This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains regulatory documents having general

applicability and legal effect, most of which

are keyed to and codified in the Code of

Federal Regulations, which is published under

50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.

The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by

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REGISTER issue of each week.

Rules and Regulations Federal Register

3439

Vol. 66, No. 10

Tuesday, January 16, 2001

OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS

5 CFR Part 2604

Technical Amendments to Office of

Government Ethics Freedom of

Information Act Regulation: Change in

Decisional Officials

AGENCY: Office of Government Ethics

(OGE).

ACTION: Final rule; technical

amendments.

SUMMARY: The Office of Government

Ethics is amending its Freedom of

Information Act (FOIA) regulation to

indicate a change in OGE decisional

officials thereunder.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 16, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

William E. Gressman, Senior Associate

General Counsel, Office of Government

Ethics, telephone: 202–208–8000, ext.

1110; TDD: 202–208–8025; FAX: 202–

208–8037.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office

of Government Ethics is amending its

FOIA regulation to indicate a

restructuring of decisional authority for

handling FOIA requests, appeals and

related matters that OGE receives as a

Federal agency. The OGE FOIA Officer

(instead of the OGE General Counsel)

now will decide initial access requests

and related matters such as fees.

Further, the OGE General Counsel

(instead of the OGE Deputy Director)

will decide administrative FOIA

appeals.

Matters of Regulatory Procedure

Administrative Procedure Act

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b) and (d), as

Director of the Office of Government

Ethics, I find good cause exists for

waiving the general notice of proposed

rulemaking, opportunity for public

comment and 30-day delay in

effectiveness as to these amendments.

The notice, comment and delayed

effective date provisions are being

waived because these technical FOIA

regulation amendments concern matters

of agency organization, practice and

procedure.

Executive Order 12866

In promulgating these minor

amendments, OGE has adhered to the

regulatory philosophy and the

applicable principles of regulation set

forth in section 1 of Executive Order

12866, Regulatory Planning and Review.

These amendments have not been

reviewed by the Office of Management

and Budget under that Executive order,

since they are not deemed ‘‘significant’’

thereunder.

Executive Order 12988

As Director of the Office of

Government Ethics, I have reviewed this

final amendatory regulation in light of

section 3 of Executive Order 12988,

Civil Justice Reform, and certify that it

meets the applicable standards provided

therein.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

As Director of the Office of

Government Ethics, I certify under the

Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C.

chapter 6) that this rulemaking will not

have a significant economic impact on

a substantial number of small entities.

Paperwork Reduction Act

The Paperwork Reduction Act (44

U.S.C. chapter 35) does not apply

because this amendatory rulemaking

does not contain information collection

requirements that require the approval

of the Office of Management and

Budget.

Congressional Review Act

The Office of Government Ethics has

determined that this amendatory

rulemaking is a nonmajor rule under the

Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C.

chapter 8) and has provided a report

thereon to the Senate, House of

Representatives and General Accounting

Office in accordance with that law.

List of Subjects in 5 CFR Part 2604

Administrative practice and

procedure, Archives and records,

Confidential business information,

Conflict of interests, Freedom of

information, Government employees.

Approved: January 9, 2001.

Amy L. Comstock,

Director, Office of Government Ethics.

Accordingly, the Office of

Government Ethics, pursuant to its

authority under the Ethics in

Government Act and the Freedom of

Information Act, is amending 5 CFR part

2604 as follows:

PART 2604—FREEDOM OF

INFORMATION ACT RULES AND

SCHEDULE OF FEES FOR THE

PRODUCTION OF PUBLIC FINANCIAL

DISCLOSURE REPORTS

1. The authority citation for part 2604

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552; 5 U.S.C. App.

(Ethics in Government Act of 1978); E.O.

12600, 52 FR 23781, 3 CFR, 1987 Comp., p.

235.

2. Section 2604.103 is amended by

removing the definition of ‘‘General

Counsel’’, and by adding a new

definition, for ‘‘FOIA Officer’’, to read as

follows:

§ 2604.103 Definitions.

FOIA Officer means the OGE

employee designated to handle various

initial FOIA matters, including requests

and related matters such as fees.

* * * * *

§§ 2604.301, 2604.302, 2604.303, 2604.305,

2604.402 [Amended]

3. Sections 2604.301(a) and (b)(2),

2604.302(a) and (d), 2604.303(a), (b)

(introductory text) and (b)(2),

2604.305(a)(1) and (a)(2), and

2604.402(c) (introductory text), (c)(2),

(e) (introductory text), (e)(3), (f), (g)(1)

and (g)(4) are amended by removing the

words ‘‘General Counsel’’ wherever they

appear and adding in their place in each

instance the words ‘‘FOIA Officer’’.

§ 2604.304 [Amended]

4. Section 2604.304(a) is amended by

removing the words ‘‘Deputy Director’’

between the words ‘‘the’’ and ‘‘of’’ and

adding in their place the words

‘‘General Counsel’’.

[FR Doc. 01–1170 Filed 1–12–01; 8:45 am]

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