[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