86a-SUPP10

Page 1 United States Secret Service

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

SSF 86A

1. CIRCUMSTANCES NECESSITATING COLLECTION OF INFORMATION

The Secret Service’s mission is two-fold, both protective and investigative. Because of the impact this mission has on national security, the Secret Service conducts a stringent screening process during the selection of qualified applicants. All Secret Service employees require a Top Secret clearance, and over 60% require Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) Access. Because of this requirement, the Secret Service conducts a more extensive background investigation than the standard Office of Personnel Management regulated Single-Scope Background Investigation (SSBI) required for the granting of a Top Secret clearance. Secret Service Form (SSF) 86A, Supplemental Investigative Data, which is completed during the application process, provides additional information to the data collected from Standard Form (SF) 86, Questionnaire for National Security Positions. Authority to collect the information sought during this information collection is derived from the following sources: 5 U.S.C. 301; 18 U.S.C. 3056; Executive Orders 10450, 12333, 12958 and 12968; and 31 CFR 2.1.

2. USE OF DATA

The Secret Service will use the information provided by this information collection to:

• Make initial determinations regarding the eligibility of applicants for positions with the Secret Service;

• Select applicants and make offers of employment based upon the successful completion of the SSBI; and

• Complete the respondent’s SSBI.

3. USE OF IMPROVED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO REDUCE BURDEN

At this time, this agency can collect information via the use of automated and electronic means, reducing the burden of time for both the Government and the respondent. Applicants may access SSF 86A via the Secret Service’s Web site: http://www.secretservice.gov/opportunities_forms.shtml.

4. EFFORTS TO IDENTIFY DUPLICATION

To assure that SSF 86A is not duplicative of information collected on SF 86, the USSS contacted the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the responsible office for SF 86. OPM explained that SF 86 had been revised to include new “branching questions,” and advised the USSS to review these new questions to ensure that they do not negate the need for some of the questions on SSF 86A . OPM provided the USSS with a copy of the revised form, and the USSS analyzed every question on SSF 86A, and compared each one to the revised version of SF 86, including all the branching questions.

The USSS found that OPM’s inclusion of the branching questions on SF 86 did not sufficiently override the need for the supplemental investigative questions on SSF 86A.

Please refer to the supporting document submitted with this ICR package entitled “non-duplication justification.docx.”

5. IMPACT ON SMALL BUSINESS

There is no impact on small businesses.

6. CONSEQUENCES TO FEDERAL PROGRAMS IF COLLECTION IS NOT CONDUCTED OR IS CONDUCTED LESS FREQUENTLY

Because of the sensitive nature of Secret Service positions, applicants are subjected to stringent background investigations. Not only is this information collection necessary for the selection of qualified applicants, but also it aids the Secret Service in determining if an applicant is ineligible for employment with the Secret Service prior to the commencement of the SSBI. SF 86 only requires respondents to provide information about themselves for the last seven to ten years. Due to the close proximity that employees may be to the President, Vice-President, their immediate families, former presidents and their immediate families, and foreign dignitaries, it is of the utmost importance to National Security that respondents provide information from the time of their 18th birthday to Secret Service investigators, as required in this information collection.

7. SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

There are no special circumstances that would cause this information collection to be conducted in a manner which:

• Requires respondents to report information to the agency more than quarterly;

• Requires respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any document; or

• Requires respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it.

8. CONSULTATION WITH OUTSIDE AGENCIES, ETC.

Request for Comments 1620-0001: Public comments were solicited through both a 60-Day Federal Register notice (75 FR 62409, dated October 5, 2010 and published in the Federal Register on October 8, 2010) and a 30-Day Federal Register notice (75 FR 80834, dated December 14, 2010 and published in the Federal Register on December 23, 2010). The comment period ended on January 24, 2011. As of this submission, no comments have been received regarding Secret Service Form SSF 86A. If the Secret Service receives any comments while this collection is under review at OMB, they will be forwarded immediately.

9. EXPLANATION OF DECISION TO PROVIDE ANY PAYMENT OR GIFT TO RESPONDENTS

There are no payments or gifts to respondents.

10. ASSURANCE OF CONFIDENTIALITY TO RESPONDENT

Confidentiality is assured under the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a.

11. ADDITIONAL JUSTIFICATION FOR QUESTIONS OF A SENSITIVE NATURE

There are no questions of a sensitive nature.

12. ESTIMATED BURDEN OF INFORMATION COLLECTION

Number of Responses: 10,000 (applicants)

Time Per Response: 3 hours

Total Hours: 30,000

13. ESTIMATED TOTAL ANNUAL COST BURDEN TO RESPONDENTS

The total estimated annual cost burden to respondents is impossible to compute. This information collection is required for every applicant to U.S. Secret Service positions, which range from General Schedule (GS) level one through 15, as well as positions under the Executive Schedule. Respondents range from high school students to senior level executives, so affixing an average salary to the respondents and multiplying this figure by the estimated number of burden hours on the individual is not possible.

Because this form is produced electronically, computing a postage estimate is not applicable.

14. ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED COST TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

It is impossible to give an estimated annual cost to the Federal Government for the following reasons:

Currently, SSF 86A is available online via the Secret Service Internet Web site. Printing costs are not incurred.

This information collection is required for every applicant to U.S. Secret Service positions, which range from General Schedule (GS) level one through 15, as well as positions under the Executive Schedule. Position grades of Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) who process and collect the information submitted on SSF 86A vary, depending upon the grade of the position to which the responder is applying.

For example: Special Agent applicants are reviewed at Secret Service field offices at the GS-13 level and above (salaries begin at $71,674). Other applicants (e.g., clerical, office managers, etc.) are reviewed at Secret Service Headquarters at the GS-9 level and above (salaries begin at $51,630).

If an applicant meets the qualifications for a position and continues to the security clearance process, the information in this collection is further used by Secret Service personnel of varying grade levels. For example: GS-4/5/6 level personnel are responsible for data entry and correspondence concerning the SSF 86A; GS-9 level personnel and above are responsible for further interviewing, administering polygraph examinations, and completion of background investigations based upon the information given by the responder.

15. REASONS FOR CHANGE IN BURDEN

There is no change in burden. There has been no change to the information being collected.

16. PUBLICATION OF COLLECTION OF INFORMATION

This information collection will not be published for statistical purposes.

17. REASONS WHY DISPLAYING THE OMB EXPIRATION DATE IS INAPPROPRIATE

The USSS will display the expiration date for the OMB approval of this information collection.

18. EXCEPTIONS TO THE CERTIFICATION STATEMENT ON OMB FORM 83-I

There are no exceptions to the certification statement identified in item 19, “Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions,” of OMB Form 83-I.