[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 19 (Monday, January 30, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4626-4627]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-1891]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY


Departmental Offices; Submission for OMB Review, Comment Request

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Treasury, on behalf of itself and the 
United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) and as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites 
the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on two 
proposed information collections, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). The 
BEP intends to request approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for two generic clearances. The first generic clearance 
will allow the BEP to collect information from attendees of conferences 
and gatherings for persons who are blind and visually impaired about 
which tactile features most effectively provide meaningful access to 
denominate United States paper currency. The second generic clearance 
will allow the BEP to engage in scientific studies that will help gauge 
the acuity with which blind and visually impaired persons can 
denominate United States paper currency using various, tactile features 
currently being evaluated.

DATES: Written comments should be received on or before March 30, 2012 
to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Comments regarding these information collections should be 
addressed to the BEP Contact listed below and to the Treasury 
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Department of the Treasury, Room 
11000, 1750 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20220.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Copies of the submission(s) may be 
obtained by contacting Sonya White, Deputy Chief Counsel, United States 
Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, 14th and 
C Streets SW., Washington, DC 20228, by telephone at (202) 874-8184, or 
by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Generic Clearances for Meaningful Access Information 
Collections.
    OMB Control Number: NEW.
    Abstract: A court order was issued in American Council of the Blind 
v. Paulson, 591 F. Supp. 2d 1 (D.D.C. 2008) (``ACB v. Paulson'') 
requiring the Department of the Treasury and BEP to ``provide 
meaningful access to United States currency for blind and other 
visually impaired persons, which steps shall be completed, in 
connection with each denomination of currency, not later than the date 
when a redesign of that denomination is next approved by the Secretary 
of the Treasury * * * .''
    In compliance with the court's order, BEP intends to meet 
individually with blind and visually impaired persons and request their 
feedback about tactile features that BEP is considering for possible 
incorporation into the next U.S. paper currency redesign. BEP employees 
will attend national conventions and conferences for disabled persons. 
At those gatherings, BEP employees will invite blind and visually 
impaired persons to provide feedback about certain tactile features 
being considered for inclusion in future United States currency paper 
designs. The BEP intends to contract with specialists in the field of 
tactile acuity to develop methodologies for collecting the feedback.
    The BEP also intends to contract with specialists in the field of 
tactile acuity to conduct scientific tests. The specialists contracted 
with by the BEP will conduct acuity testing with select groups of blind 
and visually impaired volunteers. The acuity tests will help either 
confirm or provide other perspectives on the results of BEP's 
information collections at national conferences and conventions. The 
acuity tests will also help provide a scientific basis on which BEP 
determines the tactile feature to be incorporated into the next United 
States paper currency design.
    The BEP's information collection activities at national conferences 
will use identical methodologies or otherwise share a common element as 
those employed by specialists contracted with by BEP to perform 
scientific acuity studies. Thus the BEP, in order to comply with the 
court's order in ACB v, Paulson requests OMB approval for two generic 
clearances to conduct various information collection activities. Over 
the next three years, the BEP anticipates undertaking a variety of new 
information collection activities related to BEP's efforts to provide 
meaningful access to U.S. paper currency for blind and visually 
impaired persons. Following standard OMB requirements, for each 
information collection that BEP proposes to undertake under each of 
these generic clearances, the OMB will be notified at least two weeks 
in advance and provided with a copy of the information collection 
instrument along with supportive materials. The BEP will only undertake 
a new collection if the OMB does not object to the BEP's proposal.
    Type of Review: New Collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals, Organizations.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: Approximately 500 per year. With 
regard to information collected at conferences and conventions, BEP is 
able to estimate the number of attendees at such conferences and 
meetings based on historical data. The BEP, however, only collects 
information from volunteers who stop by its information booth, and who 
care to take the time responding to questions. It is difficult, 
therefore, to estimate the actual number of respondents from whom BEP 
may be able to collect information in a year.
    Estimated Average Time per Respondent: 15 minutes per response.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: Approximately 125 burden 
hours.
    With regard to scientifically based acuity studies, they will be 
designed and conducted at various locations around the country as 
prescribed by the specialist contracted by the BEP. The BEP estimates 
two such studies will be conducted per calendar year. Each study will 
likely involve up to 50 subjects. Each individual data collection 
session will be approximately 60 minutes long.
    Estimated Average Time per Respondent: 60 minutes per response.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: Approximately 100 burden 
hours.

[[Page 4627]]

    Request for Comments: Comments submitted in response to this notice 
will be summarized and/or included in the request for Office of 
Management and Budget approval. All comments will become a matter of 
public record. The public is invited to submit written comments 
concerning: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the Bureau, including 
whether the information will have practical uses; (b) the accuracy of 
the above estimate of the burden of the proposed information 
collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the reporting 
burdens on respondents, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Treasury Department PRA Clearance Officer: Robert Dahl, Department 
of the Treasury, Room 11000, 1750 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, 
DC 20220.
    BEP Contact: Sonya White, Deputy Chief Counsel, United States 
Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Room 419-
A, 14th and C Streets SW., Washington, DC 20228.

Robert Dahl,
Treasury Department PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-1891 Filed 1-27-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-25-P