[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 165 (Monday, August 28, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 58581]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-18526]


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OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS


Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice of Approval of 
Information Collection Requirements

AGENCY: Office of Government Ethics (OGE).

ACTION: Notice of approval of information collection requirements.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) is announcing Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approval of new information collection 
requirements contained in a final rule published in the Federal 
Register on May 25, 2023, ``Legal Expense Fund Regulation.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: McEvan Baum at the U.S. Office of 
Government Ethics; telephone: 202-482-9287; TTY: 800-877-8339; Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), an 
agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and the 
public is not obligated to respond to a collection of information, 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number.
    On May 25, 2023, OGE published a final rule establishing a 
framework to govern an executive branch employee's acceptance of 
payments for legal expenses through a Legal Expense Fund (LEF) for 
matters arising in connection with the employee's official position, 
the employee's prior position on a campaign of a candidate for 
President or Vice President, or the employee's prior position on a 
Presidential Transition Team. The requirements for establishing and 
maintaining a LEF are found in 5 CFR part 2635, subpart J (LEF 
regulation).
    The LEF regulation requires that employees who wish to establish a 
legal expense fund do so through a trust with a single, named employee 
beneficiary and a trustee. It also requires an employee beneficiary to 
file quarterly reports that include information (1) regarding members 
of the public who make financial donations to help pay for the employee 
beneficiary's legal expenses (donors) and (2) members of the public who 
receive payments from a legal expense fund (payees). The employee 
beneficiary must also file a termination report upon the termination of 
the trust and/or executive branch employment. The trust documents, 
quarterly reports, and termination reports will be posted directly on 
OGE's website in accordance with 5 CFR 2635.1007(g). Together, this 
information collection (IC) is titled ``OGE Legal Expense Fund 
Information Collection.''
    OGE submitted a request for approval of this information collection 
on May 25, 2023, and OMB approved it on July 21, 2023. It was assigned 
OMB Control Number 3209-0012. Therefore, in accordance with the PRA, 
OGE hereby announces OMB approval of the information collection 
requirements as contained in the final rule, which will be effective 
November 21, 2023.

    Approved: August 23, 2023.
Shelley K. Finlayson,
Acting Director, U.S. Office of Government Ethics.
[FR Doc. 2023-18526 Filed 8-25-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6345-03-P