Notice2026-03991
Information Collection; Living Quarters Eligibility Questionnaire; GSA Form 5039
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 27, 2026
Issuing agencies
General Services Administration
Abstract
Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Secretariat Division will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension to an existing information collection requirement.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 39 (Friday, February 27, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 39 (Friday, February 27, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9852-9853]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-03991]
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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
[OMB Control No. 3090-0331; Docket No. 2026-0001; Sequence No. 3]
Information Collection; Living Quarters Eligibility
Questionnaire; GSA Form 5039
AGENCY: Office of Human Resource Management, Division of Human Capital
Strategic Planning and Programs, General Services Administration (GSA).
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the
Regulatory Secretariat Division will be submitting to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an
extension to an existing information collection requirement.
DATES: Submit comments on or before April 28, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments identified by Information Collection 3090-
0331; Living Quarters Eligibility
[[Page 9853]]
Questionnaire; GSA Form 5039 to: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Submit
comments via the Federal eRulemaking portal by searching for
``Information Collection 3090-0331, Living Quarters Eligibility
Questionnaire; GSA Form 5039''. Select the link ``Submit a Comment''
that corresponds with ``Information Collection 3090-0331; Living
Quarters Eligibility Questionnaire; GSA Form 5039''. Follow the
instructions provided at the ``Submit a Comment'' screen. Please
include your name, company name (if any), and ``Information Collection
3090-0331; Living Quarters Allowance Eligibility Questionnaire; GSA
Form 5039'' on your attached document. If your comment cannot be
submitted using <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, call or email the points
of contact in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this
document for alternate instructions.
Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite Information
Collection 3090-0331, Living Quarters Allowance Eligibility
Questionnaire; GSA Form 5039, in all correspondence related to this
collection. Comments received generally will be posted without change
to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, including any personal and/or business
confidential information provided. To confirm receipt of your
comment(s), please check <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>, approximately two-to-
three days after submission to verify posting.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colin C. Bennett, Human Resources
Specialist, Office of Human Resources Management, Division of Human
Capital Strategic Planning and Programs, at telephone 240-418-6822 or
via email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#75161a191c1b5b17101b1b100101351206145b121a03"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="abc8c4c7c2c585c9cec5c5cedfdfebccd8ca85ccc4dd">[email protected]</span></a> for clarification of content.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Purpose
The GSA routinely hires, reassigns, promotes, or transfers Federal
employees to duty stations in foreign areas (i.e., outside of the
United States and its territories and possessions). Civilian employees
located in foreign areas are eligible for different compensation
authorities compared to employees located in the United States or its
territories or possessions. Besides basic pay, certain foreign
allowances are often used as recruitment or retention incentives to
make foreign service more attractive and economically feasible. One
type of allowance is called a ``living quarters allowance,'' or
``LQA,'' and allows an agency to reimburse the cost of rental housing
as well as utilities (such as electricity, natural gas, and water
service). Under this authority (conveyed by the Overseas Differentials
and Allowances Act of 1960, Pub. L. 86-707, Sept. 6, 1960, codified at
5 U.S.C. 5923(a)(2)), not all job candidates or overseas employees are
necessarily eligible (for example, if Government-provided housing is
made available). In addition, for those job candidates who are
eligible, the amount of the benefit varies by rank (i.e., GS grade),
presence overseas with or without family, and overall family size.
Detailed rules concerning eligibility and other matters are found in
the State Department's Department of State Standardized Regulations,
sections 031.12 and Chapter 130.
To more effectively administer LQA, GSA created GSA Form 5039,
``Living Quarters Allowance Eligibility Questionnaire''. This form
collects basic demographic and housing-related information. It also
includes questions meant to coordinate housing benefits between the
U.S. military and other Federal agencies (for example, if two spouses
work for different Federal agencies). Individuals who complete this
pre-employment questionnaire are considered job candidates and members
of the public (if not already Federal civilian employees). The purpose
of this data collection is to ensure that eligible applicants receive
allowance consideration, in the correct amounts based on the position
and family size, and that ineligible candidates are not erroneously
provided with this significant monetary benefit.
B. Annual Reporting Burden
Respondents: 25 per year.
Responses per Respondent: 1.
Total Annual Responses: 25.
Hours per Response: 1.
Total Burden Hours: 25.
C. Public Comments
Public comments are encouraged and are particularly invited on: (a)
whether this collection of information is necessary, (b) whether it
will have practical utility, (c) whether our estimate of the public
burden of this collection of information is accurate (and based on
valid assumptions and methodology), (d) whether or not there are ways
to enhance the form's utility and clarity of the information to be
collected, and (e) whether or not there might be ways in to minimize
the data collection burden through the use of information technology.
Obtaining Copies of Proposals: Please visit the GSA Forms Library
at <a href="https://www.gsa.gov/forms-library">https://www.gsa.gov/forms-library</a> to view and/or download a copy of
GSA Form 5039. Requesters may obtain a copy of the information
collection documents from the GSA, Regulatory Secretariat Division, by
emailing <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7a3d293b281f1d291f193a1d091b541d150c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="aee9fdeffccbc9fdcbcdeec9ddcf80c9c1d8">[email protected]</span></a>. Please cite OMB Control No. 3090-0331,
Living Quarters Allowance Eligibility Questionnaire; GSA Form 5039, in
all correspondence.
Patrick Dale,
Team Lead, Regulatory Secretariat Division, General Services
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2026-03991 Filed 2-26-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-FM-P
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