This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

60126 

Vol. 79, No. 193 

Monday, October 6, 2014 

ADMINISTRATIVE CONFERENCE OF 

THE UNITED STATES 

No FEAR Act Notice 

AGENCY: Administrative Conference of 

the United States. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Administrative 

Conference of the United States (the 

Conference) is providing notice to all its 

employees, former employees, and 

applicants for employment about the 

rights and remedies available to them 

under the Federal antidiscrimination, 

whistleblower protection, and 

retaliation laws. This notice fulfills the 

Conference’s notification obligations 

under 5 CFR 724.202. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Shawne McGibbon, General Counsel, 

Administrative Conference of the 

United States, Suite 706 South, 1120 

20th Street NW., Washington, DC 20036; 

Telephone 202–480–2088; email 

smcgibbon@acus.gov. Additional 

information can be found on the 

Conference’s Web site at www.acus.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 

15, 2002, Congress enacted the 

‘‘Notification and Federal Employee 

Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act 

of 2002’’ (No FEAR Act), 116 Stat. 566, 

Public Law 107–174 (5 U.S.C. 2301 

note). The Act is intended to hold 

Federal agencies accountable for 

violations of antidiscrimination and 

whistleblower protection laws. In 

support of this purpose, Congress found 

that ‘‘agencies cannot be run effectively 

if those agencies practice or tolerate 

discrimination.’’ Sec. 101(1), Public Law 

107–174. The Conference provides this 

No FEAR Act notice to inform its 

current employees, former employees, 

and applicants for employment of the 

rights and protections available under 

Federal antidiscrimination, 

whistleblower protection, and 

retaliation laws, as required by the 

Office of Personnel Management, 5 CFR 

724.202. 

Antidiscrimination Laws 

A Federal agency cannot discriminate 

against an employee or applicant with 

respect to the terms, conditions or 

privileges of employment on the basis of 

race, color, religion, sex, national origin, 

age, disability, marital status or political 

affiliation. Discrimination on these 

bases is prohibited by one or more of the 

following statutes: 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(1), 

29 U.S.C. 206(d), 29 U.S.C. 631, 29 

U.S.C. 633a, 29 U.S.C. 791, and 42 

U.S.C. 2000e–16. 

If you believe that you have been the 

victim of unlawful discrimination on 

the basis of race, color, religion, sex, 

national origin or disability, you must 

contact an Equal Employment 

Opportunity (EEO) counselor within 45 

calendar days of the alleged 

discriminatory action, or, in the case of 

a personnel action, within 45 calendar 

days of the effective date of the action, 

before you can file a formal complaint 

of discrimination with your agency. See, 

e.g., 29 CFR part 1614. If you believe 

that you have been the victim of 

unlawful discrimination on the basis of 

age, you must either contact an EEO 

counselor as noted above or give notice 

of intent to sue to the Equal 

Employment Opportunity Commission 

(EEOC) within 180 calendar days of the 

alleged discriminatory action. 

Because the Conference is a very 

small agency, it has entered into a 

contractual arrangement with the 

General Services Administration (GSA) 

for EEO services, including, but not 

limited to, counseling and Alternative 

Dispute Resolution (ADR) services. EEO 

counselors are available at GSA’s 

Regional Office of Civil Rights, located 

at 7th and D Streets SW., Room 7048, 

Washington, DC 20407. Telephone: 

(202) 708–8588. You may also file a 

written complaint of discrimination 

with that office. 

If you are alleging discrimination 

based on marital status or political 

affiliation, you may file a written 

complaint with the U.S. Office of 

Special Counsel (OSC) (see contact 

information below). In the alternative 

(or in some cases, in addition), you may 

pursue a discrimination complaint by 

filing a grievance through the agency’s 

administrative or negotiated grievance 

procedures, if such procedures apply 

and are available. 

Whistleblower Protection Laws 

A Federal employee with authority to 

take, direct others to take, recommend 

or approve any personnel action must 

not use that authority to take or fail to 

take, or threaten to take or fail to take, 

a personnel action against an employee 

or applicant because of disclosure of 

information by that individual that is 

reasonably believed to evidence 

violations of law, rule or regulation; 

gross mismanagement; gross waste of 

funds; an abuse of authority; or a 

substantial and specific danger to public 

health or safety, unless disclosure of 

such information is specifically 

prohibited by law and such information 

is specifically required by Executive 

order to be kept secret in the interest of 

national defense or the conduct of 

foreign affairs. 

Retaliation against an employee or 

applicant for making a protected 

disclosure is prohibited by 5 U.S.C. 

2302(b)(8). If you believe that you have 

been the victim of whistleblower 

retaliation, you may file a written 

complaint (Form OSC–11) with the U.S. 

Office of Special Counsel at 1730 M 

Street NW., Suite 218, Washington, DC 

20036–4505 or online through the OSC 

Web site: www.osc.gov. 

Retaliation for Engaging in Protected 

Activity 

A Federal agency cannot retaliate 

against an employee or applicant 

because that individual exercises his or 

her rights under any of the Federal 

antidiscrimination or whistleblower 

protection laws listed above. If you 

believe that you are the victim of 

retaliation for engaging in protected 

activity, you must follow, as 

appropriate, the procedures described in 

the Antidiscrimination Laws and 

Whistleblower Protection Laws sections 

or, if applicable, the administrative or 

negotiated grievance procedures in 

order to pursue any legal remedy. 

Disciplinary Actions 

Under the existing laws, each agency 

retains the right, where appropriate, to 

discipline a Federal employee for 

conduct that is inconsistent with 

Federal antidiscrimination and 

whistleblower protection laws, up to 

and including removal. If OSC has 

initiated an investigation under 5 U.S.C. 

1214, however, according to 5 U.S.C. 

1214(f), agencies must seek approval 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 193 / Monday, October 6, 2014 / Notices 60127 

from the Special Counsel to discipline 

employees for, among other activities, 

engaging in prohibited retaliation. 

Nothing in the No FEAR Act alters 

existing laws or permits an agency to 

take unfounded disciplinary action 

against a Federal employee or to violate 

the procedural rights of a Federal 

employee who has been accused of 

discrimination. 

Additional Information 

For information regarding the No 

FEAR Act regulations, refer to 5 CFR 

part 724, or contact the General 

Counsel’s Office at the Conference, 1120 

20th Street NW., Suite 706 South, 

Washington, DC 20036, (202) 480–2080. 

Additional information regarding 

Federal antidiscrimination, 

whistleblower protection, and 

retaliation laws can be found at 

www.eeoc.gov and www.osc.gov. 

Existing Rights Unchanged 

Pursuant to section 205 of the No 

FEAR Act, neither the Act nor this 

notice creates, expands or reduces any 

rights otherwise available to any 

employee, former employee or applicant 

under the laws of the United States, 

including the provisions of law 

specified in 5 U.S.C. 2302(d). 

Dated: October 1, 2014. 

Shawne McGibbon, 

General Counsel. 

[FR Doc. 2014–23762 Filed 10–3–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6110–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

September 30, 2014. 

The Department of Agriculture has 

submitted the following information 

collection requirement(s) to OMB for 

review and clearance under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13. Comments 

regarding (a) whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of burden including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

through the use of appropriate 

automated, electronic, mechanical, or 

other technological collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology. 

Comments regarding this information 

collection received by November 5, 

2014 will be considered. Written 

comments should be addressed to: Desk 

Officer for Agriculture, Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB), New Executive Office Building, 

725—17th Street NW., Washington, DC 

20502. Commenters are encouraged to 

submit their comments to OMB via 

email to: OIRA_Submission@

OMB.EOP.GOV or fax (202) 395–5806 

and to Departmental Clearance Office, 

USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, 

Washington, DC 20250–7602. Copies of 

the submission(s) may be obtained by 

calling (202) 720–8958. 

An agency may not conduct or 

sponsor a collection of information 

unless the collection of information 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number and the agency informs 

potential persons who are to respond to 

the collection of information that such 

persons are not required to respond to 

the collection of information unless it 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number. 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

Title: National Animal Health 

Monitoring System (NAHMS); Equine 

2015 Study. 

OMB Control Number: 0579–0269. 

Summary of Collection: Collection 

and dissemination of animal health and 

information is mandated by 7 U.S.C. 

391, the Animal Industry Act of 1884, 

which established the precursor of the 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services, 

the Bureau of Animal Industry. Legal 

requirements for examining and 

reporting on animal disease control 

methods were further mandated by 7 

U.S.C. 8308 of the Animal Health 

Protection Act, ‘‘Detection, Control, and 

Eradication of Diseases and Pests,’’ May 

13, 2002. NAHMS will initiate the third 

national equine health and management 

data collection through the Equine 2015 

Study. The information collected 

through the Equine 2015 Study will be 

analyzed and organized into one or 

more descriptive reports. The Equine 

2015 Study is a part of an ongoing series 

of NAHMS studies on the U.S. equine 

population. 

Need and Use of the Information: 

APHIS will use the data collected to: (1) 

Serve stakeholders by estimation of 

trends in national and regional equine 

health, movement and management, (2) 

Address emerging issues; (3) Examine 

the economic impact of health 

management practices; (4) Provide data 

to be used when decisions regarding 

intervention in a disease outbreak are 

required; (5) Provide input into the 

design of surveillance systems for 

specific diseases; (6) Provide cost 

estimates of selected aspects of equine 

health care to better inform those 

planning to enter into equine ownership 

of the cost of equine health care. 

Without the NAHMS data the United 

States would not be able to assess the 

potential risk to human health from 

pathogens associated with equids or 

shared with equids, such as 

encephalidities. 

Description of Respondents: Business 

or other for-profit. 

Number of Respondents: 16,916. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

On occasion. 

Total Burden Hours: 13,606. 

Ruth Brown, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2014–23709 Filed 10–3–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

September 30, 2014. 

The Department of Agriculture has 

submitted the following information 

collection requirement(s) to OMB for 

review and clearance under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13. Comments 

regarding (a) whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of burden including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

through the use of appropriate 

automated, electronic, mechanical, or 

other technological collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology. 

Comments regarding this information 

collection received by November 5, 

2014 will be considered. Written 

comments should be addressed to: Desk 

Officer for Agriculture, Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB), New Executive Office Building, 

725—17th Street NW., Washington, DC 

20502. Commenters are encouraged to 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES