[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 4, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54466-54467]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-21392]


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OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Proposed Collection; Comment Request for an Unmodified OGE Form 
450 Executive Branch Confidential Financial Disclosure Report

AGENCY: Office of Government Ethics (OGE).

ACTION: Notice of request for agency and public comments.

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SUMMARY: After publication of this second round notice, OGE plans to 
submit an unmodified OGE Form 450 Executive Branch Confidential 
Financial Disclosure Report to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review and approval of a three-year extension under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).

DATES: Written comments by the public and the agencies on this proposed 
extension are invited and must be received by October 4, 2013.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this paperwork notice to the 
Office of Management and Budget, Attn: Desk Officer for OGE, via fax at 
202-395-6974 or email at [email protected]. (Include 
reference to ``OGE Form 450 paperwork comment'' in the subject line of 
the message).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Paul D. Ledvina, Agency Clearance 
Officer, at the U.S. Office of Government Ethics; telephone: 202-482-
9247; TTY: 800-877-8339; FAX: 202-482-9237; Email: 
[email protected]. An electronic copy of the OGE Form 450 is 
available in the Forms Library section of OGE's Web site at http://www.oge.gov. A paper copy may also be obtained, without charge, by 
contacting Mr. Ledvina.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Executive Branch Confidential Financial Disclosure Report.
    Agency Form Number: OGE Form 450.
    OMB Control Number: 3209-0006.
    Type of Information Collection: Extension without change of a 
currently approved collection.
    Type of Review Request: Regular.
    Respondents: Private citizens who are potential (incoming) regular 
Federal employees whose positions are designated for confidential 
disclosure filing, and special Government employees whose agencies 
require that they file new entrant disclosure reports prior to assuming 
Government responsibilities.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 19,847.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 19,847 hours.
    Abstract: The OGE Form 450 collects information from covered 
department and agency employees as required under OGE's executive 
branchwide regulatory provisions in subpart I of 5 CFR part 2634. The 
basis for the OGE reporting regulation is section 201(d) of Executive 
Order 12674 of April 12, 1989 (as modified by Executive Order 12731 of 
October 17, 1990, 3 CFR, 1990 Comp., pp. 306-311, at p. 308) and 
section 107(a) of the Ethics in Government Act, 5 U.S.C. app. sec. 
107(a).
    OGE published a first round notice of its intent to request 
paperwork clearance for an unmodified OGE Form 450 Executive Branch 
Confidential Financial Disclosure Report. See 78 FR 29753 (May 21, 
2013). OGE received two responses to that notice: one from

[[Page 54467]]

a private citizen and one from an executive branch ethics official.
    The private citizen suggested several changes to the form including 
requiring filers to indicate whether or not a reported asset in Part I 
was over $15,000 and changing OGE's underlying regulation to require 
filers to report the value of any assets. OGE does not believe that 
making either change is necessary or desirable because reporting 
specific asset values will not provide the ethics official with 
sufficient information for making the conflicts analysis. This 
commenter also suggested that OGE create a customized version of the 
OGE Form 450 for special Government employee (SGE) filers. OGE does not 
see the need for an additional form for use throughout the executive 
branch because agencies already have available an alternative procedure 
process at 5 CFR 2634.905(a) to collect the information necessary to 
perform the conflicts analysis tailored for its SGE filers.
    The comment from an executive branch ethics official suggested 
modifying the instructions for Part III of the OGE Form 450 by adding 
more examples. OGE has decided not to make this change to the form 
because this type of information is best conveyed to filers in 
reference materials that can easily be updated. OGE will consider 
creating reference materials containing additional descriptions of 
reportable positions to those provided in the broad language of 5 CFR 
2634.907(e)(1).
    Request for Comments: Agency and public comment is again invited 
specifically on the need for and practical utility of this information 
collection, the accuracy of OGE's burden estimate, the enhancement of 
quality, utility and clarity of the information collected, and the 
minimization of burden (including the use of information technology). 
Comments received in response to this notice will be summarized for, 
and may be included with, the OGE request for extension of OMB 
paperwork approval. The comments will also become a matter of public 
record.

    Approved: August 27, 2013.
Walter M. Shaub, Jr.,
Director, Office of Government Ethics.
[FR Doc. 2013-21392 Filed 9-3-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6345-03-P