Medal Of Valor. Planning

MEMORANDUM

TO: Brenda Dyer, Deputy Clearance Officer, PRA

Information Management and Security Staff

Justice Management Division

THROUGH: Angela Scarborough, Contract Manager

Office of the Chief Information Officer

FROM: Hope Janke, ActingCynthia J. Schwimer, Deputy Director

Planning Office

Bureau of Justice Assistance

M. A. Pressley, Special Projects Manager

Planning Office

DATE: December 19, 2005

SUBJECT: Office of Justice Programs Information Collection for Approval by the

Office of Management and Budget.

Attached, please find an Information Collection Request (ICR) for the Office of Justice Program, U.S. Department of Justice,’s Public Safety Officer’s Medal of Valor program.. This serves as a request to extend a previously approved collection (OMB No. 1121-0259) with or with out changes. This original collection request expires on December 31, 2005.

The following required documents are included:

1. OMB Form 83-1: Paperwork Reduction Act Submission

2. Supporting Statement for Paperwork Reduction Act Submission

3. Paperwork Reduction Act Certification Statement

4. Medal of Valor Application

5. Public Reporting Burden

6. Authority mandating the collection of information

7. 60-day ICR notice that will be published in the Federal Register

8. 30-day ICR notice that will be published in the Federal Register

Questions concerning this ICR can be directed to, Maria A. Pressley, Special Projects Manager at 202-616-6500 or by e-mail at [email protected].

OMB Form 83-I

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

Public Safety Officers Medal of Valor

OMB No. 1121 - 0259

1. JUSTIFICATION:

1. Necessity of Information: On May 14, 2001, the United States Congress passed

F1.R.802 , the “Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act,” which was later signed into

Law on May 30, 2001. The Law states, “After September 1, 2001, the President may

award, and present in the name of Congress, a Medal of Valor of appropriate design,

with ribbons and appurtenances, to a public safety officer who is cited by the Attorney

General, upon the recommendation of the Medal of Valor Review Board, for

extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty. The Public Safety Officer Medal

of Valor shall be the highest national award for valor by a public safety officer.”

Without the collection of this data, public safety officers laying their lives on the line to

protect the lives of others may go unrecognized. It is important that this information is

collected to acknowledge these brave men and women for their altruistic acts of valor.

The application is tentatively due on July 31, 20062002, to provide applicants a full two

months to apply. The Board will require at least one month to review each of the

applications and supporting documents. According to the statuteLaw, this award may not be

awarded more often than once each year. It is important that the announcement of the

award coincides with the numerous national conferences for public safety officers in

September and October including, the International Association of Firefighters and

International Association of Chiefs of Police.

2. Needs and Uses: The information collected on this application will provide the

nomination of public safety officers for the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor award.

This award will recognize public safety officers who demonstrate courage and bravery

above and beyond the call of duty without regard for their personal safety.

A Medal of Valor Board (hereinafter referred to as the “Board”), as required by the

legislation, was”) will be appointed by the

Congress and the President, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the

U.S. Senate, and the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the U.S. House of

Representatives. . The Board shall select candidates as recipients of the Medal

of Valor from among those applications received by the National Medal of Valor Office.

Not more often than once each year, the Board shall present to the Attorney General the

name or names of those it recommends as Medal of Valor recipients.

3. Use of Technology: The application process will now be managed through the

Internet, using Office of Justice Programs’ Public Safety OfficerOfficer’s Medal of Valor

electronic application system at:http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov//medalofvalor/welcome.html.

Prospective applicants can nominate candidates using this electronic paperpaper less system.

4. Efforts to Identify Duplication: This application will be used to nominate public

safety officers solely for this award. The information collected is specific for this

program as administered by the Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice as administered by the Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice

Assistance.as administered by the Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice

4. Impact on Small Business: Information is collected only from state, local and

tribal law enforcement governmental agencies. There is no impact on small businesses

or other entities as they are not are eligible to apply.

4. Consequences of Less Frequent Collection: If this collection is not conducted,

public safety officers whose life is at risk may go unrecognized for their exceptional

valor, extraordinary decisiveness, presence of mind, and unusual swiftness of action,

regardless of his or her own personal safety, in the attempt to save or protect human life.

7. Special Circumstances Influencing Collection:

a. This application/nomination is voluntary.

b. Information is collected only if an

agency

agency decides to nominate a public safety

officer for exceptional acts of bravery.

c. b. Applications/nominations will be used only for recognition of acts of valor

3. accomplished

during any given year.

accomplished during any given year.c. Applicants do not need to submit multiple copies of this form.

d. Applicants/nominees do not need to submit multiple copies of this form.

e. The following requirements must be included with the application/nomination for

recognition of accomplishments during any given year:

1. A copy of the completed application form.

ii. An official report or documentation from:

(a) an agency appointing authority, and

(b) the appointing authority of the submitting agency.

iii. Statements by witnesses or individuals having personal knowledge of the

facts surrounding the act of valor and/or other supporting documentation.

e. This collection is not part of a statistical survey.

f. This collection does not require the use of statistical data.

g. According to statute, the Board shall not disclose any information which may

compromise an ongoing law enforcement investigation or is otherwise required by

law to be kept confidential.

8. The collection does not request proprietary information.

8. Federal Register Publication and Consultation: OJP will solicit public comments

on the data collection per OMB specifications. The 60-day and 30 Day Federal Register

Notices will be published to inform and solicit comments from the public. OJP will

address responses to the notice as they become available. If comments are

pertinent, they will be incorporated into the on line application.

9. Payment or Gifts to Respondents: Respondents nominating a public safety officer

will not be compensated for this collection. However, this application will be used to

recommend a public safety officer for recognition, therefore, an award could be

presented to the nominee if the Board deems the act of valor worthy.

10. Assurance of Confidentiality: The OJP Medal of Valor Review Board shall not

disclose any information which may compromise an ongoing law enforcement

investigation or is otherwise required by law to be kept confidential. OJP is

compliant with 28CFR22 which protects confidentiality of identifiable and statistical

information and is committed to keeping a system of records that is consistent with the

regulations of the Privacy Act.

11. Justification for Sensitive Questions: This application/nomination does not

11. contain any

13. questions of a sensitive nature.

12. Estimate of the Hour Burden: Annual Reporting Burden

a. Number of Applications: Approximately 54 Give number of applications anticipated

b. Number of applications submitted per agency: 1-60. Number of applications submitted per agency

c. Total annual applications: 182 (estimated)

d. Hours per application: 25 minutes.

e. Total Annual Reporting Burden 4,550 minutes for all applications/ or 75.83 hours. C x D = ? (In hours)

The projected hours per response are based upon estimates provided by previous collections.

This estimate includes reading the introduction to the application, choosing a nominee,

answering any questions the respondent may have about the survey or items on it, and

reading through the questions.

Total annual reporting hours is 75.83.____. This was derived by multiplying the number of

responses 182respondents (_____) by the number of minutes (25) expected to complete each survey.(____minutes). This total

number of minutes 4550(________) was divided by 60 (number of minutes per hour) to obtain the total

annual reporting hours of 75.83.

The previous application process was manual. This required an estimated total of 500

burden hours. This has been significantly reduced by -424.17 hours with the use of

advance technology, an electronic application.

13. Estimate of the Total Annual Cost Burden: There are no direct costs to the

respondents/applicants other than time taken to complete and submit the voluntary

application. Applicants are not requested to create and maintain an independent data

collection, reporting systems, nor travel. Consequently, the applicants incur no additional

costs.

14. Estimates of Annualized Cost to the Federal Government: The Medal of Valor

Review Board is comprised of 11 volunteers. x The estimated annualized cost of the Federal

government for the Board to review, compile, and process the 182 applications at 20 minutes

per application is projected as follows; 182XXX

applications x 20 minutes = XXXminutes/60 minutes per hour = XXX hours, XXX x $ applications x 20 minutes = 3,640 minutes/60

minutes per hour = 60.66 hours.

15. Reason for Changes in Reporting Burden: This is an extension of a previously

approved information collection. The previous application process was manual. Due to an

agency action, the application process will now be electronic with access by Internet,

using the new Office of Justice Programs’ Public Safety OfficerOfficer’s Medal of Valor electronic

application system at:http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov//medalofvalor/welcome.html.

Prospective applicants can nominate candidates using this electronic paperpaper less system.

The program change expedites the application/nomination process and maintains all data in

one secure site.

16.

Plans for Publication: OJP anticipates selection and announcement within 90-120 days

after the nomination deadline. Submission of press release, announcement and publication

in newsletters or local media journals might take several months longer. Annually, the

Department of Justice issues a press release requesting nominations for the Public Safety

Officer Medal of Valor. Nominations are accepted between June 1 and July 31, through the

Internet at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov//medalofvalor/welcome.html . Requests for a hard

copy application are received by telephone or mail at;

Medal of Valor Program

Bureau of Justice Assistance

810 Seventh Street, NW

Washington, Dc. 20531

202-616-6500

The deadline for receipt of all nominations is July 31.

The announcement is made publicly by the Executive Office of the White House to the

officers selected.

17. Expiration Approval Date: The OMB Number and Expiration Date is displayed on the

application form.

18. Exceptions to the Certification Statement: OJP does not request an exception to the

certification of this information collection.

2. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

Statistical methods will not be used in this information collection.

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

In submitting this request for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval, I certify that the requirements of the Privacy Act and OMB directives have been complied with, including paperwork regulations, statistical standards or directives, and any other informational policy directives promulgated under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

Signature: _______________________________________________________

Cynthia J. Schwimer, Deputy Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance

Date: December 19, 2005

OMB No.: 1121-0259

Attachment A

Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor
Application for Extraordinary Valor
Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

* denotes required field.

Top of Form

About the Nominee

Salutation/Title

First Name*  

Middle Name

Last Name*  

Suffix

Social Security Number*  

 Sex*  

   (xxx-xx-xxxx)

Male

Female

Nominee's Contact Information
Home Address Line 1*
Home Address Line 2
City*	State*	ZIP Code*
E-mail Address*	Telephone Number (including area code)*
E-mail Address Confirmation*	Fax

About the Recommending Official
Salutation/Title*	First Name*	Middle Name		Last Name*	Suffix
Name of Appointing Authority/Submitting Agency*

Recommending Official's Contact Information
Agency Address Line 1*
Agency Address Line 2
City*		State*	ZIP Code*
E-mail Address*	Telephone Number (including area code)*
E-mail Address Confirmation*	Fax

Date of Event *   

(mm/dd/yyyy)

City/County/Township where event occurred *  

State where event occurred* 

Provide a brief summary of the act of valor for which the application is being offered. Please specify if the public safety officer is deceased. *   

	https://www.nationalmedalofvalor.org/medalofvalorform.aspx - #
	https://www.nationalmedalofvalor.org/medalofvalorform.aspx	https://www.nationalmedalofvalor.org/medalofvalorform.aspx - #

Bottom of Form

OJP Form 1673/1 (REV. 5-03)
Approved OMB 1121-0259
Expires 12/05

Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor
Application for Extraordinary Valor
Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

* denotes required field.

Top of Form

The following required fields are empty or not valid:

• Nominee First Name

• Nominee Last Name

• Social Security Number

• Nominee Sex

• Nominee Home Address Line 1

• Nominee Home City

• Nominee Home State

• Nominee Home Zip Code

• Nominee Email Address

• Nominee Phone Number

• Nominee Email Address Confirmation

• Recommending Official's Title

• Recommending Official First Name

• Recommending Official Last Name

• Name of Appointing Authority/Submitting Agency

• Agency Address Line 1

• Agency City

• Agency State

• Agency Zip Code

• Agency Email Address

• Agency Phone

• Agency Email Confirmation

• Date of Event

• City where event occurred

• State where event occurred

• Summary of the act of valor

About the Nominee

Salutation/Title

First Name* *

Middle Name

Last Name* *

Suffix

Social Security Number* *

 Sex* *

   (xxx-xx-xxxx)

Male

Female

Nominee's Contact Information
Home Address Line 1* *
Home Address Line 2
City* *	State* *	ZIP Code* *
E-mail Address* *	Telephone Number (including area code)* *
E-mail Address Confirmation* *	Fax

About the Recommending Official
Salutation/Title* *	First Name* *	Middle Name		Last Name* *	Suffix
Name of Appointing Authority/Submitting Agency* *

Recommending Official's Contact Information
Agency Address Line 1* *
Agency Address Line 2
City* *		State* *	ZIP Code* *
E-mail Address* *	Telephone Number (including area code)* *
E-mail Address Confirmation* *	Fax

Date of Event *  *

(mm/dd/yyyy)

City/County/Township where event occurred * *

State where event occurred**

Provide a brief summary of the act of valor for which the application is being offered. Please specify if the public safety officer is deceased. *  *

	https://www.nationalmedalofvalor.org/medalofvalorform.aspx - #
	https://www.nationalmedalofvalor.org/medalofvalorform.aspx	https://www.nationalmedalofvalor.org/medalofvalorform.aspx - #

Bottom of Form

OJP Form 1673/1 (REV. 5-03)
Approved OMB 1121-0259
Expires 12/05

Public Reporting Burden: Medal of Valor Program

Paperwork Reduction Act Notice. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. We try to create forms and instructions that are accurate, can be easily understood, and which impose the least possible burden on you to provide us with information. The estimated time to complete and file this application is 25 minutes per application. If you have comments regard the accuracy of this estimate, or suggestions for making this form simple, you can write to the M. Pressley, Planning Office, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, at 810 7^th Street, NW, Room 8340, Washington, D.C., 20531.

Authorizing Legislation

One Hundred Seventh Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE FIRST SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday, the third day of January, two thousand and one An Act To authorize the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act of 2001'.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF MEDAL.

After September 1, 2001, the President may award, and present in the name of Congress, a Medal of Valor of appropriate design, with ribbons and appurtenances, to a public safety officer who is cited by the Attorney General, upon the recommendation of the Medal of Valor Review Board, for extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty. The Public Safety Medal of Valor shall be the highest national award for valor by a public safety officer.

SEC. 3. MEDAL OF VALOR BOARD.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF BOARD- There is established a Medal of Valor Review Board (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the `Board'), which shall be composed of 11 members appointed in accordance with subsection (b) and shall conduct its business in accordance with this Act.

(b) MEMBERSHIP-

(1) MEMBERS- The members of the Board shall be individuals with knowledge or expertise, whether by experience or training, in the field of public safety, of which--

(A) two shall be appointed by the majority leader of the Senate;

(B) two shall be appointed by the minority leader of the Senate;

(C) two shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(D) two shall be appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives; and

(E) three shall be appointed by the President, including one with experience in firefighting, one with experience in law enforcement, and one with experience in emergency services.

(2) TERM- The term of a Board member shall be 4 years.

(3) VACANCIES- Any vacancy in the membership of the Board shall not affect the powers of the Board and shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

(4) OPERATION OF THE BOARD-

(A) CHAIRMAN- The Chairman of the Board shall be elected by the members of the Board from among the members of the Board.

(B) MEETINGS- The Board shall conduct its first meeting not later than 90 days after the appointment of the last member appointed of the initial group of members appointed to the Board. Thereafter, the Board shall meet at the call of the Chairman of the Board. The Board shall meet not less often than twice each year.

(C) VOTING AND RULES- A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum to conduct business, but the Board may establish a lesser quorum for conducting hearings scheduled by the Board. The Board may establish by majority vote any other rules for the conduct of the Board's business, if such rules are not inconsistent with this Act or other applicable law.

(c) DUTIES- The Board shall select candidates as recipients of the Medal of Valor from among those applications received by the National Medal of Valor Office. Not more often than once each year, the Board shall present to the Attorney General the name or names of those it recommends as Medal of Valor recipients. In a given year, the Board shall not be required to select any recipients but may not select more than 5 recipients. The Attorney General may in extraordinary cases increase the number of recipients in a given year. The Board shall set an annual timetable for fulfilling its duties under this Act.

(d) HEARINGS-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Board may hold such hearings, sit and act at such times and places, administer such oaths, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as the Board considers advisable to carry out its duties.

(2) WITNESS EXPENSES- Witnesses requested to appear before the Board may be paid the same fees as are paid to witnesses under section 1821 of title 28, United States Code. The per diem and mileage allowances for witnesses shall be paid from funds appropriated to the Board.

(e) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES- The Board may secure directly from any Federal department or agency such information as the Board considers necessary to carry out its duties. Upon the request of the Board, the head of such department or agency may furnish such information to the Board.

(f) INFORMATION TO BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL- The Board shall not disclose any information which may compromise an ongoing law enforcement investigation or is otherwise required by law to be kept confidential.

SEC. 4. BOARD PERSONNEL MATTERS.

(a) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS- (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), each member of the Board shall be compensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States Code, for each day (including travel time) during which such member is engaged in the performance of the duties of the Board.

(2) All members of the Board who serve as officers or employees of the United States, a State, or a local government, shall serve without compensation in addition to that received for those services.

(b) TRAVEL EXPENSES- The members of the Board shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of service for the Board.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER- The term `public safety officer' means a person serving a public agency, with or without compensation, as a firefighter, law enforcement officer, or emergency services officer, as determined by the Attorney General. For the purposes of this paragraph, the term `law enforcement officer' includes a person who is a corrections or court officer or a civil defense officer.

(2) STATE- The term `State' means each of the several States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.

SEC. 7. NATIONAL MEDAL OF VALOR OFFICE.

There is established within the Department of Justice a National Medal of Valor Office. The Office shall provide staff support to the Board to establish criteria and procedures for the submission of recommendations of nominees for the Medal of Valor and for the final design of the Medal of Valor.

SEC. 8. CONFORMING REPEAL.

Section 15 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2214) is amended--

(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following new subsection (a):

`(a) ESTABLISHMENT- There is hereby established an honorary award for the recognition of outstanding and distinguished service by public safety officers to be known as the Director's Award For Distinguished Public Safety Service (`Director's Award').';

(2) in subsection (b)--

(A) by striking paragraph (1); and

(B) by striking `(2)';

(3) by striking subsections (c) and (d) and re-designating subsections (e), (f), and (g) as subsections (c), (d), and (e), respectively; and

(4) in subsection (c), as so re-designated--

(A) by striking paragraph (1); and

(B) by striking `(2)'.

SEC. 9. CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.

The Board shall consult with the Institute of Heraldry within the Department of Defense regarding the design and artistry of the Medal of Valor. The Board may also consider suggestions received by the Department of Justice regarding the design of the medal, including those made by persons not employed by the Department.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate.