[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 48 (Monday, March 11, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17443-17444]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05060]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Docket ID: DoD-2022-OS-0113]


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and 
Readiness (OUSD(P&R)), Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION: 30-Day information collection notice.

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SUMMARY: The DoD has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by April 
10, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reginald Lucas, (571) 372-7574, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: Qualitative Research to 
Better Understand the Experiences of Racial/Ethnic Minority Service 
Members; DoD-wide Data Collection and Analysis for the Department of 
Defense Qualitative and Quantitative Data Collection in Support of the 
Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault Recommendations; OMB 
Control Number 0704-0644.
    Type of Request: New.
    Number of Respondents: 314.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Annual Responses: 314.
    Average Burden per Response: 1.42 hours.
    Annual Burden Hours: 446.
    Needs and Uses: In 2021, at the direction of President Biden, 
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered an Independent Review 
Commission (IRC) to review sexual assault in the military and provide 
recommendations to remedy the issue within the DoD. In issuing their 
report, among other recommendations, the IRC advised ``the Department 
should commission qualitative research to better understand the 
experiences of racial/ethnic

[[Page 17444]]

minority service members and their perceptions of climate, attitudes, 
and experiences with sexual assault and sexual harassment, and gender 
and racial discrimination,'' (Recommendation c7.1). This proposed 
research is in response to that specific recommendation by the IRC to 
better understand the intersection of gender, race, and ethnicity and 
experiences of sexual assault, sexual harassment, gender 
discrimination, and racial discrimination.
    Furthermore, this research will address a critical knowledge gap 
that exists within the DoD. The DoD is committed to diversity, equity, 
and inclusion, and has conducted past research in this area; however, 
there are limited data on how racial/ethnic minority Service members 
perceive and experience sexual assault, sexual harassment, gender 
discrimination, and racial discrimination. This gap persists despite 
research that indicates racial/ethnic minority Service members are at 
an increased risk for these unwanted experiences (Breslin et al., 2022; 
Daniel et al., 2019). Using data from the 2017 Workplace and Equal 
Opportunity Survey of Active-Duty Members, researchers found Active-
duty Service members who reported an unhealthy diversity and inclusion 
climate (e.g., experienced racial/ethnic harassment and discrimination, 
hazing/bullying) were more likely to identify as racial/ethnic minority 
members, female, and/or not heterosexual (Daniel et al., 2022). As 
experiences of sexual assault, sexual harassment, gender 
discrimination, and racial discrimination are associated with decreased 
health (e.g., overall wellbeing, increased depression, anxiety), they 
threaten not only the health and wellbeing of individual Service 
members but the overall health and readiness of the military (Daniel et 
al., 2022). With the DoD already facing significant recruiting 
shortfalls the past few years, these systemic risks for racial/ethnic 
Service members further threaten recruitment and retention in the 
military.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Frequency: Once.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    OMB Desk Officer: Ms. Jasmeet Seehra.
    You may also submit comments and recommendations, identified by 
Docket ID number and title, by the following method:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency 
name, Docket ID number, and title for this Federal Register document. 
The general policy for comments and other submissions from members of 
the public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on 
the internet at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without 
change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.
    DOD Clearance Officer: Mr. Reginald Lucas.
    Requests for copies of the information collection proposal should 
be sent to Mr. Lucas at [email protected].

    Dated: February 28, 2024.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2024-05060 Filed 3-8-24; 8:45 am]
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