Agency Information Collection Activities; Information Collection Renewal; Comment Request for OGE Form 450 Executive Branch Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, 14073-14074 [2024-03813]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 38 / Monday, February 26, 2024 / Notices
specifically seeks comments on whether
the proposed changes will change the
burden of completing the form.
Comments received in response to this
notice will be summarized for, and may
be included with, the OGE request for
extension of OMB paperwork approval.
The comments will also become a
matter of public record.
Approved: February 20, 2024.
Shelley K. Finlayson,
Acting Director, U.S. Office of Government
Ethics.
[FR Doc. 2024–03814 Filed 2–23–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6345–03–P
OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Information Collection
Renewal; Comment Request for OGE
Form 450 Executive Branch
Confidential Financial Disclosure
Report
AGENCY:
Office of Government Ethics
(OGE).
Notice and request for
comments.
ACTION:
After this first round notice
and public comment period, the Office
of Government Ethics (OGE) plans to
request that the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) renew its approval
under the Paperwork Reduction Act for
a modified version of an existing
information collection, entitled the OGE
Form 450 Executive Branch
Confidential Financial Disclosure
Report.
DATES: Written comments by the public
and agencies on this proposed
modification and extension are invited
and must be received by April 26, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be
submitted to OGE by any of the
following methods:
Email: usoge@oge.gov (Include
reference to ‘‘OGE Form 450 paperwork
comment’’ in the subject line of the
message.)
Mail: Office of Government Ethics,
Attention: Jennifer Matis, Associate
Counsel, 250 E Street SW, Suite 750,
Washington, DC 20024–3249.
Instructions: Comments may be
posted on OGE’s website, www.oge.gov.
Sensitive personal information, such as
account numbers or Social Security
numbers, should not be included.
Comments generally will not be edited
to remove any identifying or contact
information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jennifer Matis at the U.S. Office of
Government Ethics; telephone: 202–
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:23 Feb 23, 2024
Jkt 262001
482–9216; TTY: 800–877–8339; Email:
jmatis@oge.gov. A copy of the form with
proposed changes marked in red is
available here: https://oge.box.com/s/
vm33qroo5vbbvg542xr4mvqzacyz36fx.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Executive Branch Confidential
Financial Disclosure Report.
Agency Form Number: OGE Form
450.
Abstract: The OGE Form 450 collects
information from covered executive
branch employees as required under
OGE’s executive branch wide regulatory
provisions in subpart I of 5 CFR part
2634. The basis for the OGE reporting
regulation is section 201(d) of Executive
Order 12674 of April 12, 1989 (as
modified by Executive Order 12731 of
October 17, 1990) and 5 U.S.C. 13109.
The purpose of collecting this
information is to allow agencies to
identify and address potential financial
conflicts of interest among covered
employees. The information collected
relates to: assets and income; liabilities;
outside positions; agreements and
arrangements; and gifts, reimbursements
and travel expenses—all subject to
various reporting thresholds and
exclusions. OGE currently maintains the
form in three formats on its website: a
PDF version, a 508 compliant PDF
version accessible to users who use
screen readers to access and interact
with digital information, and an Excel
version.
OGE seeks renewal of the OGE Form
450 with several modifications. OGE
sought and received input from a variety
of stakeholders before proposing these
modifications. Comments submitted by
the public in response to the Federal
Register notices published during the
last renewal in 2021 were reconsidered.
In addition, OGE solicited and received
additional comments from OGE
employees, agency ethics officials (who
are the individuals responsible for
reviewing the completed forms for
potential conflicts of interest), interested
Congressional offices, and the public.
On January 19, 2023, OGE held a public
meeting to discuss potential changes to
the OGE Forms 450 and 278e and
accepted written comments in lieu of
appearing in-person. See 87 FR 73766
(Dec. 1, 2022).
OGE considered each comment
submitted. The proposed modifications
discussed below incorporate the
suggested changes that OGE believes
will provide added clarity and value to
the financial disclosure process. OGE is
declining to make other suggested
changes at this time due to OGE’s lack
of regulatory authority to make such
changes, lack of interest by the affected
PO 00000
Frm 00034
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
14073
agencies, and/or the associated costs to
agencies’ electronic financial disclosure
filing systems.
The proposed modifications are
described below:
On the instruction page, OGE
simplified the navigation to OGEs
website for filers who need instructions
on completing the form and added a
hyperlink.
On the cover page, OGE proposes to
delete the field for mailing address and
to add a question regarding whether the
filer has a spouse who has paid
employment outside the federal
government. The yes/no question would
be added to the current list of yes/no
questions. Filers are required by
regulation to report their spouses’
employment income. In OGE’s listening
sessions with agency ethics officials,
they felt strongly that the addition of
this yes/no question would permit
agency reviewers to better identify
potential inadvertent omissions
elsewhere on the form. OGE believes
that the minor impact to the filers of
answering this additional yes/no
question is outweighed by the benefit to
the efficiency and effectiveness of the
financial disclosure review process.
OGE also clarified the definition of
‘‘special government employee’’ on the
cover page based on feedback regarding
the current explanatory language.
In the main body of the form, OGE
proposes to make a number of changes
to the instructions to increase their
clarity. Guidance would be added to
make it clearer what is and is not
reportable. A note would be added
indicating that the reporting thresholds
for gifts are applicable for calendar years
2023–2025 and that the amounts are
adjusted every three years. Additional
examples would be added to the
Examples page and each section, further
demonstrating how particular
information should be reported, and
some definitions would be removed to
make room for additional examples and
other clarifying changes. The
information that had been provided in
the removed definitions is more clearly
addressed on other parts of the form.
These changes would not modify the
confidential financial disclosure
reporting requirements in any way.
They are intended to help ensure that
filers report all required information in
the proper manner, without
overreporting unnecessary personally
identifiable information.
Finally, OGE plans to discontinue use
of the PDF version of the form that is
not accessible to users who use screen
readers (i.e. it is not ‘‘508 compliant’’).
This version has a feature that allows
users to add additional blank pages.
E:\FR\FM\26FEN1.SGM
26FEN1
14074
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 38 / Monday, February 26, 2024 / Notices
This feature is no longer technologically
supported. OGE proposes to discontinue
use of the nonaccessible PDF version
and instead add additional blank lines
to the 508 compliant PDF version. Going
forward, therefore, OGE seeks approval
only for two versions of the form—the
508 compliant PDF version and the
Excel version.
OMB Control Number: 3209–0006.
Type of Information Collection:
Extension of a currently approved
collection.
Type of Review Request: Regular.
Affected public: Prospective
Government employees, including
special Government employees, whose
positions are designated for confidential
disclosure filing and whose agencies
require that they file new entrant
confidential disclosure reports prior to
assuming Government responsibilities.
Estimated Annual Number of
Respondents: 31,654.
Estimated Time per Response: 3
hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden:
94,962 hours.
Request for Comments: OGE is
publishing this first round notice of its
intent to request paperwork clearance
renewal for the OGE Form 450. Public
comment is invited specifically on the
need for and practical utility of this
information collection, the accuracy of
OGE’s burden estimate, the
enhancement of quality, utility and
clarity of the information collected, and
the minimization of burden (including
the use of information technology). OGE
specifically seeks comments on whether
the proposed changes will change the
burden of completing the form.
Comments received in response to this
notice will be summarized for, and may
be included with, the OGE request for
extension of OMB paperwork approval.
The comments will also become a
matter of public record.
Approved: February 20, 2024.
Shelley K. Finlayson,
Acting Director, U.S. Office of Government
Ethics.
[FR Doc. 2024–03813 Filed 2–23–24; 8:45 am]
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
BILLING CODE 6345–03–P
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:23 Feb 23, 2024
Jkt 262001
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
[Docket No. CDC–2024–0015]
Proposed Updates for Developing,
Implementing, and Evaluating Infection
Control Programs for Viral
Hemorrhagic Fevers, Andes Virus, and
Nipah Virus: Appendix A
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice with comment period.
AGENCY:
The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) in the
Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) announces the opening
of a docket to obtain comment on Draft
Proposed Updates for Viral hemorrhagic
fevers, Andes virus, and Nipah virus:
Appendix A (‘‘Draft Updates: Appendix
A’’). The updated recommendations in
the Draft Updates: Appendix A are
intended for use by frontline healthcare
personnel, as well as infection control
personnel and other persons responsible
for developing, implementing, and
evaluating infection control programs
for healthcare settings across the
continuum of care.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before April 26, 2024.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,
identified by Docket No. CDC–2024–
0015 by either of the methods listed
below. Do not submit comments by
email. CDC does not accept comments
by email.
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail: Healthcare Infection Control
Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC)
Secretariat, Division of Healthcare
Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton
Road NE, Mailstop H16–3, Atlanta,
Georgia 30329, Attn: Docket Number
CDC–2024–0015.
Instructions: All submissions received
must include the agency name and
Docket Number. All relevant comments
received will be posted without change
to https://regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided. For
access to the docket to read background
documents or comments received, go to
https://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Laura Wells, Division of Healthcare
Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton
Road NE, Mailstop H16–2, Atlanta,
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00035
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Georgia 30329; Telephone: (404) 639–
4000.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Participation
Interested persons or organizations
are invited to participate by submitting
written views, recommendations, and
data related to Draft Updates: Appendix
A.
Please note that comments received,
including attachments and other
supporting materials, are part of the
public record and are subject to public
disclosure. Comments will be posted on
https://www.regulations.gov. Therefore,
do not include any information in your
comment or supporting materials that
you consider confidential or
inappropriate for public disclosure. If
you include your name, contact
information, or other information that
identifies you in the body of your
comments, that information will be on
public display. CDC will review all
submissions and may choose to redact,
or withhold, submissions containing
private or proprietary information such
as Social Security numbers, medical
information, inappropriate language, or
duplicate/near duplicate examples of a
mass-mail campaign. Do not submit
comments by email. CDC does not
accept comment by email.
Background
The Draft Updates: Appendix A,
located in the ‘‘Supporting and Related
Material’’ tab of the docket, updates the
recommendations in Appendix A of the
Guideline for Isolation Precautions:
Preventing Transmission of Infectious
Agents in Healthcare Settings (2007) on
the type and duration of isolation
precautions for Viral hemorrhagic
fevers, Andes virus, and Nipah virus.
The Draft Updates: Appendix A
provides recommendations to prevent
transmission, focusing primarily on
types and durations of precautions
available to frontline healthcare
personnel. The recommendations are
being updated to include additional
viruses with potential for importation to
the United States. The Draft Updates:
Appendix A is intended for use by
frontline healthcare personnel, as well
as infection control personnel and other
persons responsible for developing,
implementing, and evaluating infection
control programs for healthcare settings
across the continuum of care. Once the
Draft Updates: Appendix A is finalized,
the corresponding content in Appendix
A of the Guideline for Isolation
Precautions: Preventing Transmission of
Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings
(2007) will be updated on the CDC
E:\FR\FM\26FEN1.SGM
26FEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 38 (Monday, February 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14073-14074]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03813]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS
Agency Information Collection Activities; Information Collection
Renewal; Comment Request for OGE Form 450 Executive Branch Confidential
Financial Disclosure Report
AGENCY: Office of Government Ethics (OGE).
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: After this first round notice and public comment period, the
Office of Government Ethics (OGE) plans to request that the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) renew its approval under the Paperwork
Reduction Act for a modified version of an existing information
collection, entitled the OGE Form 450 Executive Branch Confidential
Financial Disclosure Report.
DATES: Written comments by the public and agencies on this proposed
modification and extension are invited and must be received by April
26, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted to OGE by any of the following
methods:
Email: [email protected] (Include reference to ``OGE Form 450 paperwork
comment'' in the subject line of the message.)
Mail: Office of Government Ethics, Attention: Jennifer Matis,
Associate Counsel, 250 E Street SW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20024-
3249.
Instructions: Comments may be posted on OGE's website, www.oge.gov.
Sensitive personal information, such as account numbers or Social
Security numbers, should not be included. Comments generally will not
be edited to remove any identifying or contact information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Matis at the U.S. Office of
Government Ethics; telephone: 202-482-9216; TTY: 800-877-8339; Email:
[email protected]. A copy of the form with proposed changes marked in red
is available here: https://oge.box.com/s/vm33qroo5vbbvg542xr4mvqzacyz36fx.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Executive Branch Confidential Financial Disclosure Report.
Agency Form Number: OGE Form 450.
Abstract: The OGE Form 450 collects information from covered
executive branch employees as required under OGE's executive branch
wide regulatory provisions in subpart I of 5 CFR part 2634. The basis
for the OGE reporting regulation is section 201(d) of Executive Order
12674 of April 12, 1989 (as modified by Executive Order 12731 of
October 17, 1990) and 5 U.S.C. 13109. The purpose of collecting this
information is to allow agencies to identify and address potential
financial conflicts of interest among covered employees. The
information collected relates to: assets and income; liabilities;
outside positions; agreements and arrangements; and gifts,
reimbursements and travel expenses--all subject to various reporting
thresholds and exclusions. OGE currently maintains the form in three
formats on its website: a PDF version, a 508 compliant PDF version
accessible to users who use screen readers to access and interact with
digital information, and an Excel version.
OGE seeks renewal of the OGE Form 450 with several modifications.
OGE sought and received input from a variety of stakeholders before
proposing these modifications. Comments submitted by the public in
response to the Federal Register notices published during the last
renewal in 2021 were reconsidered. In addition, OGE solicited and
received additional comments from OGE employees, agency ethics
officials (who are the individuals responsible for reviewing the
completed forms for potential conflicts of interest), interested
Congressional offices, and the public. On January 19, 2023, OGE held a
public meeting to discuss potential changes to the OGE Forms 450 and
278e and accepted written comments in lieu of appearing in-person. See
87 FR 73766 (Dec. 1, 2022).
OGE considered each comment submitted. The proposed modifications
discussed below incorporate the suggested changes that OGE believes
will provide added clarity and value to the financial disclosure
process. OGE is declining to make other suggested changes at this time
due to OGE's lack of regulatory authority to make such changes, lack of
interest by the affected agencies, and/or the associated costs to
agencies' electronic financial disclosure filing systems.
The proposed modifications are described below:
On the instruction page, OGE simplified the navigation to OGEs
website for filers who need instructions on completing the form and
added a hyperlink.
On the cover page, OGE proposes to delete the field for mailing
address and to add a question regarding whether the filer has a spouse
who has paid employment outside the federal government. The yes/no
question would be added to the current list of yes/no questions. Filers
are required by regulation to report their spouses' employment income.
In OGE's listening sessions with agency ethics officials, they felt
strongly that the addition of this yes/no question would permit agency
reviewers to better identify potential inadvertent omissions elsewhere
on the form. OGE believes that the minor impact to the filers of
answering this additional yes/no question is outweighed by the benefit
to the efficiency and effectiveness of the financial disclosure review
process. OGE also clarified the definition of ``special government
employee'' on the cover page based on feedback regarding the current
explanatory language.
In the main body of the form, OGE proposes to make a number of
changes to the instructions to increase their clarity. Guidance would
be added to make it clearer what is and is not reportable. A note would
be added indicating that the reporting thresholds for gifts are
applicable for calendar years 2023-2025 and that the amounts are
adjusted every three years. Additional examples would be added to the
Examples page and each section, further demonstrating how particular
information should be reported, and some definitions would be removed
to make room for additional examples and other clarifying changes. The
information that had been provided in the removed definitions is more
clearly addressed on other parts of the form.
These changes would not modify the confidential financial
disclosure reporting requirements in any way. They are intended to help
ensure that filers report all required information in the proper
manner, without overreporting unnecessary personally identifiable
information.
Finally, OGE plans to discontinue use of the PDF version of the
form that is not accessible to users who use screen readers (i.e. it is
not ``508 compliant''). This version has a feature that allows users to
add additional blank pages.
[[Page 14074]]
This feature is no longer technologically supported. OGE proposes to
discontinue use of the nonaccessible PDF version and instead add
additional blank lines to the 508 compliant PDF version. Going forward,
therefore, OGE seeks approval only for two versions of the form--the
508 compliant PDF version and the Excel version.
OMB Control Number: 3209-0006.
Type of Information Collection: Extension of a currently approved
collection.
Type of Review Request: Regular.
Affected public: Prospective Government employees, including
special Government employees, whose positions are designated for
confidential disclosure filing and whose agencies require that they
file new entrant confidential disclosure reports prior to assuming
Government responsibilities.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 31,654.
Estimated Time per Response: 3 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 94,962 hours.
Request for Comments: OGE is publishing this first round notice of
its intent to request paperwork clearance renewal for the OGE Form 450.
Public comment is invited specifically on the need for and practical
utility of this information collection, the accuracy of OGE's burden
estimate, the enhancement of quality, utility and clarity of the
information collected, and the minimization of burden (including the
use of information technology). OGE specifically seeks comments on
whether the proposed changes will change the burden of completing the
form. Comments received in response to this notice will be summarized
for, and may be included with, the OGE request for extension of OMB
paperwork approval. The comments will also become a matter of public
record.
Approved: February 20, 2024.
Shelley K. Finlayson,
Acting Director, U.S. Office of Government Ethics.
[FR Doc. 2024-03813 Filed 2-23-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6345-03-P