[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 2, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15981-15982]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-7955]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Office of the Secretary, Office of Civil Rights


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Requests for 
Reasonable Accommodation

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (DOC), as part of its continuing 
effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general 
public and other Federal agencies to comment on the continuing and 
proposed information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before June 2, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Forms Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 
[email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to the attention of Brenda Brittain, Disability 
Program Manager, Office of Civil Rights, at 202 482-8183. In addition, 
written comments may be sent via the Internet to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Federal agencies must provide 
reasonable accommodation to qualified employees or applicants with 
disabilities, unless to do so would cause the undue hardship. Unless an 
accommodation would pose an undue hardship, the Department will provide 
reasonable accommodation to a qualified individual with a disability 
who is an:
    a. Applicant who needs an accommodation in order to be considered 
for a job (any change to a job application process that enables a 
qualified applicant with a disability to be considered for the position 
such qualified applicant desires);
    b. Employee who needs an accommodation to enable him or her to 
perform the essential functions of the job or to gain access to the 
workplace (any change to the work environment, or to the manner or 
circumstances under which the position held or desired is customarily 
performed, that enables a qualified individual with a disability to 
perform the essential functions of that position); or
    c. Employee who needs an accommodation to enjoy equal benefits and 
privileges of employment (that which enables an employee with a 
disability to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment as are 
enjoyed by other similarly situated employees without disabilities).
    Executive Order 13164 requires Federal agencies to provide written 
procedures for reasonable accommodation for employees and applicants. 
Records must be maintained in order to evaluate the fair application of 
the procedures for the DOC. To do so, a form has been developed to 
comprise the report for each reasonable accommodation request.
    In order to ensure that the DOC process requests for reasonable 
accommodation in a fair, timely and equitable manner, applicants for 
employment and current employees are asked to verify their requests in 
writing by using form CD 575.

II. Method of Collection

    The information shall be collected through the use of a paper form 
and available on the Internet.

III. Data

    OMB Number: None.
    Form Numbers: CD Form 575.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.

[[Page 15982]]

    Estimated Number of Respondents: 20.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 7 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 2.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost Burden: $0.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, e.g., the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized or 
included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: March 28, 2003.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-7955 Filed 4-1-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-BP-P