[Federal Register: December 31, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 250)]
[Notices]
[Page 68325-68326]

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

Submission for OMB Review; Comment and Request Form OPM-1386B

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(44 U.S.C. 3506-3507), the Office of Personnel Management plans to
submit to the Office of Management and Budget a request to extend its
approval of form OPM-1386B, Applicant Race and National Origin
Questionnaire. The form gathers information concerning the race and
national origin of applicants for employment under the Outstanding
Scholar provision of the Luevano Consent Decree, 93 F.R.D. 68 (1981).
    This notice begins the formal continuation that originally began in
1995. OPM published Notices of Intent in the Federal Register on
October 27, 1995, and February 21, 1996. The process for continuation
was not completed in time. An emergency request for continuation was
published on September 9, 1997.
    Under the terms of 44 U.S.C. 3507, the public is invited to comment
on the need for this information, its practical utility, the accuracy
of OPM's burden estimate, and on ways to minimize the reporting burden.

DATES: Comments will be considered if received on or before March 2,
1998.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver written comments to Mary Lou Lindholm,
Associate Director for Employment, U.S. Office of Personnel Management,
1900 E Street, NW., Room 6F08, Washington, DC 20415, and Joseph Lackey,
OPM Desk Officer, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office
of Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, NW., Room
10235, Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For copies of the form, and further information, contact Christina Vay
on 202-606-0830, FAX 202-606-2329, or e-mail address CMVAY@OPM.GOV.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose of Form OPM-1368B

    A Federal court decree, issued in 1981 and still binding, requires
recordkeeping on Federal employment selection procedures, including
race and national origin (RNO) data, to determine the ``relative impact
of the procedure upon Blacks and upon Hispanics as compared with non-
Hispanic whites.''

[[Page 68326]]

OPM and other agencies use form OPM-1368B to collect the RNO data from
applicants being considered for selection under the Outstanding Scholar
provision of the decree. Using the standardized form makes it easier to
collect and consolidate the required data for use by the Federal
Government and by the plaintiffs. OPM and agencies do not need to use
form OPM-1368B to collect data on applicants being considered through
traditional examining processes; court-required data on those
applicants are collected as part of an application process not required
for Outstanding Scholars.
    The form OPM-1386B is not considered in the selection process, but
is used only to collect statistical data.

Annual Reporting Burden

    Approximately 100,000 forms will be processed annually. The average
estimated response time is 5 minutes for a total public burden of 8,333
hours.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Janice R. Lachance,
Director.
[FR Doc. 97-34056 Filed 12-30-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-01-M