[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 180 (Thursday, September 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49697-49698]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-24968]


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OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request: Proposed New Public 
Financial Disclosure Access Customer Service Survey

AGENCY: Office of Government Ethics (OGE).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Government Ethics has submitted the information 
collection form proposed in this notice to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and three-year approval under the Paperwork 
Reduction Act.

DATES: Comments on this proposal should be received by October 19, 
1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Joseph F. Lackey, Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 
New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503; 
telephone: 202-395-7316.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William E. Gressman, Associate General 
Counsel, Office of the General Counsel and Legal Policy, Office of 
Government Ethics, Suite 500, 1201 New York Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20005-3917; telephone: 202-208-8000, ext. 1110; TDD: 202-208-8025; FAX: 
202-208-8037. A copy of the proposed survey may be obtained, without 
charge, by contacting Mr. Gressman.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Government Ethics has 
submitted its proposed customer service survey form described below to 
OMB for review under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35) and three-year approval thereunder.
    The Office of Government Ethics is planning to assess, through the 
proposed ``Public Financial Disclosure Access Customer Service Survey'' 
form, requester satisfaction with the service provided by OGE in 
responding to requests by members of the public for access to copies of 
Standard Form (SF) 278 Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial 
Disclosure Reports on file with the Office. Most of the SF 278 reports 
available at OGE are those filed by executive branch Presidential 
appointees subject to Senate confirmation. Requests for access to SF 
278 reports are made pursuant to the special public access provision of 
section 105 of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (the Ethics Act), 
as codified at 5 U.S.C. appendix, section 105, and 5 CFR 2634.603 of 
OGE's executive branchwide regulations thereunder, by completing an OGE 
Form 201, ``Request to Inspect or Receive Copies of SF 278 Executive 
Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report or Other Covered 
Record.''
    The Office of Government Ethics will distribute the new access 
customer service survey forms to requesters along with their copies of 
requested SF 278 reports, with instructions asking them to complete and 
return the survey to OGE via the self-contained postage-paid postcards 
(the reverse side of the survey form, when folded, becomes a 
preaddressed postcard). The purpose of the survey will be to determine 
through customer responses how well OGE is responding to such requests 
and how the Agency can improve its customer service in this important 
area.
    Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act, OGE is not including in 
its public burden estimate for the new access customer service survey 
form the limited number of access requests filed by other Federal 
agencies or Federal employees. Nor is OGE including in that estimate 
the also limited number of requests for copies of other records covered 
under the special Ethics Act public access provision (such as 
certificates of divestiture), since the survey will only be sent to 
persons who request copies of SF 278 reports. As so defined and 
assuming a 100% return rate, the total number of access survey forms 
for copies of SF 278s estimated to be filed annually at OGE over the 
next three years by members of the public (primarily by news media 
representatives, public interest group members and private citizens) is 
186. This estimate is based on a calculation of the average number of 
underlying access requests for copies of SF 278 reports received at OGE 
over the past two calendar years--1996 (152 requests) and 1997 (220 
requests). The estimated average amount of time to read the 
instructions on the new customer service survey form and complete the 
form is three minutes. Thus, the overall estimated annual public burden 
for the proposed OGE Public Financial Disclosure Access Customer 
Service Survey will be nine hours (186 forms  x  3 minutes per form, 
with the number of hours rounded off from 9.3 to 9).
    On June 19, 1998, OGE published its first round notice of the 
forthcoming request for paperwork clearance for this new customer 
survey. See 63 FR 33668, with comments due by September 2, 1998. The 
Office of Government Ethics did not receive any comments or requests 
for copies of the proposed survey form.
    In this second round notice, public comment is again invited on 
each aspect of OGE's proposed new access customer service survey form, 
including specifically views on: the need for and practical utility of 
this new collection of information; the accuracy of OGE's public burden 
estimate; the potential for enhancement of quality, utility and clarity 
of the information to be collected; and the minimization of burden 
(including the possibility of use of information technology). The 
Office of Government Ethics, in consultation with OMB, will consider 
all comments

[[Page 49698]]

received, which will become a matter of public record.

    Approved: September 14, 1998.
F. Gary Davis,
Deputy Director, Office of Government Ethics.
[FR Doc. 98-24968 Filed 9-16-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6345-01-U