[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 223 (Friday, November 18, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81861-81863]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-27712]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency


Agency Information Collection Activities: Information Collection 
Revision; Submission for OMB Review; Diversity Self-Assessment Template 
for OCC-Regulated Entities

AGENCY: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Treasury.

ACTION: Notice and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The OCC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork 
and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal 
agencies to take this opportunity to comment on a revised information

[[Page 81862]]

collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). 
The OCC may not conduct or sponsor, and a respondent is not required to 
respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently 
valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OCC 
previously received OMB approval for a voluntary information collection 
in the Final Interagency Policy Statement Establishing Joint Standards 
for Assessing the Diversity Policies and Practices of Entities 
Regulated by the Agencies (Policy Statement). The OCC now is soliciting 
comment on a revised information collection which adds a ``Diversity 
Self-Assessment Template for OCC-Regulated Entities'' (Template) to 
facilitate the self-assessment described in the Policy Statement. The 
OCC also is giving notice that it has sent the collection to OMB for 
review.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 19, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Because paper mail in the Washington, DC area and at the OCC 
is subject to delay, commenters are encouraged to submit comments by 
email, if possible. Comments may be sent to: Legislative and Regulatory 
Activities Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 
Attention: 1557-0334, 400 7th Street SW., Suite 3E-218, Mail Stop 9W-
11, Washington, DC 20219. In addition, comments may be sent by fax to 
(571) 465-4326 or by electronic mail to [email protected]. You may 
personally inspect and photocopy comments at the OCC, 400 7th Street 
SW., Washington, DC 20219. For security reasons, the OCC requires that 
visitors make an appointment to inspect comments by calling (202) 649-
6700 or, for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, TTY, (202) 649-
5597. Upon arrival, visitors will be required to present valid 
government-issued photo identification and submit to security screening 
in order to inspect and photocopy comments.
    All comments received, including attachments and other supporting 
materials, are part of the public record and subject to public 
disclosure. Do not include any information with your comment, 
attachment, or supporting materials that you consider confidential or 
inappropriate for public disclosure.
    Additionally, please send a copy of your comments by mail to: OCC 
Desk Officer, 1557-0334, U.S. Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th 
Street NW., #10235, Washington, DC 20503 or by email to: oira 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shaquita Merritt, OCC Clearance 
Officer, (202) 649-5490 or, for persons who are deaf or hard of 
hearing, TTY, (202) 649-5597, Legislative and Regulatory Activities 
Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th Street 
SW., Suite 3E-218, Mail Stop 9W-11, Washington, DC 20219.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), certain 
Federal agencies must obtain approval from OMB for each collection of 
information that they conduct or sponsor. ``Collection of information'' 
is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) (and 5 CFR 1320.3(c) of the PRA 
implementing regulations) to include agency requests or requirements 
that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide 
information to a third party. The OCC is requesting that OMB approve 
its proposed revision to the collection of information.
    Title: Diversity Self-Assessment Template for OCC-Regulated 
Entities.
    OMB Control No.: 1557-0334.
    Description: The OCC previously received OMB approval for a 
voluntary information collection with respect to the Policy Statement, 
pursuant to which entities regulated by the OCC voluntarily self-assess 
their diversity policies and practices.\1\ This proposed revision to 
that collection would add the Template to assist with the self-
assessment. The Template (1) asks for general information about a 
respondent; (2) includes a checklist of the standards set forth in the 
Policy Statement; (3) seeks additional diversity data; and (4) provides 
an opportunity for a respondent to provide other information regarding 
or comment on the self-assessment of its diversity policies and 
practices. A draft of this Template can be viewed at www.occ.gov/divselfassessment.
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    \1\ 80 FR 33016 (June 10, 2015).
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    The OCC estimates that use of the Template would reduce the average 
response time for this collection per respondent from 12 hours to 8 
hours. The OCC may use the information submitted by the entities it 
regulates to monitor progress and trends in the financial services 
industry with regard to diversity and inclusion in employment and 
contracting activities and to identify and highlight those policies and 
practices that have been successful. The OCC will continue to reach out 
to the regulated entities and other interested parties to discuss 
diversity and inclusion in the financial services industry and share 
leading practices. The OCC may also publish information disclosed by 
the entity, such as any identified leading practices, in any form that 
does not identify a particular institution or individual or disclose 
confidential business information.
    Type of Review: Revision.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit.
    Burden Estimates:
    Number of Respondents: 215.
    Revised Annual Burden for Policy Statement and Template: 8 hours.
    Total Burden: 1,720 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Annual.
    Comments: On August 25, 2016, the OCC issued a 60-day notice 
soliciting comments on the revision to the information collection. See 
81 FR 58553. The comment period closed on October 24, 2016, and the OCC 
received one comment from an individual who raised several issues.
    First, the commenter stated that use of the Template would not 
reduce a regulated entity's collection burden. We believe, however, 
that the structured format and layout of the Template is easy to use 
and thereby simplifies the information collection. We expect that this 
will reduce the time it takes to complete a self-assessment based on 
the Joint Standards. Furthermore, similar information currently 
provided in response to required EEOC and OFCCP annual reports, can be 
easily recorded on the self-assessment Template.
    Second, the commenter stated that the OCC's publication of a 
Template creates the impression that the Policy Statement and Template 
set out mandatory, not voluntary, standards. The OCC does not intend to 
create this impression and notes that the Template itself states that 
``a self-assessment by the organization is voluntary.'' The Policy 
Statement itself also makes the voluntary nature of a self-assessment 
clear. Third, the commenter asserted that the Template's yes/no 
structure is overly simplistic. The OCC notes, however, that while an 
entity's self-assessment of each standard begins with a yes/no 
response, the entity also is asked about the relevant successes and/or 
challenges associated with each standard. In addition, at the end of 
the Template, respondents are invited to provide any ``other important 
information or comments regarding the self-assessment of their 
diversity and inclusion policies and practices.''
    Finally, the commenter asserts that by publishing the Template, the 
agency has effectively foreclosed the possibility of a better self-
assessment framework. To the contrary, the Template invites a regulated 
entity to ``utilize this Template or its own assessment tool.'' In 
addition, the OCC specifically asked the public in its 60-day notice 
for ``[w]ays to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be

[[Page 81863]]

collected'' and asks this same question again below. We welcome the 
public to share with us, and with other regulated entities, any 
framework or tool that facilitates a regulated entity's diversity self-
assessment.
    In addition, we continue to invite comments on the following:
    (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the OCC, including whether the 
information has practical utility;
    (b) The accuracy of the OCC's estimate of the information 
collection burden;
    (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected;
    (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology; and
    (e) Estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, 
maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information.

    Dated: November 10, 2016.
Karen Solomon,
Deputy Chief Counsel, office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
[FR Doc. 2016-27712 Filed 11-17-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4810-33-P