Notice of Submission for Renewal of a Previously Approved Information Collection: Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF 85), 49064 [2021-18930]

Agencies

• Office of Personnel Management

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 167 (Wednesday, September 1, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 49064]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18930]


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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT


Notice of Submission for Renewal of a Previously Approved 
Information Collection: Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF 
85)

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: 30-Day notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Suitability 
Executive Agent Programs, is notifying the general public and other 
federal agencies that OPM proposes to request the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) to renew a previously-approved information collection, 
Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF 85).

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until October 1, 
2021.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on 
the proposed information collection to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management Budget by the following 
method: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for 
submitting comments. All submissions received must include the agency 
name and docket number for this document. The general policy for 
comments and other submissions from member of the public is to make 
these submissions available for public viewing at https://www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, including any 
personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A copy of this ICR, with applicable 
supporting documentation, may be obtained by contacting Christine 
Bilunka, 724-738-1190, ext. 7400, or the U.S. Office of Personnel 
Management, Suitability Executive Agent Programs, P.O. Box 699, 
Slippery Rock, PA 16057, or sent by email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice announces that OPM has submitted 
to OMB a request for renewal of a previously-approved information 
collection, control number 3206-0261, Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive 
Positions (SF 85). The public has an additional 30-day opportunity to 
comment.
    The Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions, SF 85 is an 
information collection completed by applicants for, or incumbents of, 
Federal Government civilian positions, or positions in private entities 
performing work for the Federal Government under contract. The 
collection is used as the basis of information for background 
investigations to establish that such persons are:
    Suitable for employment or retention in Federal employment in a low 
risk, non-sensitive position, or fit for employment or retention in 
Federal employment in the excepted service when the duties to be 
performed are equivalent to a low risk, non-sensitive position;
    Fit to perform work on behalf of the Federal Government pursuant to 
the Government contract, when the duties to be performed are equivalent 
to a low risk, non-sensitive position;
    Eligible for physical and logical access to federally controlled 
facilities or information systems, when the duties to be performed by 
the individual are equivalent to the duties performed by an employee in 
a low risk, non-sensitive position.
    For applicants, the SF 85 is to be used only after a conditional 
offer of employment has been made. e-QIP (Electronic Questionnaires for 
Investigations Processing) is a web-based system application that 
houses the SF 85. A variable in assessing burden hours is the nature of 
the electronic application. The electronic application includes 
branching questions and instructions which provide for a tailored 
collection from the respondent based on varying factors in the 
respondent's personal history. The burden on the respondent is reduced 
when the respondent's personal history is not relevant to particular 
question, since the question branches, or expands for additional 
details, only for those persons who have pertinent information to 
provide regarding that line of questioning. Accordingly, the burden on 
the respondent will vary depending on whether the information 
collection relates to the respondent's personal history.
    OPM recommends renewal of the form without any proposed changes, 
except to underlying authorities, which have been revised in the period 
since the last renewal; the Privacy Act Information Statement, to 
acknowledge the transfer of background investigations files from OPM to 
the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency; and the Purpose 
Statement, to make more clear that the form may be used for 
investigations for fitness for appointment to a position in the 
excepted service. No other changes are recommended at this time.
    Ongoing assessments will occur to ensure the SF 85 reflects and 
collects pertinent information for the investigative process and aligns 
with governing policies, rules, and regulations requiring use of this 
form.
    The 60 day Federal Register Notice was published on June 25, 2021 
(86 FR 13524). No comments were received.

Analysis

    Agency: Office of Personnel Management, Suitability Executive Agent 
Programs.
    Title: Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF 85).
    OMB Number: 3206-0261.
    Affected Public: Individuals.
    Number of Respondents: 55,040.
    Estimated Time per Respondent: 120 minutes.
    Total Burden Hours: 110,080.

Office of Personnel Management.
Alexys Stanley,
Regulatory Affairs Analyst.
[FR Doc. 2021-18930 Filed 8-30-21; 11:15 am]
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