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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 21, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9923-9924]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3812]

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EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION

Agency Information Collection Activities

AGENCY: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

ACTION: Notice of Information Collection--Extension Without Change: 
Demographic Information on Applicants for Federal Employment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Equal 
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC or Commission) announces that 
it intends to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a 
request for a one-year extension of the Demographic Information on 
Applicants, OMB No. 3046-0046.

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be submitted on or before 
April 23, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to the Executive Officer, Executive 
Secretariat, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 131 M Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20507. As a convenience to commenters, the Executive 
Secretariat will accept comments totaling six or fewer pages by 
facsimile (``FAX'') machine. This limitation is necessary to assure 
access to the equipment. The telephone number of the fax receiver is 
(202) 663-4114. (This is not a toll-free number). Receipt of FAX 
transmittals will not be acknowledged, except that the sender may 
request confirmation of receipt by calling the Executive Secretariat 
staff at (202) 663-4070 (voice) or (202) 663-4074 (TTY). (These are not 
toll-free

[[Page 9924]]

telephone numbers.) Instead of sending written comments to the EEOC, 
you may submit comments and attachments electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Follow 
the instructions online for submitting comments. All comments received 
through this portal will be posted without change, including any 
personal information you provide. Copies of comments submitted by the 
public to the EEOC directly or through the Federal eRulemaking Portal 
will be available for review, by advance appointment only, at the 
Commission's library between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5 p.m. or can 
be reviewed at http://www.regulations.gov. To schedule an appointment 
to inspect the comments at EEOC's library, contact the library staff at 
(202) 663-4630 (voice) or (202) 663-4641 (TTY). (These are not toll-
free numbers.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Veta Hurst, Federal Sector Programs, 
Office of Federal Operations, 131 M Street NE., Washington, DC 20507, 
(202) 663-4498 (voice); (202) 663-4593 (TTY). Copies of this notice are 
available in the following alternate formats: large print, Braille, 
electronic computer disk, and audio-tape. Requests for this notice in 
an alternate format should be made to the Publications Center at 1-800-
699-3362 (voice), 1-800-800-3302 (TTY), or (301) 206-9789 (FAX--this is 
not a toll free number). A copy of the form may be accessed on the 
EEOC's Web site at http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/upload/OMB-3046-0046.pdf.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 and OMB regulation 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), the Commission solicits 
public comment to enable it to:
    (1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the Commission's functions, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the Commission's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses.

Overview of Information Collection

    Collection Title: Demographic Information on Applicants.
    OMB Control No.: 3046-0046.
    Description of Affected Public: Individuals submitting applications 
for federal employment.
    Number of Responses: 26,854,281.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 3 minutes.
    Total Burden Hours: 1,342,714 [(26,854,281 x 3)/60].
    Number of Forms: One.
    Federal Cost: None.
    Abstract: Under section 717 of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act 
(Title VII) and section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Commission 
is charged with reviewing and approving federal agencies' plans to 
affirmatively address potential discrimination before it occurs. 
Pursuant to such oversight responsibilities, the Commission has 
established systems to monitor compliance with Title VII and the 
Rehabilitation Act by requiring federal agencies to evaluate their 
employment practices through the collection and analysis of data on the 
race, national origin, sex, and disability status of applicants for 
both permanent and temporary employment.
    While several federal agencies (or components of such agencies) 
have obtained OMB approval for the use of forms collecting data on the 
race, national origin, sex, and disability status of applicants, it is 
not an efficient use of government resources for each federal agency to 
separately seek OMB approval. Accordingly, in order to avoid 
unnecessary duplication of effort and a proliferation of forms, the 
EEOC seeks approval of a form that may be used by all (?) federal 
agencies.
    Response by applicants is optional. The information obtained will 
be used by federal agencies only for evaluating whether an agency's 
recruitment activities are effectively reaching all segments of the 
relevant labor pool and whether the agency's selection procedures allow 
all applicants to compete on a level playing field regardless of race, 
national origin, sex, or disability status. The voluntary responses are 
treated in a highly confidential manner and play no part in the job 
selection process. The information is not provided to any panel rating 
the applications, to selecting officials, to anyone who can affect the 
application, or to the public. Rather, the information is used in 
summary form to determine trends over many selections within a given 
occupational or organization area. No information from the form is 
entered into an official personnel file.
    Burden Statement: In fiscal year 2011, the EEOC gathered data on 
the number of applicants during fiscal year 2010 from the 59 federal 
agencies required to collect applicant data. Based on the agency 
responses, we expect that 26,854,281 applicants will be asked to 
complete the form.
    Because of the predominant use of online application systems, which 
require only pointing and clicking on the selected responses, and 
because the form requests only eight questions regarding basic 
information, the EEOC estimates that an applicant can complete the form 
in approximately 3 minutes or less.

    Dated: February 13, 2012.

    For the Commission.

Jacqueline A. Berrien,
Chair.
[FR Doc. 2012-3812 Filed 2-17-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6570-01-P
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