Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Qualification Information for Candidates to Advisory Committees, 18294-18295 [2023-06384]

Agencies

• Commission on Civil Rights

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 59 (Tuesday, March 28, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18294-18295]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-06384]


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COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, 
and Approvals: Qualification Information for Candidates to Advisory 
Committees

AGENCY: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (``Commission'' or 
``USCCR'') is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the 
proposed collection of qualification information for advisory committee 
candidates by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (``PRA''), 
Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information, and to allow an 
additional 30 days for public comment.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 24, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to [email protected] or www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting 
``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using 
the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheryl Cozart, Senior Attorney-
Advisor, Office of the General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, 
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 
1150, Washington, DC 20425; phone: 202-839-7255; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., 
Federal agencies must issue two notices seeking public comment on 
information collection activities before OMB may approve paperwork 
packages. On January 11, 2023, USCCR published a 60-day notice (88 FR 
1557) in the Federal Register for public comment. USCCR received no 
comments after issuing this 60-day notice. Accordingly, USCCR announces 
that these information collection activities have been again evaluated 
and certified under 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and forwarded to OMB for review and 
approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12(c). Before OMB decides whether to 
approve these proposed collections of information, it must provide 30 
days for public comment. 44 U.S.C. 3507(b); 5 CFR 1320.12(d). Federal 
law requires OMB to approve or disapprove paperwork packages between 30 
and 60 days after the 30-day notice is published. 44 U.S.C. 3507 (b)-
(c); 5 CFR 1320.12(d); see also 60 FR 44978, 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. OMB 
believes that the 30-day notice informs the regulated community to file 
relevant comments and affords the agency adequate time to digest public 
comments before it renders a decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. 
Therefore, respondents should submit their respective comments to OMB 
within 30 days of publication to best ensure having their full effect. 
5 CFR 1320.12(c); see also 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995.
    The summaries below describe the nature of the information 
collection requirements (ICRs) and the expected burden. The 
requirements are being submitted for clearance by OMB as required by 
the PRA. This is a request for a new OMB control number.
    Title: ``Qualification Information for Candidates to Advisory 
Committees.''
    Abstract: The Commission studies civil rights issues and 
subsequently publishes reports with recommendations to inform the 
President, Congress, and the public. The USCCR's Advisory Committees 
were created to provide input and make recommendations to the 
Commission concerning discrimination and denial of equal protection of 
law, the right to vote, and related civil rights issues. The Commission 
was established by the Civil Rights Act of 1957, Public Law 815-315, 
and subsequently modified in the Civil Rights Commission Amendments Act 
of 1994, 42 U.S.C. 1975a. These laws direct the Commission to establish 
Advisory Committees for each state, the District of Columbia, and five 
U.S. territories. These non-discretionary, statutory Advisory 
Committees are subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 
Public Law 92-463 codified as 5 U.S.C. app. 2.
    As noted above, the 56 Advisory Committees advise the Commission on 
civil rights issues that the Committees choose to evaluate. The 
Commission may also ask Advisory Committees to take up a civil rights 
topic in support of a Commission investigation. After a Committee's 
report is submitted, the Commission may invite the Advisory Committee 
Chair to discuss the report, including the findings and 
recommendations, at regularly scheduled Commission business meetings. 
The Commission may notify the U.S. Congressional delegation for the 
particular locale that the advisory committee within their jurisdiction 
has published a report. In addition, the Commission may distribute 
Committee reports to the federal, state, and local bodies that are 
identified in the Committee report. Lastly, individual Commissioners 
often attend the Advisory Committee meetings, which are open to the 
general public.
    The USCCR identifies candidates for advisory committee membership 
through a variety of methods, including, but not limited to, public 
requests for nominations; recommendations from existing advisory 
committee members; consultations with knowledgeable persons outside the 
USSCR (academia, non-profits, other state or federal government 
agencies, academia, etc.); and Commissioners' and USCCR staff's 
professional knowledge of those experienced in civil rights. Following 
the identification process and submission of applications, the USCCR 
develops a list of proposed members with the relevant points of view 
needed to ensure membership balance. The USCCR Commissioners then vote 
to appoint individuals to serve four-year terms as Advisory Committee 
Members. Advisory Committee Members are generally classified as 
Representatives. Representatives provide the viewpoints of entities or 
recognizable groups and are expected to potentially represent a 
particular and known bias or perspective.

[[Page 18295]]

    The collection of information is necessary to support the USCCR 
Advisory Committees by placing qualified individuals on them as 
members. Pursuant to the FACA, an agency must ensure that a committee 
is balanced and diverse with respect to the viewpoints represented and 
the functions to be performed by that committee. Consistent with this, 
in order to select individuals for potential membership on an advisory 
committee, the USCCR must determine that potential members are 
qualified to serve on an advisory committee and that the viewpoints are 
properly balanced on the committee.
    USCCR staff would use the information collected in the applications 
to determine that members come from the rich and diverse backgrounds of 
all of the United States and its Territories that USCCR wishes to have 
represented on its Advisory Committees, to determine the civil rights 
experience and expertise of potential advisory committee members, and 
to ensure that the membership on a committee is balanced.
    The USCCR seeks to collect the following information in its 
applications: Information that supports an individual's state or 
territory residency requirements, civil rights experience and expertise 
to serve on an advisory committee, including a letter discussing their 
qualifications, resume or curriculum vitae, and/or other similar 
biographical information documents such as name and address and social 
media handles. Additionally, the USCCR seeks to collect information 
that ensures membership balance (e.g., represented viewpoint category), 
and that potential members broadly represent the demographics and/or 
viewpoints of the United States and its Territories' varied and diverse 
backgrounds including, but not limited to, education, occupation, 
political affiliation and/or ideology, race/ethnicity, national origin, 
gender, sexual orientation, disability status, age, religion, and 
veteran status.
    With respect to the collection of information, the USCCR invites 
comments on:
     Whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the 
Commission, including whether the information will have a practical 
use;
     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;
     Ways to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and
     Ways to minimize the burden of 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.
    Burden Statement: The respondent burden for this collection is 
estimated to be as follows for each vacant Advisory Committee:
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 22.
    Estimated Average Burden Hours per Respondent: 1 hour or less.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 22 hours or less per each 
vacant Committee.
    Frequency of Collection: Only as needed to fill vacancies, however 
advisory committee members serve for four (4) years and once members, 
would not be required to resubmit this information during the term of 
their membership.
    There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs 
associated with this collection.

(Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.)

    Dated: March 23, 2023.
David Ganz,
General Counsel, USCCR.
[FR Doc. 2023-06384 Filed 3-27-23; 8:45 am]
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