View Information Collection Request (ICR) Package

OMB Control No: 3206-0258	ICR Reference No: 201603-3206-008
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201508-3206-003
Agency/Subagency: OPM	Agency Tracking No:
Title: SF 85P Questionnaire for Public Trust Positions and SF 85PS Supplemental Questionnaire for Selected Positions
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Emergency	Approval Requested By: 03/30/2016
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 12/12/2016
	Date Received in OIRA: 03/30/2016
Terms of Clearance: This collection is appproved for 6 months only. When re-submitted, OPM must ensure all privacy routine uses are updated.

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	06/30/2017	6 Months From Approved	12/31/2016
Responses	124,611	0	124,611
Time Burden (Hours)	143,071	0	143,071
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

Abstract: Questionnaire for Public Trust Positions (SF 85P) and Supplemental Questionnaire for Selected Positions (SF 85PS) The SF 85P and SF 85P-S are information collections completed by applicants for, or incumbents of, Federal Government civilian positions, or positions in private entities performing work for the Federal Government under contract. The SF 85P will be used by the Federal Government in conducting background investigations and reinvestigations of persons under consideration for, or retention of, public trust positions. The SF 85PS is supplemental to the SF 85P and is used only after an offer of employment has been made.

Emergency Justfication: Request submitted for emergency extension for continued use of the SF 85P and SF 85PS. Both forms are due to expire on March 31, 2016. Emergency extension requested for several reasons. Several years ago OPM requested that OMB unbundle the SF 85, SF 85P, SF 85PS, and the SF 86 into separate clearance packages. This change was made to allow greater flexibility when making required changes that may impact a particular form. Since that time several policy changes have occurred which no longer supports this need. Through government reform, standards used to conduct background investigations changed to the Federal Investigative Standards (FIS), which applies a tiered approach to investigations. With this approach there is a clear alignment of investigation requirements for suitability and national security investigation. OPM is working to develop a tiered questionnaire that will apply the same basic principles identified with the FIS. With the tiered questionnaire model, all questions identified from all forms will be housed in a centralized database. Questions will be presented to the applicant based on the required investigation level. For example, an individual requiring an investigation to support Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 will only be presented questions normally collected on the SF 85. The same will hold true for other levels of investigations. Questions that are the same between all forms will be standardized within the database. In addition to moving forward with the tiered questionnaire, approval is still pending final changes associated the SF 86. Once changes are approved for the SF 86, where appropriate, similar questions will be modified on the SF 85P and the SF 85PS. OPM has been tracking the clearance of the formulation of question 21 on the SF 86 and intended to model the SF 85PS mental health question using the same formulation. The delay in arriving at an agreed upon formulation for question 21 of the SF 86 caused OPM to revise the package internally several times. The 60 day Federal Register notice published Vol. 81/No. 58/Friday, March 25, 2016, Page 16224. The emergency extension will provide additional time for OPM to incorporate changes identified with the SF 86, and allow time for continued work on the tiered questionnaire.

Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 5 USC 3301 Name of Law: Government Organization and Employees
   US Code: 5 USC 3302 Name of Law: Government Organization and Employees
   EO: EO 10450 Name/Subject of EO: Security Requirements for Government Employment

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	81 FR 16224	03/25/2016
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 2

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
SF 85PS, Supplemental Questionnaire for Selected Positons	SF 85PS, SF 85PS	,
Sf 85P Questionnaire for Public Trust Positions	SF 85P, SF 85P	,

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved
Annual Number of Responses	124,611	124,611
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	143,071	143,071
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Increase Due to:

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement:

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $0

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Is the Supporting Statement intended to be a Privacy Impact Assessment required by the E-Government Act of 2002? No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Uncollected

Agency Contact: Michele DeMarion 724 794-5612 ext. 5274 Michele.DeMarion@opm.gov

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