b(a). LSC performs this 
function primarily by funding civil legal aid programs providing legal 
services to low-income persons throughout the United States and its 
possessions and territories in geographic areas determined by LSC. Each 
LSC funding recipient must screen all applicants for LSC-funded legal 
assistance to determine if the applicant's household meets the 
recipient's financial eligibility requirements for income and assets, 
which themselves must comply with the LSC financial eligibility 
requirements set forth at 45 CFR part 1611.
    On March 26, 2012, LSC published for comment a draft program letter 
discussing minimum screening requirements for LSC recipients when 
determining financial eligibility of applicants based on information 
collected through automated online intake systems. 77 FR 17529. The 
draft program letter and comments received are in the ``Closed Matters 
for Comment'' section of LSC's Web site at: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/matters-comment under ``Draft Financial-Screening Program Letter''.
    LSC received eight comments, all of which encouraged LSC to provide 
guidance on this topic. Four comments recommended that LSC not require 
a person at the grantee to make a direct follow-up contact regarding 
financial information for every applicant using an automated intake 
system. Three comments suggested clarifying who may provide financial 
eligibility information for an applicant through an automated system, 
and to include representatives of applicants, such as family members. 
One comment recommended separate requirements for applicants to be 
served by private attorneys volunteering with the grantee or providing 
reduced-fee services. One comment said that the proposed program letter 
was complete and adequate to explain the requirements.
    Based on the comments and additional internal review, LSC has 
substantially revised the program letter to: (1) Eliminate the 
requirement for a follow-up contact by a person in all situations, (2) 
clarify that applicants or their authorized representatives may provide 
the financial information, and (3) provide guidelines for when the 
automated system may make a financial eligibility determination without 
review by a person. In all cases, the grantee must maintain clear and 
accessible records regarding the structure and operation of the system, 
maintain all information required for client-eligibility 
determinations, and engage in ongoing review of the system for 
improvements. Furthermore, grantees must design and operate these 
systems so as to maintain access to services for people with 
disabilities.
    The revised program letter is available on the LSC Web site at 
https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/matters-comment. LSC will accept comments 
on the notice for thirty days and, if the comments warrant, will issue 
an additional notice modifying the proposed program letter and 
adjusting the effective date. In the absence of any such notice, the 
revised program letter will be effective forty days after publication 
of this notice in the Federal Register.

    Dated: June 27, 2016.
Mark Freedman,
Senior Associate General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2016-15578 Filed 6-30-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7050-01-P
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