Notice2022-03184
Agency Information Collection Activities; Withdrawal of Prior Notice and Proposed Submission of Information Collection for OMB Review; Comment Request; Medical Exception Request
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 15, 2022
Issuing agencies
Commerce Department
Abstract
The Department of Commerce (Department) published a notice in the Federal Register of its intent to request that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) extend approval, without change, under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), to a collection of information for its employees to request a medical exception to the COVID-19 vaccination requirement on January 25, 2022. That notice is withdrawn in light of the January 21, 2022 nationwide preliminary injunction enjoining implementation and enforcement of the federal employee vaccination requirement pursuant to the President's Executive Order 14043 of September 9, 2021, "Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees." The Department seeks comment on its new notice of intent to request that OMB approve, without change, under the PRA, a collection of information for its employees to request a medical exception to the COVID-19 vaccination requirement.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 31 (Tuesday, February 15, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 15, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8561-8562]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-03184]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Agency Information Collection Activities; Withdrawal of Prior
Notice and Proposed Submission of Information Collection for OMB
Review; Comment Request; Medical Exception Request
AGENCY: Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of withdrawal; notice of intent to request extension of
OMB approval of information collection.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Department) published a notice in
the Federal Register of its intent to request that the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) extend approval, without change, under the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), to a collection of information for its
employees to request a medical exception to the COVID-19 vaccination
requirement on January 25, 2022. That notice is withdrawn in light of
the January 21, 2022 nationwide preliminary injunction enjoining
implementation and enforcement of the federal employee vaccination
requirement pursuant to the President's Executive Order 14043 of
September 9, 2021, ``Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for
Federal Employees.'' The Department seeks comment on its new notice of
intent to request that OMB approve, without change, under the PRA, a
collection of information for its employees to request
[[Page 8562]]
a medical exception to the COVID-19 vaccination requirement.
DATES: As of February 15, 2022, the notice published January 25, 2022
(87 FR 3759), is withdrawn. Comments on this notice of intent must be
submitted on or before April 18, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments
to the Department of Commerce, PRA Clearance Officer at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#05555744666a6868606b717645616a662b626a73"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b7e7e5f6d4d8dadad2d9c3c4f7d3d8d499d0d8c1">[email protected]</span></a>. All comments received are part of the public
record. Comments will generally be posted without change. All
Personally Identifiable Information (for example, name and address)
voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do
not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or
protected information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
should be directed to the Attn: Zack Schwartz, Chief of Staff to the
Acting CFO and Assistant Secretary for Administration, Commerce
Headquarters, at (202) 577-1769; or via email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8ed4ddede6f9effcfaf4ceeae1eda0e9e1f8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="356f66565d425447414f75515a561b525a43">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice supersedes the notice published
on January 25, 2022 (87 FR 3759), which the Department withdraws.
Under Executive Order 14043, every Federal agency must ``implement,
to the extent consistent with applicable law, a program to require
COVID-19 vaccination for all of its Federal employees, with exceptions
only as required by law.'' In following this directive, the Department
imposed a requirement that its employees must receive and submit proof
of COVID-19 vaccination. As required by 29 U.S.C. 701 et seq. and 29
CFR part 1630, the Department allows an exception from the vaccination
requirement for employees who demonstrate medical reasons or
disabilities that would make the COVID-19 vaccine unsafe for them. To
obtain this exception, employees can submit the Request for Medical
Exception to the COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement form available from
the Department's COVID-19 Information Hub. The Department uses the
information on this form to verify employees' assertions that they are
entitled to an exception to the COVID-19 vaccination requirement
because of their medical or disability statuses.
OMB Control Number: 0690-0036.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular submission; Extension of an already
approved collection.
Affected Public: Federal employees and medical providers.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,000.
Estimated Time per Response: 10 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 167.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $9,321.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Legal Authority: Executive Order (E.O.) 14043.
We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this information collection request. Before including
your address, phone number, email address, or other personal
identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your
entire comment--including your personal identifying information--may be
made publicly available at any time. While you may ask us in your
comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public
review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
A Notice Regarding Injunctions: The vaccination requirement issued
pursuant to E.O. 14043, ``Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019
Vaccination for Federal Employees'' is currently the subject of a
nationwide injunction. While that injunction remains in place, the
Department will not process requests for a medical exception from the
COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to E.O. 14043. The Department
will also not request the submission of any medical information related
to a request for an exception from the vaccination requirement pursuant
to E.O. 14043 while the injunction remains in place. But the Department
may nevertheless receive information regarding a medical exception.
That is because, if the Department were to receive a request for an
exception from the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to E.O.
14043 during the pendency of the injunction, the Department will accept
the request, hold it in abeyance, and notify the employee who submitted
the request that implementation and enforcement of the COVID-19
vaccination requirement pursuant to E.O. 14043 is currently enjoined
and that an exception therefore is not necessary so long as the
injunction is in place. In other words, during the pendency of the
injunction, any information collection related to requests for medical
exception from the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to E.O.
14043 is not undertaken to implement or enforce the COVID-19
vaccination requirement.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2022-03184 Filed 2-14-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-17-P
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