[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 117 (Monday, June 18, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36328-36329]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-14726]



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OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL


Agency Information Collection Activities; Request for Comment

AGENCY: Office of Special Counsel.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35), and implementing regulations at 5 CFR part 1320, 
the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is requesting approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to use four previously 
approved information collections consisting of three forms for filing 
complaints and disclosures of information, and an electronic survey 
form. These collections are listed below. The current OMB approval for 
Forms OSC-11, OSC-12, OSC-13, and the OSC Survey expires 9/30/12. We 
are submitting all three forms and the electronic survey for renewal. 
This will be a reinstatement of the forms, with changes to the Privacy 
Act Statement for the three forms for filing complaints and disclosures 
of information and the Consent Statement for Form OSC-12. Current and 
former Federal employees, employee representatives, other Federal 
agencies, state and local government employees, and the general public 
are invited to comment on these information collections for the final 
time. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of OSC functions, 
including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the 
accuracy of OSC's estimate of the burden of the proposed collections 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, including through the use 
of automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Notice and request for public comment on these forms was published 
in the Federal Register on April 16, 2012 at 77 FR 22614 and on May 15, 
2012 at 77 FR 28638.

DATES: Comments should be received on or before July 26, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget, 725 
Seventeenth Street NW., Attention: Desk Officer for U.S. Office of 
Special Counsel, Washington, DC 20503. A copy of any comments should be 
sent to Karl Kammann, Director of Finance, U.S. Office of Special 
Counsel, 1730 M Street NW., Suite 218, Washington, DC 20036-4505.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karl Kammann, Director of Finance, 
either at the address shown above, or by facsimile at (202) 254-3711.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OSC is an independent agency responsible 
for, among other things, (1) the investigation and prosecution of 
allegations of prohibited personnel practices defined by law at 5 
U.S.C. 2302(b), including protection of whistleblowers, and certain 
other illegal employment practices under titles 5 and 38 of the U.S. 
Code affecting current or former Federal employees or applicants for 
employment, and covered state and local government employees; (2) 
providing a safe and secure channel for considering whistleblower 
disclosures; and (3) the interpretation and enforcement of Hatch Act 
provisions on political activity in chapters 15 and 73 of title 5 of 
the U.S. Code. OSC is also required to conduct an annual survey of 
individuals who seek its assistance. Section 13 of Public Law 103-424 
(1994), codified at 5 U.S.C. 1212 note, states, in part: ``[T]he survey 
shall--(1) determine if the individual seeking assistance was fully 
apprised of their rights; (2) determine whether the individual was 
successful either at the Office of Special Counsel or the Merit Systems 
Protection Board; and (3) determine if the individual, whether 
successful or not, was satisfied with the treatment received from the 
Office of Special Counsel.'' The same section also provides that survey 
results are to be published in OSC's annual report to Congress. Copies 
of prior years' annual reports are available on OSC's Web site, at 
http://www.osc.gov/RR_AnnualReportsToCongress.htm, or by calling OSC 
at (202) 254-3600.
    Copies of the OSC Forms 11, 12, and 13 can be found at: http://www.osc.gov/RR_OSCFORMS.htm The survey form for the collection of 
information is available for review by writing to the point of contact 
at OSC listed above.
    Title of Collections: (1) Form OSC-11 (Complaint of Possible 
Prohibited Personnel Practice of Other Prohibited Activity) OMB control 
number 3255-0002; (2) Form OSC-12 (Information about filing a 
Whistleblower Disclosure with the Office of Special Counsel), OMB 
control number 3255-0002; (3) Form OSC-13 (Complaint of Possible 
Prohibited Political Activity (Violation of the Hatch Act)), OMB 
control number 3255-0002; (4) Office of Special Counsel (OSC) Annual 
Survey; OMB control number 3255-0003; all four with expiration date of 
09/30/12.
    Summary of the Collection of Information. OSC is seeking approval 
of its annual electronic survey, and its three previously approved 
forms for filing complaints and disclosures of information, that expire 
on September 30, 2012, with revision of the Privacy Act System of 
Records Notice applicable to Forms OSC-11, OSC-12 and OSC-13, to 
reflect new and revised routine uses. See Federal Register Notice at 78 
FR 24242 (April 23, 2012). The Consent Statement for Form OSC-12 is 
also revised.
    Brief Description of Need for Information and Proposed Use. The OSC 
forms are used to enable our agency to: (1) Investigate allegations of 
prohibited personnel practices, (2) provide a safe, secure channel for 
whistleblower disclosures, and (3) enforce the Hatch Act. The survey is 
used by government employees and complainants whose cases with OSC were 
closed during the fiscal year and wish to give us feedback on the 
quality of our service.
    Description of likely respondents, including estimated number of 
likely respondents and proposed frequency of response. Forms OSC-11 and 
OSC-12 are used by current and former Federal employees and applicants 
for Federal employment to submit allegations of possible prohibited 
personnel practices and whistleblower disclosures respectively. Form 
OSC-13 is used for the submission of Hatch Act complaints. The 
frequency of the use of the three forms, OSC-11, OSC-12, and OSC-13, is 
daily. The estimated number of respondents is 4,000. The survey form is 
voluntary and anonymous, and it is used to survey current and former 
Federal employees and applicants for Federal employment who have 
submitted allegations of possible prohibited personnel practices. The 
survey form also surveys complainants alleging Hatch Act violations, 
whose matter has been closed or otherwise resolved during the prior 
fiscal year, on their experience at OSC. Specifically, the survey asks 
questions relating to whether the respondent was: (1) Apprised of his 
or her rights; (2) successful at the OSC or at the Merit Systems 
Protection Board; and (3) satisfied with the treatment received at the 
OSC. The frequency of the use of this survey is annual, and the 
estimated number of respondents is 320 per year.
    Estimate of total annual reporting and recordkeeping burden. The 
estimated average amount of time for a person to respond using the OSC 
forms is 55 minutes; the estimated annual burden for using the OSC 
forms is 3,666 hours. The estimated average amount of time

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for a person to respond using the electronic survey is 12 minutes. The 
estimated annual survey burden is 64 hours.

    Dated: June 12, 2012.
Mark Cohen,
Deputy Special Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2012-14726 Filed 6-15-12; 8:45 am]
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