Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Confidential Financial Disclosure Form for Special Government Employees Serving on Federal Advisory Committees at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Renewal); EPA ICR No. 2260.06, OMB Control No. 2090-0029, 68872 [2020-23876]

Agencies

• ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 211 (Friday, October 30, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 68872]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23876]



[[Page 68872]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OA-2010-0757; FRL-10016-01-OMS]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; 
Confidential Financial Disclosure Form for Special Government Employees 
Serving on Federal Advisory Committees at the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency (Renewal); EPA ICR No. 2260.06, OMB Control No. 2090-
0029

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to 
submit an information collection request (ICR), ``Confidential 
Financial Disclosure Form for Special Government Employees Serving on 
Federal Advisory Committees at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
(Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 2260.05, OMB Control No. 2090-0029) to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. Before doing so, EPA is 
soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed 
information collection as described below. This is a proposed extension 
of the ICR, which is currently approved through June 30, 2021. An 
Agency may not conduct, or sponsor and a person is not required to 
respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 31, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-
2010-0757, online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by 
email to [email protected], or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460.
    EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
public docket without change including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information 
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Toni Rousey, Office of Resources, and 
Business Operations, Federal Advisory Committee Management Division, 
Mail Code 1601M, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-5356; fax 
number: 202-564-8129; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supporting documents which explain in detail 
the information that the EPA will be collecting are available in the 
public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at 
www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, 
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC. The telephone 
number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket, visit https://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA is soliciting 
comments and information to enable it to: (i) Evaluate whether the 
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether the 
information will have practical utility; (ii) evaluate the accuracy of 
the Agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (iii) enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (iv) minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on those who are to respond, including 
through 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. EPA 
will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as appropriate. 
The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for review and 
approval. At that time, EPA will issue another Federal Register notice 
to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to 
submit additional comments to OMB.
    Abstract: The purpose of this information collection request is to 
assist the EPA in selecting federal advisory committee members who will 
be appointed as Special Government Employees (SGEs), mostly to the 
EPA's scientific and technical committees. To select SGE members as 
efficiently and cost effectively as possible, the Agency needs to 
evaluate potential conflicts of interest before a candidate is hired as 
an SGE and appointed as a member to a committee.
    Agency officials developed the ``Confidential Financial Disclosure 
Form for Special Government Employees Serving on Federal Advisory 
Committees at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,'' also referred 
to as Form 3110-48, for greater inclusion of information to discover 
any potential conflicts of interest as recommended by the Government 
Accountability Office.
    Form numbers: EPA Form 3110-48.
    Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are approximately 250 candidates for membership as SGEs on 
EPA federal advisory committees. SGEs are required to file a 
confidential financial disclosure report (Form 3110-48) when first 
appointed to serve on EPA advisory committees, and then annually 
thereafter. Committee members may also be required to update the 
confidential form before each meeting while they serve as SGEs.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Required in order to serve as a 
SGE on an EPA federal advisory committee (5 CFR 2634.903).
    Estimated number of respondents: 250 (total).
    Frequency of response: When first appointed to serve on an EPA 
advisory committee and annually thereafter. Committee members may also 
be required to update the confidential form before each meeting while 
they serve as SGEs.
    Total estimated burden: 250 hours per year (1 hour per respondent). 
Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $22,000 (per year), includes $0 annualized 
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in estimates: We anticipate an increase in the total 
estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by 
OMB. The estimated number of respondents needs to be revised to 
consider several committees and subcommittees with SGEs that were 
established since the ICR was last renewed, as well as SGEs who serve 
as consultants to the committees on an ad-hoc basis.

Donna J. Vizian,
Principle Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Mission Support.
[FR Doc. 2020-23876 Filed 10-29-20; 8:45 am]
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