[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 192 (Tuesday, October 3, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58986-58987]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25366]


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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE


Information Collection; Submission for OMB Review; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Corporation for National and Community Service 
(hereinafter the ``Corporation''), has submitted two public information 
collection requests (ICRs) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for review and approval in accordance with the Paper Reduction Act of 
1995, Pub.L. 104-13, (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Copies of these individual 
ICRs, with applicable supporting documentation, may be obtained by 
calling the Corporation for National and Community Service, Levon 
Buller, at (202) 606-5000, extension 383. Individuals who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TTY-TDD) may call (800) 833-
3722 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard 
Time, Monday through Friday.
    Comments should be sent to the Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Attn: Ms. Brenda Aguilar, OMB Desk Officer for the Corporation 
for National and Community Service, Office of Management and Budget, 
Room 10235, Washington, DC, 20503, (202) 395-7316, within 30 days from 
the date of publication in this Federal Register.
    The OMB is particularly interested in comments which:
    <bullet> Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the 
Corporation, including whether the information will have practical 
utility;
    <bullet> Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
    <bullet> Propose ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity 
of the information to be collected; and
    <bullet> Propose ways to 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 submissions of responses.
    Two ICR documents have been submitted to OMB for consideration. The 
first, the Enrollment Form, is a proposed revision of a form currently 
in use (OMB Number 3045-0006). The Corporation is proposing to make a 
minor change in the format and to add a self-certification statement 
that will address a statutory requirement for individuals earning 
AmeriCorps education awards.
    The second document, the Exit Form, is another form currently in 
use (OMB Number 3045-0015) for which some changes are being proposed. 
Those proposed changes would delete ten evaluative questions that are 
asked on the current version, delete a secondary address, and change an 
eleventh question regarding whether a former member desires to be 
contacted by organizations for reasons related to their national 
service.
    The two documents were published in the Federal Register on April 
7, 2000, for a 60-day pre-clearance public comment period. The 
Corporation did not receive any requests for copies of the form from 
any organizations or individuals.
    The 60-day notice contained an error in reporting on the Total 
Respondents and the Estimated Total Burden Hours. It indicated 5,000 
respondents and 584 burden hours for each of the forms. The corrected 
figures should be 48,000 respondents annually and 5,600 burden hours 
annually for each form. It is estimated that it will average 3 minutes 
for an AmeriCorps member to complete the member section of the Exit 
form and it will take the program staff 4 minutes. The 60-day notice 
had these numbers reversed. The correct figures are contained in this 
notice.

Enrollment Form

    Type of Review: Renewal/Revision
    Agency: Corporation for National and Community Service.
    Title: Enrollment Form.
    OMB Number: OMB #3045-0006.
    Agency Number: None.
    Affected Public: AmeriCorps participants and their host programs.
    Total Respondents: 48,000 annually.
    Frequency: Average of once per year. (one form for each term of 
service).
    Average Time Per Response: 7 minutes total--4 minutes for the 
AmeriCorps member to complete his or her section, and 3 minutes for the 
program staff to complete the Certifying Official portion.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 5,600 hours.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): N/A.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): N/A.

[[Page 58987]]

Description

    The Enrollment Form is the official document used to document that 
an AmeriCorps member is enrolled in an approved national service 
position and has begun to earn an education award. The form also 
provides the Corporation with demographic information for evaluative 
purposes, and allows the Corporation to project future liabilities for 
the National Service Trust.
    The Enrollment form serves two purposes essential to the function 
of the AmeriCorps programs. First, it is the means by which AmeriCorps 
programs certify that a member is eligible to serve in AmeriCorps and 
has begun his or her term of service. Second, it provides the 
Corporation, grantees, and program managers with valuable demographic 
information with which the Corporation can assess and report on member 
placement.
    The change proposed for this form is:
    Three multiple-choice statements are being added above the 
AmeriCorps member's signature line. The statements pertain to high 
school graduation-related requirements in 42 U.S.C. 12501 et seq. 
Adding this item to the form will require member self-certification.

Exit Form

    Type of Review: Renewal/Revision.
    Agency: Corporation for National and Community Service.
    Title: Exit Form (formerly called ``End of Term/Exit Form'')
    OMB Number: 3045-0015.
    Agency Number: None.
    Affected Public: AmeriCorps members and their host programs.
    Total Respondents: 48,000 annually.
    Frequency: Average of once per year. (One time for each term of 
service).
    Average Time Per Response: 7 minutes total--3 minutes for the 
member to complete his or her portion and 4 for the program staff to 
complete the Certifying Official portion.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 5,600 hours.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): N/A.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): N/A.

Description

    The Corporation's Exit Form is the means by which AmeriCorps 
programs certify that a member has, or has not, successfully satisfied 
conditions which must be met in order to receive an education award. 
When an AmeriCorps member successfully completes a term of national 
service, a designated program official certifies that the service was 
completed and the individual is eligible for an education award.
    Submission of the Exit Form provides legal certification for the 
disbursement of an education award to an AmeriCorps member. It is the 
document by which an authorized program official at an AmeriCorps 
program site indicates whether an AmeriCorps member is eligible for an 
education award.
    Additional information requested on the form includes the member's 
service completion date, the current address where the education award 
documentation should be mailed, and two questions regarding the 
member's desire for post service information.
    The Corporation proposes the following changes to the form:
    <bullet> Eliminate the ten evaluation questions that are on the 
form currently being used. The Corporation's Evaluation Division has 
decided that relevant evaluation data will be collected through 
surveys.
    <bullet> Revise question 11 on the current form to incorporate two 
other post-service opportunities for former AmeriCorps members. 
Reorganize the question/response options to make the item clearer and 
to eliminate repetitive language.
    <bullet> Eliminate the Permanent Address. A Permanent Address is 
collected from the Enrollment form. It does not change nearly as 
frequently as does the member's Current Mailing Address, which is the 
address where the member's education award is mailed. The Permanent 
Address is used if mail is returned to the Corporation because of an 
incorrect Current Address. By not asking for an update of the Permanent 
Address, the entire Exit Form can be included on two sides of one page, 
a definite advantage.

Future Data Collection for Americorps Programs

    In 1999, the Corporation began using an electronic system to both 
enroll and exit AmeriCorps members. Many local programs can enter into 
a database information about their members' enrollment and completion 
of service. They can use the two forms to obtain the information from 
their participants and enter it into their databases. This data is 
periodically transferred to the Corporation's database where it becomes 
the official record. This transfer is currently being done on a weekly 
basis.
    As of the time of this submission, more than fifty percent of the 
nation's AmeriCorps programs use this system. The Corporation would 
like to have all programs use it, since it ultimately speeds up both 
collecting information and issuing education awards to members who have 
successfully completed their terms of service. However, many AmeriCorps 
programs, especially smaller ones, do not have the technological 
resources to afford the computer hardware and software.
    The Corporation does not want to exclude any competent, otherwise 
qualified organizations from participating as a sponsor, so it is 
possible that there may always be a small number of organizations that 
will use forms.

    Dated: September 27, 2000.
Charlene Dunn,
Director, National Service Trust.
[FR Doc. 00-25366 Filed 10-2-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050-28-P