[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 125 (Wednesday, June 28, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 39864]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-16288]



[[Page 39864]]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    DOC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
clearance the following proposal for collection of information under 
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).
    Agency: U.S. Department of Commerce.
    Title: Applicant Background Survey.
    Form Number: Pending OMB approval.
    Agency Approval Number: 0690-xxxx.
    Type of Request: New collection.
    Burden: 2,812.5 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 45,000 annually.
    Avg Hours Per Response: 5 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: The Department of Commerce is below parity with the 
relevant civilian labor force representation for many of our primary 
occupations. The only method to determine if there are barriers in the 
recruitment and selection process for these occupations is to track 
groups that apply and how they fare through the selection process. 
Without this information, DOC does not have the ability to evaluate the 
effectiveness of its recruitment efforts, or to determine barriers in 
its selection process. There is no other objective way to make these 
determinations, and no source of this information other than from 
applicants.
    The race and national origin (RNO) information of job applicants 
was previously collected by all Federal agencies using OPM Form 1386. 
The form expired several years ago and DOC is seeking to establish a 
replacement form. Completion of the form is voluntary. It will not be a 
required part of the application package. A number of Federal agencies 
have already recreated this form for the same purpose collecting race, 
national origin, gender and disability information of job applicants.
    The information is not provided to selecting officials and plays no 
part in the selection of individuals. Instead, it is used in summary 
form to determine trends over many selections within a given occupation 
or organizational area. The information is treated in a very 
confidential manner.
    Affected Public: Individual or households.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Section 7201 of Title 5 of the U.S. Code, Title 
VII of the U.S. Civil Rights Action of 1964, as amended, the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 29 CFR Section 1607.
    OMB Desk Officer: Susan Schechter, (202) 395-5103.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Linda Engelmeier, DOC Forms Clearance Officer, 
(202) 482-3272, Department of Commerce, room 5033, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20230 (or via the Internet at 
[email protected]).
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 of publication of this notice to 
Susan Schechter, OMB Desk Officer, room 10201, New Executive Office 
Building, Washington, D.C. 20503.

    Dated: June 22, 2000.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-16288 Filed 6-27-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-BS-P