[Federal Register: June 1, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 105)]
[Notices]
[Page 31226-31227]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01jn06-106]
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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
[OMB No. 3206-0005]
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request for Revised
Information Collections
AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.
ACTION: Notice.
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Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions, Standard Form 85 (SF 85);
Questionnaire for Public Trust Positions, Standard Form 85P (SF 85P);
Supplemental
Questionnaire for Selected Positions, Standard Form 85PS (SF 85PS);
Questionnaire for National Security Positions, Standard Form 86 (SF
86); Continuation Sheet for Questionnaires Sf 85, 85p, and 86, Standard
Form 86A (SF 86A); and Certification Statement for SF 86 (SF 86C).
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.
L. 104-13), this notice announces that the Office of Personnel
Management (OPM) submitted to the Office of Management and Budget a
request for clearance of these information collections:
Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions, Standard Form
85 (SF 85);
Questionnaire for Public Trust Positions, Standard Form
85P (SF 85P);
Supplemental Questionnaire for Selected Positions,
Standard Form 85PS (SF 85PS);
Questionnaire for National Security Positions, Standard
Form 86 (SF 86);
Continuation Sheet for Questionnaires SF 85, 85P, and 86,
Standard Form 86A (SF 86A);
Certification Statement for SF 86, Standard Form SF 86C
(SF 86C); and
Parallel, electronic versions of the SF 85, SF 85P, SF
85PS, and SF 86, including accompanying releases, housed in a system
named e-QIP (Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing).
These information collections are completed by respondents for, or
incumbents of, Government positions or positions for the Government
under contract, or by military personnel. The collections are used as
the basis for background investigations to establish that such persons
are:
Suitable for employment or retention in the position;
Suitable for employment or retention in a public trust
position;
Suitable for employment or retention in a national
security position; and
Eligible for access to classified national security
information.
The SF 86A may be used in lieu of blank paper as a continuation of
the form with which its use is associated and not for any unique
purpose exclusive from the associated form. The SF 86C is used in lieu
of completing a new SF 86 and will allow the individual to indicate
that there have been no changes in the data provided on the most
recently filed SF 86 or it will allow the individual to easily provide
new or changed information. No investigation will be initiated based
solely on the execution of this form.
The SF 85, SF 85P, SF 85PS, SF 86, SF 86A, and SF 86C are completed
by both employees of the Federal Government and individuals not
employed with the Federal Government, including Federal contractors and
military personnel.
Federal employees are defined as those individuals who are employed
as civilian or military personnel with the Federal Government. Non-
Federal employees include members of the general public and all
individuals employed as Federal and military contractors, or
individuals otherwise not directly employed by the Federal Government.
It is estimated that 89,400 non-Federal individuals will complete
the SF 85 annually. Each form takes approximately 60 minutes to
complete. The estimated annual public burden is 89,400 hours.
It is estimated that 62,000 non-Federal individuals will complete
the SF 85P annually. Each form takes approximately 60 minutes to
complete. The estimated annual burden is 62,000 hours.
It is estimated that 3,600 non-Federal individuals will complete
the SF 85PS annually. Each form takes approximately 20 minutes to
complete. The estimated annual burden is 1,200 hours.
It is estimated that 104,000 non-Federal individuals will complete
the SF 86 annually. Each form takes approximately 120 minutes to
complete. The estimated annual burden is 208,000 hours.
It is estimated that 16,000 non-Federal individuals will complete
the SF 86A annually. Each form takes approximately 20 minutes to
complete. The estimated annual burden is 5,300 hours.
It is estimated that 1,200 non-Federal individuals will complete
the SF 86C annually. Each form takes approximately 15 minutes to
complete. The estimated annual burden is 300 hours.
e-QIP (Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing) is
a Web-based system application that houses electronic versions of the
SF 85, SF 85P, SF 85PS, and SF 86. This Internet data collection tool
is used in place of--not in addition to--the paper versions of these
forms. Individuals using the e-QIP versions will enjoy the convenience
of faster processing time and immediate data validation to ensure
accuracy of their personal information. The data requested on these
forms is consistent with that requested on their paper counterparts.
Users (individuals with e-QIP accounts) of this system are
respondents, agency users, and e-QIP administrators. The system is
designed to automate the data collection process, apply all required
data editing rules to the respondent-supplied information, enforce data
integrity, and to provide sponsoring agencies an automated capability
to review and approve each respondent's submission before releasing the
data to an investigative services provider (ISP). e-QIP serves as a
feeder system to other governmental systems, including ISPs and
sponsoring agency personnel or security systems such as that at the
State Department.
The data contained in e-QIP is sensitive personal information. The
Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a (b)) prescribes the restrictions on the use
and proper handling of this information, and provides penalties for
unauthorized disclosure. The type of information collected includes,
but is not limited to: Personal identifiers, including name, social
security number, and date and place of birth; employment, residence,
and education history; references; medical history; financial history;
arrests and convictions; and other personal information of a sensitive
nature.
A respondent's complete and certified investigative data will
remain 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'
[[Page 31227]]
questions) will populate a new investigative request and the respondent
will be allowed to update their information and certify the data. The
numerous benefits offered by e-QIP to Federal agency customers have
resulted in its rapid adoption across the government. Currently there
are over 3,800 e-QIP Federal agency users at over 50 different Federal
agencies, to include every major cabinet department, servicing a
worldwide community of respondents. At any given time there are
approximately 69,000 active investigative requests in e-QIP and since
October 1, 2004 over 200,000 cases have been successfully scheduled for
investigation. The built-in flexibility of e-QIP allows its data
collection capabilities to be utilized by other ISPs for various
portions of their investigative workload.
At the beginning of FY05, e-QIP received between 300 and 500 cases
per week. Presently, e-QIP receives anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 cases
per week, a significant increase in usage in a nine-month time frame.
Future enhancements of e-QIP include a re-designed agency user menu for
version 2.0, the addition of the common financial form (SF-714), and
the automation of revised versions of the SF 85, SF 85P, SF 85PS, and
SF 86. Additionally, as of April 1, 2006, the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS), the Department of Commerce (DOC), the Department of
Defense (DOD), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of
Justice (DOJ), and the Department of Transportation (DOT) will use e-
QIP, in some capacity, to collect security clearance application
information from respondents and transmit them to OPM.
For copies of this proposal, contact Mary Beth Smith-Toomey on
(202) 606-8358, Fax (202) 418-3251, or e-mail at
marybeth.smith-toomey@opm.gov. Please be sure to include a mailing address with your
request.
DATES: Comments on this proposal should be received within 30 calendar
days from the date of this publication.
ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments to:
Kathy Dillaman, Associate Director, Federal Investigative Services
Division, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street, Room
5416, Washington, DC 20415;
and
Rachel Potter/Brenda Aguilar, Desk Officer, Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive
Office Building, NW., Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503.
For Information Regarding Administrative Coordination Contact:
Mary-Kay Brewer, Program Analyst, Operational Policy Group, Federal
Investigative Services Division, U.S. Office of Personnel Management,
(202) 606-1835.
Dan G. Blair,
Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. E6-8442 Filed 5-31-06; 8:45 am]
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