[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 73 (Friday, April 17, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17823-17824]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-8792]


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COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR SEVERELY DISABLED


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Information 
Collection; Comment Request

ACTION: Submission for OMB review; comment request.

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AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely 
Disabled.
SUMMARY: The Committee is submitting to the Office of Management and 
Budget for their review the following collection as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).
    Committee Form 403--Annual Certification--Qualified Nonprofit 
Agency Serving People Who Are Blind.
    Committee Form 404--Annual Certification--Qualified Nonprofit 
Agency Serving People Who Are Severely Disabled.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments about the 
collection on or before May 13, 2009. The agency's 60-day notice 
informing the public of the intent to renew this form with no changes 
was published in the Federal Register on February 3, 2009 on page 5913-
5914. A subsequent correction notice was published on February 13, 2009 
on page 7216.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted, identified by the title of the 
information collection activity, to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Attn: Ms. Jasmeet K. Seehra, OMB Desk Officer, by 
any of the following two methods within 30 days from the date of 
publication in the Federal Register: (1) By fax to: (202) 395-6974, 
Attention: Ms. Jasmeet K. Seehra, OMB Desk Office; and (2) 
Electronically by e-mail to: [email protected].
    Requests for copies of documents pertaining to the collection 
should be addressed to Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind 
or Severely Disabled, Attention: Edward Yang, Information Technology 
Specialist, Jefferson Plaza 2, Suite 10800, 1421 Jefferson Davis 
Highway, Arlington, VA

[[Page 17824]]

22202-3259 or e-mailed to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Committee has two annual certification 
forms, one for nonprofit agencies serving people who are blind 
(Committee Form 403, OMB Control Number 3037-0001) and one for 
nonprofit agencies primarily serving people who have other severe 
disabilities (Committee Form 404, OMB Control Number 3037-0002). The 
information included on the forms is required to ensure that nonprofit 
agencies that participate in the Committee's program meet the 
requirements of the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act (JWOD), 41 U.S.C. 46-48c. 
One comment was received in response to the agency's 60-day notice 
informing the public of the intent to renew this form with no changes, 
which was published in the Federal Register on February 3, 2009 on page 
5913-5914. A subsequent correction notice was published on February 13, 
2009 on page 7216.
    Title: Annual Certification--Qualified Nonprofit Agency Serving 
People Who Are Blind, Committee Form 403.
    OMB Number: 3037-0001.
    Agency Number: 3037.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Affected Public: Nonprofit agencies serving people who are blind 
that participate in the AbilityOne Program.
    Number of Respondents: 70.
    Estimated Time per Respondent: 6 hours.
    Total Burden Hours: 420.
    Total Annual Costs: $12,600.
    Title: Annual Certification--Qualified Nonprofit Agency Serving 
People Who Are Severely Disabled, Committee Form 404.
    OMB Number: 3037-0002.
    Agency Number: 3037.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Affected Public: Nonprofit agencies serving people with severe 
disabilities that participate in the AbilityOne Program.
    Number of Respondents: 555.
    Estimated Time per Respondent: 6 hours.
    Total Burden Hours: 3,330.
    Total Annual costs: $99,900.
    On February 3, 2009, the Committee published a notice in the 
Federal Register (Volume 74, Number 21, pages 5913-5914). A subsequent 
correction notice was published in the Federal Register on February 13, 
2009 (Volume 74, Number 29, page 7216). These notices requested public 
comment on the renewal of annual certification requirements for 
nonprofit agencies participating in the AbilityOne Program. The comment 
period lasted 60 days, ending April 8, 2009. By that date, the 
Committee received comments from one respondent containing four 
comments.
    The respondent concurred that the Committee has the authority to 
enforce conditions for participation in the program pursuant to the 
JWOD Act. However, the respondent inferred that there is sub-regulatory 
guidance issued by the Committee that should instead be issued through 
regulation. This information collection request is limited to annual 
reports from participating nonprofit agencies in the AbilityOne Program 
which are not affected by any sub-regulatory guidance.
    The respondent's next comment questioned the burden estimate by 
indicating there was no justification, rationale or dollar burden 
estimate provided. Much of the respondent's comment does not deal with 
the reporting of data for the annual certification under this specific 
collection notice, but for the recordkeeping requirement tracked under 
a separate OMB Paperwork Reduction Act tracking number. Specific 
justification for the annual certification, including burden and cost 
estimate, was included in the supporting documentation provided to OMB 
with the renewal request. The burden estimate used was based on 
questions asked during actual compliance visits to participating 
nonprofit agencies and included the time for entering data into the 
web-based quarterly system and reviewing the draft annual certification 
by the central nonprofit agencies. As a result of the Committee's 
review of the process, the previous estimate that had been used since 
at least 1992 was doubled. The Committee has used a cost estimate of 
$30 per hour, therefore the estimated cost to each participating 
nonprofit would be $180 or a total burden of $112,500.
    The respondent's next two comments included recommendations for 
improving the quality, utility and clarity of reporting by 
participating nonprofit agencies and ways to minimize the burden. While 
not specifically related to this information collection renewal 
request, the Committee appreciates all recommendations for improvement 
in our information collection and overall AbilityOne Program efforts.

Kimberly Zeich,
Deputy Executive Director & COO.
[FR Doc. E9-8792 Filed 4-16-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6353-01-P