[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 60 (Thursday, March 28, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19025-19026]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-07202]


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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT


Submission for Review; New Information Collection: Freedom of 
Information/Privacy Act Record Request Form (INV 100)

AGENCY: U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: 30-Day Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: Federal Investigative Services (FIS), U.S. Office of Personnel 
Management (OPM) offers the general public and other Federal agencies 
the opportunity to comment on a new information collection request 
(ICR), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control No. 3206-NEW, for 
the Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Record Request Form (INV 100). 
As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 
U.S.C. chapter 35) as amended by the Clinger-Cohen Act (Pub. L. 104-
106), OPM is soliciting comments for this collection. The Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) is particularly interested in comments 
that:
    1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of OPM, including 
whether the information will have practical utility;
    2. Evaluate the accuracy of OPM's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until April 29, 
2013. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.1.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on 
the proposed information collection to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street 
NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: Desk Officer for the Office of 
Personnel Management, by email to [email protected] or by 
fax to (202) 395-6974; and Federal Investigative Service, U.S Office of 
Personnel Management, 1900 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20415, 
Attention: Laura Eury or sent via email to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A copy of this ICR, with applicable 
supporting documentation, may be obtained by contacting OPM by mail at 
Federal Investigative Services, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 
1900 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20415, Attention: Laura Eury, or by 
email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OPM's Federal Investigative Services (FIS), 
Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (FOI/PA) office proposes use of 
this optional form (INV 100) to standardize collection of data elements 
specific to FOIA and Privacy Act record requests submitted to FIS. 
Current FOIA and Privacy Act record requests are submitted to FIS-FOI/
PA in a format chosen by the requester, yet consistent with the 
published regulations at 5 CFR 294 and 5 CFR 297, respectively. Often 
the requests are missing data elements that require contact with the 
requester by mail, thereby adding time to the process. Standardization 
of the access process will increase the volume of perfected requests 
received. This will strike an appropriate balance between the public's 
burden in submitting requests and FIS-FOI/PA's ability to accurately 
identify sought records and to verify the identity of the Privacy Act 
requester, ensuring that protected records are not inappropriately 
released to third parties. It is estimated that 16,626 individuals will 
respond annually. The INV 100 takes approximately 5 minutes to 
complete. The estimated annual burden is 1,386 hours.
    The 60-day Federal Register Notice was published in the Federal 
Register on August 31, 2012, (Federal Register Notices/Vol. 77, Number 
170, pages 53237-53238) as required by 5 CFR 1320, affording the public 
an opportunity to comment on the form. Four comments were received from 
the National Archives and Records Administration's (NARA) Office of 
Government Information Services (OGIS), recommending verbiage clarity 
in Section 5-7. OGIS recommended that in Section 5, which is optional, 
OPM should provide an example of an

[[Page 19026]]

instance where the requester would want to complete this section. OPM 
added the OGIS suggested verbiage ``By completing this section, you 
authorize information relating to you to be released to another person, 
such as a family member or legal counsel.'' OGIS recommended that in 
Section 6, Verification of Requester's Identity, OPM should change the 
verbiage, for clarity, from ``the person named above'' to ``the person 
named in Section 2.'' OPM accepted the comment and changed the 
verbiage. OGIS recommended that in Section 7, because a requester is 
generally not required to state the purpose of his or her request, OPM 
replace the introductory sentence to state, ``In the box below, you may 
wish to provide information about yourself and the purpose of your 
request to help us determine your fee category. While FOIA does not 
require a requester to state the purpose of a request, fees may be 
reduced based on the nature of the requester or purpose of the 
request.'' OPM accepted the comment and changed the verbiage. OGIS 
further recommended a rewrite in Section 7 to state, ``I request a 
waiver or reduction of fees because I am (check one of the three 
options listed below):'' so requesters may check all of the options 
that apply. This will provide clarity because fee waivers are different 
from fee categories, and the two are not mutually exclusive. OPM 
accepted the comment and changed the verbiage to state, ``I request a 
waiver or reduction of fees because I am (check all options listed 
below that apply):''.

    U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
John Berry,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-07202 Filed 3-27-13; 8:45 am]
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