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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 10 (Thursday, January 16, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4804-4806]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00956]

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MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, intends to 
request approval of a new information collection from the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 
MSPB is submitting this Information Collection Request (ICR), entitled 
Accommodation Request Form, OMB Control No. 3124-0NEW, for approval in 
accordance with Federal regulations, and is requesting public comments. 
This collection was developed as part of MSPB's effort to streamline 
the process for collecting information from employees and applicants to 
MSPB, as well as participants in MSPB functions (parties and/or 
participants in MSPB appeals, respondents to surveys, and all other 
individuals engaged in activity conducted by the MSPB), who seek a 
reasonable accommodation in order for MSPB to carry out its functions 
with respect to these individuals. The purpose of this notice is to 
allow 60 days for public comment preceding submission of the collection 
to OMB.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by March 
17, 2025.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments by using only one of the following methods:
    (1) Email. Submit comments to [email protected].
    (2) Mail. Submit comments to D. Fon Muttamara, Chief Privacy 
Officer, Office of the Clerk of the Board, U.S. Merit Systems 
Protection Board, 1615 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20419.
    (3) Fax. Submit comments to (202) 653-7130.
    All comments must reference ``OMB Control No. 3124-0NEW.'' 
Regardless of the method used for submitting comments or material, all 
submissions will be posted, without change, to

[[Page 4805]]

MSPB's website (www.mspb.gov) and will include any personal information 
you provide. Therefore, submitting this information makes it public.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: D. Fon Muttamara, Chief Privacy 
Officer, at [email protected] or (202) 653-7200. You may submit written 
questions to the Office of the Clerk of the Board by any of the 
following methods: by email to [email protected] or by mail to Clerk of 
the Board, U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, 1615 M Street NW, 
Washington, DC 20419. Please include ``OMB Control No. 3124-0NEW'' with 
your questions.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with title V of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act), as amended, and title 
VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Civil Rights Act), as amended, 
MSPB is seeking approval of a new information collection for MSPB's 
reasonable accommodation process, including MSPB's Accommodation 
Request Form and a script for participants in MSPB programs to submit 
accommodation requests. The proposed information collection activity 
covers MSPB's collection, maintenance, and use of records on applicants 
for employment, employees, and participants in MSPB programs who 
request or receive reasonable accommodations or other appropriate 
modifications from MSPB for disability, medical, pregnancy-related, or 
religious reasons.
    Title V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, prohibits 
discrimination in services and employment on the basis of disability; 
title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, in relevant part, prohibits 
discrimination on the basis of religion; the Pregnancy Discrimination 
Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of pregnancy. Each Act, along 
with the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, requires employers to provide 
reasonable accommodations, respectively, related to an employee's 
disability, pregnancy-related condition, or religious beliefs, that 
conflict with work requirements, unless the accommodation would cause 
the employer an undue hardship.\1\ In general, an accommodation is any 
change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily 
done that enables an individual with a disability to enjoy equal 
employment opportunities. MSPB considers the following factors, where 
applicable, when adjudicating reasonable accommodations requests 
received: (1) Description of the accommodations requested by applicants 
for employment or employees seeking modification or adjustments; (2) 
description of the medical conditions or pregnancy-related conditions 
that impact the ability to apply for employment or for employees to 
carry out work-related duties and functions; (3) description of bodily 
functions impacted by the disabling medical or pregnancy-related 
conditions; (4) description of treatment, medication, or other 
mitigating factors used to treat the disabling medical conditions; (5) 
description of the sincerely held religious beliefs that conflict with 
a work requirement; and (6) supporting documentation (e.g., medical 
records, doctor's notes, documentation regarding religious beliefs, 
etc.) for the request.
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    \1\ Pregnancy includes current pregnancy; past pregnancy; 
potential pregnancy; medical condition(s) related to pregnancy or 
childbirth including breastfeeding/lactation; having or choosing not 
to have an abortion; and birth control (contraception).
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    Reasonable accommodations on the basis of disability typically fall 
into the following categories: (1) Modifications or adjustments to a 
job application process that enable a qualified applicant with a 
disability to be considered for a position; (2) modifications or 
adjustments to the work environment, or to the manner or circumstances 
under which the position held or desired is customarily performed, that 
enable a qualified individual with a disability to perform the 
essential functions of that position; (3) modifications or adjustments 
that enable a qualified employee with a disability to enjoy equal 
benefits and privileges of employment as are enjoyed by other 
similarly-situated employees without disabilities; and (4) 
modifications to agency operating procedures to enable a qualified 
individual with a disability full access to agency functions. In some 
instances, individuals may request modification to their workspace, 
schedule, duties, or other requirements for documented medical reasons 
that may not qualify as a disability but may necessitate an appropriate 
modification to workplace policies and practices.
    MSPB's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity is responsible for 
processing requests for reasonable accommodations from applicants for 
employment at MSPB and MSPB employees who seek an accommodation due to 
a disability, medical, pregnancy-related, or religious reasons as well 
as processing requests based on documented medical reasons that may not 
qualify as a disability but that may necessitate an appropriate 
modification to workplace policies and practices. For participants in 
MSPB programs who are not applicants for employment or MSPB employees, 
MSPB's Accessibility Program Manager, within the Office of Information 
Resources Management, is responsible for processing these requests.
    The request and any related records provided to support the 
request, any evaluation conducted internally or by a third party under 
contract with MSPB, the decision regarding whether to grant or deny a 
request, and the details and conditions of the reasonable accommodation 
are all included in this collection.
    Title: Information Collection Submission for MSPB's Reasonable 
Accommodation Request.
    OMB Number: 3124-0NEW.
    Type of Information Collection: This will be a new information 
collection.
    ICR Status: MSPB intends to request approval of a new information 
collection from OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3506 and 3507). An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a 
person is not required to respond to, a collection of information, 
unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
    Abstract of Proposed Collection: This collection is part of MSPB's 
compliance efforts to collect information to facilitate adjudication of 
reasonable accommodations requests by employees of or applicants to the 
MSPB, and by participants in MSPB programs, e.g., parties to appeals, 
respondents to surveys, etc. See The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 
U.S.C. 701, 791, 794; title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 
U.S.C. 2000e; 29 CFR part 1605 (Guidelines on Discrimination Because of 
Religion); 29 CFR part 1614 (Federal Sector Equal Employment 
Opportunity); 29 CFR part 1630 (Regulations To Implement the Equal 
Employment Provisions of the Americans With Disabilities Act); E.O. 
13164, Requiring Federal Agencies to Establish Procedures to Facilitate 
the Provision of Reasonable Accommodation (July 26, 2000); and E.O. 
13548, Increasing Federal Employment of Individuals with Disabilities 
(July 26, 2010); The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (effective June 27, 
2023). Responses to any collection of information under this ICR are 
voluntary.
    Affected Public: Individuals and Households; Businesses and 
Organizations.
    Estimated Total Number of Respondents: 90.
    Estimated Frequency of Responses: Once per request.
    Estimated Total Average Number of Responses for Each Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 70.

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    Estimated Total Cost: $2,653.
    Comments: Comments should be submitted as indicated in the 
ADDRESSES caption above. Comments are solicited to: (a) evaluate 
whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of MSPB, including whether the information 
shall have practical utility; (b) evaluate the accuracy of MSPB's 
estimate of the burden of the collection of information; (c) enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; 
(d) minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
respondents, including through the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology; and (e) evaluate 
the estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, 
maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information. Burden 
means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide information 
to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed to review 
instructions; to develop, acquire, install and utilize technology and 
systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying 
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and 
providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to 
a collection of information, to search data sources, to complete and 
review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information.

Gina K. Grippando,
Clerk of the Board.
[FR Doc. 2025-00956 Filed 1-15-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7400-01-P
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