[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 11 (Thursday, January 16, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2741-2742]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00614]


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FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

ACTION: Notice, request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) 
invites comment on a proposal to implement the Pre-Hire Conflict of 
Interest Screening Form (FR 28c; OMB No. 7100-NEW).

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 16, 2020.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by FR 28c, by any of the 
following methods:
     Agency Website: https://www.federalreserve.gov/. Follow 
the instructions for submitting comments at https://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/foia/proposedregs.aspx.
     Email: [email protected]. Include the OMB 
number in the subject line of the message.
     FAX: (202) 452-3819 or (202) 452-3102.
     Mail: Ann E. Misback, Secretary, Board of Governors of the 
Federal Reserve System, 20th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, 
Washington, DC 20551.

All public comments are available from the Board's website at https://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/foia/proposedregs.aspx as submitted, unless 
modified for technical reasons or to remove personally identifiable 
information at the commenter's request. Accordingly, comments will not 
be edited to remove any identifying or contact information. Public 
comments may also be viewed electronically or in paper in Room 146, 
1709 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006, between 9:00 a.m. and 
5:00 p.m. on weekdays. For security reasons, the Board requires that 
visitors make an appointment to inspect comments. You may do so by 
calling (202) 452-3684. Upon arrival, visitors will be required to 
present valid government-issued photo identification and to submit to 
security screening in order to inspect and photocopy comments.
    Additionally, commenters may send a copy of their comments to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Desk Officer--Shagufta Ahmed--
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW, 
Washington, DC 20503, or by fax to (202) 395-6974.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A copy of the Paperwork Reduction Act 
(PRA) OMB submission, including the reporting form and instructions, 
supporting statement, and other documentation will be placed into OMB's 
public docket files, if approved. These documents will also be made 
available on the Board's public website at https://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/reportforms/review.aspx or may be requested 
from the agency clearance officer, whose name appears below.

[[Page 2742]]

    Federal Reserve Board Clearance Officer--Nuha Elmaghrabi--Office of 
the Chief Data Officer, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 
System, Washington, DC 20551, (202) 452-3829.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 15, 1984, OMB delegated to the Board 
authority under the PRA to approve and assign OMB control numbers to 
collections of information conducted or sponsored by the Board. In 
exercising this delegated authority, the Board is directed to take 
every reasonable step to solicit comment. In determining whether to 
approve a collection of information, the Board will consider all 
comments received from the public and other agencies.

Request for Comment on Information Collection Proposal

    The Board invites public comment on the following information 
collection, which is being reviewed under authority delegated by the 
OMB under the PRA. Comments are invited on the following:
    a. Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the Board's functions, including whether the 
information has practical utility;
    b. The accuracy of the Board's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed information collection, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    c. Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected;
    d. Ways to minimize the burden of information collection on 
respondents, including through the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology; and
    e. Estimates of capital or startup costs and costs of operation, 
maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information.
    At the end of the comment period, the comments and recommendations 
received will be analyzed to determine the extent to which the Board 
should modify the proposal.

Proposal Under OMB Delegated Authority To Implement the Following 
Information Collection

    Report title: Pre-Hire Conflict of Interest Screening Form.
    Agency form number: FR 28c.
    OMB control number: 7100-NEW.
    Frequency: As needed.
    Respondents: Individuals who have been selected for an interview 
during the hiring process.
    Estimated number of respondents: 2,300.
    Estimated average hours per response: 0.5.
    Estimated annual burden hours: 1,150.
    General description of report: The proposed FR 28c form will 
collect information from external applicants applying to the Board 
regarding certain financial interests and business relationships held 
by the applicant and by his/her immediate family members, as well as 
the external applicant's involvement with certain outside 
organizations, to determine whether a conflict of interest may exist, 
which could impact the applicant's ability to fulfill the 
responsibilities associated with the position for which they have 
applied.
    Legal authorization and confidentiality: The collection of this 
information is authorized by section 10 of the Federal Reserve Act, 12 
U.S.C. 244, which provides that the ``employment, compensation, leave, 
and expenses'' of Board employees ``shall be governed solely by the 
provisions of this chapter and rules and regulations of the Board not 
inconsistent therewith.'' In addition, pursuant to regulations 
promulgated by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) pursuant to 5 
U.S.C. 7301, each executive agency's designated ethics officer is 
required to provide ``advice and counseling to prospective . . . 
employees regarding government ethics laws and regulations'' and to 
``maintain records of agency ethics program activities'' (5 CFR 
2638.104(c)(2) and (4)).
    Providing the information collected on the FR 28c form is required 
in order to obtain the benefit of Board employment.
    Generally, information provided on the FR 28c form may be kept 
confidential from the public under exemption 6 of the Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA), which protects information in ``personnel and 
medical files and similar files the disclosure of which would 
constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy'' (5 
U.S.C. 552(b)(6)). In addition, financial information collected on the 
form (such as confidential details about the amount of shares an 
applicant, their spouse, or minor child owns in a bank) may be withheld 
under exemption 4 of the FOIA, which protects ``financial information 
obtained from a person [that is] privileged and confidential'' (5 
U.S.C. 552(b)(4)).

    Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, January 13, 
2020.
Michele Taylor Fennell,
Assistant Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 2020-00614 Filed 1-15-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6210-01-P