[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 12, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15755-15756]
[FR Doc No: 2013-05611]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
Submission for Renewal: Information Collection; Questionnaire for
National Security Positions, Standard Form 86 (SF 86)
AGENCY: U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
ACTION: 60-Day notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Federal Investigative Services (FIS), U.S. Office of Personnel
Management (OPM) offers the general public and other Federal agencies
the opportunity to comment on an information collection request (ICR),
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control No. 3206-0005, for
Questionnaire for National Security Positions, Standard Form 86 (SF
86). As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (Pub. L. 104-
13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35) as amended by the Clinger-Cohen Act (Pub. L.
104-106), OPM is soliciting comments for this collection. The Office of
Management and Budget is particularly interested in comments that:
1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic
submissions of responses.
DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until May 13, 2013.
This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.1.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on
the proposed information collection to the Federal Investigative
Services, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E. Street NW.,
Washington, DC 20415, Attention: Donna McLeod or sent via email to
FISFormsComments@opm.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A copy of this ICR, with applicable
supporting documentation, may be obtained by contacting the Federal
Investigative Services, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E.
Street NW., Washington, DC 20415, Attention: Donna McLeod or sent via
email to FISFormsComments@opm.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Questionnaire for National Security
Positions, SF 86, housed in a system named e-QIP (Electronic
Questionnaires for Investigative Processing), is an information
collection completed by applicants for, or incumbents of, Federal
Government civilian or military positions, or positions in private
entities performing work for the Federal Government under contract. The
collection is used as the basis of information:
By the Federal Government in conducting background
investigations, reinvestigations, and continuous evaluations, as
appropriate, of persons under consideration for or retention in
national security sensitive positions as defined in Executive Order
10450 and 5 CFR part 732, and for positions requiring eligibility for
access to classified information under Executive Order 12968;
By agencies in determining whether a person performing
work for or on behalf of the Federal Government under a contract should
be deemed eligible for logical or physical access when the nature of
the work is sensitive and could bring about a material adverse effect
on national security.
The SF 86 is completed by civilian employees of the Federal
Government, military personnel, and non-federal employees, including
Federal contractors and individuals otherwise not directly employed by
the Federal Government but who perform work for or on behalf of the
Federal Government. For applicants for civilian Federal employment, the
SF 86 is to be used only after a conditional offer of employment has
been made. It is estimated that 263,566 non-federal individuals, will
complete the SF 86 annually. The SF 86 takes approximately 150 minutes
to complete. The estimated annual burden is 658,915 hours. e-QIP is a
web-based system application that currently houses electronic versions
of the SF 86. This electronic data collection tool provides
[[Page 15756]]
immediate data validation to ensure accuracy of the respondent's
personal information. The e-Government initiative mandates that
agencies utilize e-QIP for all investigations and reinvestigations. A
variable in assessing burden hours is the nature of the electronic
application. The electronic application includes branching questions
and instructions which provide for a tailored collection from the
respondent based on varying factors in the respondent's personal
history. The burden on the respondent is reduced when the respondent's
personal history is not relevant to a particular question, since the
question branches, or expands for additional details, only for those
persons who have pertinent information to provide regarding that line
of questioning. As such, the burden on the respondent will vary
depending on whether the information collection relates to the
respondent's personal history. Additionally, once entered, a
respondent's complete and certified investigative data remains secured
in the e-QIP system until the next time the respondent is sponsored by
an agency to complete a new investigative form. Upon initiation, the
respondent's previously entered data (except ``yes/no'' questions) will
populate a new investigative request and the respondent will be allowed
to update information and certify the data. In this instance, time to
complete the form is reduced significantly.
OPM proposes the following changes to instructions in the SF 86.
The section, ``Instructions for Completing This Form (Paper Form
Only),'' will be amended to delete the instruction ``If additional
space is required for an explanation or to list your residences,
employment/self-employment, or education, you should use a continuation
sheet, SF 86A.'' The SF 86A is no longer useful as SF 86 requests are
conducted entirely through e-QIP. The instructions in Section 11,
``Where You Have Lived,'' will provide clarifying instruction to not
list a spouse, cohabitant, or relative as the verifier for periods of
residence. The instructions in Section 12, ``Where You Went to
School,'' will include the Department of Education Web site (http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/search.aspx) to assist respondents in
obtaining their school address(es). The instructions in Section 20b,
``Foreign Government Contacts,'' regarding contact with a foreign
government, will be amended so that the respondent need report neither
contact related to official U.S. Government travel (including official
contact as a U.S. military service member on a U.S. Government military
duty assignment) nor contact related to routine visa applications and
border crossings on a U.S. passport. Section 20c, ``Foreign Travel,''
will be amended to clarify that travel solely for U.S. Government
business is travel on official Government orders. Section 23, ``Illegal
Use of Drugs and Drug Activity,'' will include instruction to clarify
that drug use or activity illegal under Federal laws must be reported,
even if that use or activity is legal under state or local law(s). OPM
intends to amend the ``Authorization for Release of Information'' to
clarify that information obtained from ``other sources of information''
includes publicly available electronic information.
OPM proposes the following change to more accurately collect
information regarding legally recognized relationships. Section 17,
``Marital Status,'' will be renamed ``Marital/Relationship Status.''
Where the form requires collection of information regarding civil
marriages and divorces, the same collection of information will be
required of legally recognized civil unions and legally recognized
domestic partnerships, and dissolutions of these. Since information
regarding legally recognized civil unions and domestic partnerships
will be captured in the ``Marital/Relationship Status'' section, the
definition of cohabitant will be amended to exclude legally recognized
civil unions and legally recognized domestic partnerships. Changes will
be made to the branching questions in Section 20a, ``Foreign
Activities,'' to collect details regarding prior ownership of foreign
real estate that has since been sold. This change will correct a
deficit in the branching questions that do not currently account for
this scenario.
OPM is proposing to make changes to Question 21, ``Psychological
and Emotional Health,'' in connection with a comprehensive review being
conducted by the Director of National Intelligence, in his role as
Security Executive Agent, with the Department of Defense, OPM, and
other Federal agencies, for the purpose of clarifying support for
mental health treatment and encouraging pro-active management of mental
health conditions to support wellness and recovery.
U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
John Berry,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-05611 Filed 3-11-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-53-P
