[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 174 (Monday, September 9, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55079-55080]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-21798]


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OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request for a Modified OGE Form 278 Executive Branch Personnel 
Public 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 first round notice and public 
comment period, OGE intends to submit a modified OGE Form 278 Executive 
Branch Personnel Public 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 on or before November 8, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments to OGE on this paperwork notice by 
any of the following methods:
    Email: [email protected] (Include reference to ``OGE Form 278 paperwork 
comment'' in the subject line of the message).
    FAX: 202-482-9237.
    Mail, Hand Delivery/Courier: Office of Government Ethics, Suite 
500, 1201 New York Avenue NW., Washington,

[[Page 55080]]

DC 20005-3917, Attention: Paul D. Ledvina, Agency Clearance Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Ledvina at the 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 278 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 Personnel Public Financial Disclosure 
Report.
    Form Number: OGE Form 278.
    OMB Control Number: 3209-0001.
    Type of Information Collection: Extension with modifications of a 
currently approved collection.
    Type of Review Request: Regular.
    Respondents: Private citizen Presidential nominees to executive 
branch positions subject to Senate confirmation; other private citizens 
who are potential (incoming) Federal employees whose positions are 
designated for public disclosure filing; those who file termination 
reports from such positions after their Government service ends; and 
Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 1,394.
    Estimated Time per Response: 3 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 4,182 hours.
    Abstract: The OGE Form 278 collects information from certain 
officers and high-level employees in the executive branch for conflicts 
of interest review and public disclosure. The form is also completed by 
individuals who are nominated by the President for high-level executive 
branch positions requiring Senate confirmation and new entrants to 
other public reporting positions in the executive branch. The financial 
information collected relates to: assets and income; transactions; 
gifts, reimbursements and travel expenses; liabilities; agreements or 
arrangements; outside positions; and compensation over $5,000 paid by a 
source--all subject to various reporting thresholds and exclusions. The 
information is collected in accordance with section 102 of the Ethics 
in Government Act, 5 U.S.C. app. section 102, as amended by the Stop 
Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012 (Pub. L. 112-105) (STOCK 
Act), and OGE's implementing financial disclosure regulations at 5 CFR 
part 2634. OGE is proposing to make minor modifications to the paper 
version of the OGE Form 278 to update the Privacy Act Statement and the 
legal authorities under which the information is collected. OGE 
proposes to include in this renewal submission the new OGE Form 278e, 
an electronic version to be implemented in January 2014, pursuant to 
the e-filing system mandated under section 11(b) of the STOCK Act. (See 
Amendments to the STOCK Act Pub. L. 113-7 (April 15, 2013)). The OGE 
Form 278e will collect the same information that both the current paper 
version of the OGE Form 278 collects, as well as the 14 e-filing 
systems that are currently in use in executive branch agencies. 
Although the OGE Form 278e will not collect any additional information, 
the application will produce a streamlined output report format that 
presents only the filer's inputs in given categories, and that does not 
report other categories not selected by the filer.
    Request for Comments: Agency and public comment is 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 30, 2013.
Walter M. Shaub, Jr.,
Director, Office of Government Ethics.
[FR Doc. 2013-21798 Filed 9-6-13; 8:45 am]
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