Notice2024-14597
Agency Information Collection Activities; Information Collection Renewal; Comment Request for OGE Form 278e Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report
Primary source
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Published
July 3, 2024
Issuing agencies
Government Ethics Office
Abstract
After this second round notice, the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) plans to request that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) renew its approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act for a modified version of an existing information collection, entitled the OGE Form 278e Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report. Comments: 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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 128 (Wednesday, July 3, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 3, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55270-55271]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-14597]
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OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS
Agency Information Collection Activities; Information Collection
Renewal; Comment Request for OGE Form 278e Executive Branch Personnel
Public Financial Disclosure Report
AGENCY: Office of Government Ethics (OGE).
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: After this second round notice, the Office of Government
Ethics (OGE) plans to request that the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) renew its approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act for a
modified version of an existing information collection, entitled the
OGE Form 278e Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure
Report.
Comments: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. 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: Jennifer Matis at the U.S. Office of
Government Ethics; telephone: 202-482-9216; TTY: 800-877-8339; Email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#395354584d504a79565e5c175e564f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="395354584d504a79565e5c175e564f">[email protected]</span></a>. A copy of the form with proposed changes marked in red
is available here: <a href="https://oge.box.com/s/jrca898wqy81iwy1gklc8ydoyuyp963b">https://oge.box.com/s/jrca898wqy81iwy1gklc8ydoyuyp963b</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure
Report.
Agency Form Number: OGE Form 278e.
Abstract: The OGE Form 278e collects information from certain
officers and high-level employees in the executive branch for conflicts
of interest review and public disclosure. The form also collects
information from individuals who are nominated by the President for
high-level executive branch positions requiring Senate confirmation and
individuals entering into and departing from other public reporting
positions in the executive branch. The information is collected in
accordance with 5 U.S.C. 13104 and OGE's implementing financial
disclosure regulations at 5 CFR part 2634. The information collected
relates to: assets and income; transactions; gifts, reimbursements and
travel expenses; liabilities; agreements or arrangements; outside
positions; and compensation over $5,000 paid by a source--all subject
to various reporting thresholds and exclusions.
OGE has approval for five versions of the Form 278e: a PDF version,
an Excel version, an electronic version called Integrity, a Chinese
language version, and a Spanish language version. The translated
versions are intended to be informational only, to allow more members
of the public to understand the content of filers' public reports. The
version of the Form 278e that is produced by Integrity is a streamlined
output report format that presents only the filer's inputs in given
categories and does not report other categories not selected by the
filer. It is this output report that is made available to the
[[Page 55271]]
public in PDF form. Most public disclosure filers now use Integrity to
file the OGE Form 278e. However, OGE also continues to maintain an
Excel version of the form and a 508 compliant PDF version accessible to
users who use screen readers to access and interact with digital
information.
OGE seeks renewal of the OGE Form 278e with several modifications.
OGE sought and received input from a variety of stakeholders before
proposing these modifications. Comments submitted by the public in
response to the Federal Register notices published during the last
renewal in 2021 were reconsidered. In addition, OGE solicited and
received additional comments from OGE employees, agency ethics
officials (who are the individuals responsible for reviewing the
completed forms for potential conflicts of interest), interested
Congressional offices, and the public. On January 19, 2023, OGE held a
public meeting to discuss potential changes to the OGE Forms 450 and
278e and accepted written comments in lieu of appearing in-person. See
87 FR 73766 (Dec. 1, 2022).
OGE considered each comment submitted. The proposed modifications
discussed below incorporate the suggested changes that OGE believes
will provide added clarity and value to the financial disclosure
process. OGE is declining to make other suggested changes at this time
due to OGE's lack of regulatory authority to make such changes, lack of
interest by the affected agencies, and/or the associated costs to
Integrity.
The proposed modifications are described below. These changes apply
to the English language versions of the form only; OGE will update its
Spanish and Chinese instructional versions at a later date.
Changes to All English Versions (Excel, PDF, and Integrity)
OGE proposes to add a question for all filers regarding their type
of appointment. The options offered are ``PAS,'' ``Non-Career,'' and
``Career.'' The information may be provided by the filer or by their
agency. This information will appear on the cover page. This change was
requested by a good government group in order to help the public
understand the filer's potential conflicts. One of the primary purposes
of the public financial disclosure report is to allow the public to
understand any potential conflicts of interest the filer might have.
Knowing the filer's type of appointment is important to this
understanding because different types of officials have different
ethics requirements.
OGE also proposes to identify the date of appointment on the cover
page of reports for all filers other than nominees (who have not yet
been appointed at the time they complete the form). Integrity currently
identifies the date of appointment on the cover page of a new entrant
report only. The Excel and PDF versions currently have one field for
both date of appointment and date of termination, which OGE proposes
separating into two fields. The purpose is to benefit the public's
understanding of the time period during which the individual was in a
public filing position.
Lastly, OGE proposes to add a link to its online Public Financial
Disclosure Guide, the most widely used resource for completing and
reviewing public financial disclosure reports.
Changes to the Excel and PDF Versions Only
OGE proposes instructional changes to the Excel and PDF versions to
provide better guidance to those filers who do not use the Integrity
application. OGE does not propose any changes to the information
collected on the Excel and PDF versions of the form, beyond the
addition of ``appointment type'' discussed above.
OGE proposes two changes to the initial instructions page to
improve clarity: (1) changing the topic headings to plain language
questions (e.g. changing ``Late Filing'' to ``What Happens if I File
Late?''); and (2) consolidating the guidance on which parts to complete
into a new section headed ``What Parts Must I Complete?''
In the rest of the instructions, OGE proposes to add clarifying
guidance on reporting requirements, exceptions to reporting
requirements, and definitions. OGE also proposes to add specific
instructions to avoid reporting unnecessary personal information.
Finally, OGE proposes to add a note indicating that the reporting
thresholds for gifts are applicable for calendar years 2023-2025 and
that the amounts are adjusted every three years.
A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting
comments on this information collection was published on February 26,
2024 (89 FR 14071). OGE received one response to that notice. The
commenter sought an edit to the instructions for reporting liabilities
as they apply to Presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed (PAS)
uniformed service members reporting mortgages. As a result of this
comment, OGE is making clarifying edits to the instructions and summary
instructions for reporting liabilities. First, a paragraph formerly
entitled ``Additional Exception for Certain Mortgages'' will be
retitled ``Mortgage Reporting.'' Its language will be simplified and
reorganized to clarify exactly who is required to report a mortgage on
a personal residence, the exceptions to that requirement, and who is
not required to report a mortgage. Second, minor language changes will
be made to the Summary Instructions for the liabilities section to make
it clear that certain PAS are required to report all mortgages.
OMB Control Number: 3209-0001.
Type of Information Collection: Extension of a currently approved
collection.
Type of Review Request: Regular.
Affected Public: Private citizen Presidential nominees to executive
branch positions subject to Senate confirmation; other private citizens
who are potential (incoming) Federal employees whose positions are
designated for public disclosure filing; those who file termination
reports from such positions after their Government service ends; and
Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 4,257.
Estimated Time per Response: 10 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 42,570 hours.
Request for Comments: OGE is publishing this second round notice of
its intent to request paperwork clearance renewal for OGE Form 278e.
Public comment is invited specifically on the need for and practical
utility of this information collection, the accuracy of OGE's burden
estimate, the enhancement of quality, utility and clarity of the
information collected, and the minimization of burden (including the
use of information technology). OGE specifically seeks comments on
whether the proposed changes will change the burden of completing the
form. Comments received in response to this notice will be summarized
for, and may be included with, the OGE request for extension of OMB
paperwork approval. The comments will also become a matter of public
record.
Approved: June 10, 2024.
Shelley K. Finlayson,
Acting Director, U.S. Office of Government Ethics.
[FR Doc. 2024-14597 Filed 7-2-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6345-03-P
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