SUPPORTING STATEMENT
Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery
A. JUSTIFICATION
1. Necessity of Information: The United States Congress passed “Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Act of 2008 (Act),” which was later signed into law on July 31, 2008. Each
Under Title I of the Act, the Law states: The Attorney General may award, and a Member of Congress or the Attorney General may present, in the name of Congress a Federal Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery to a Federal law enforcement officer who is cited by the Attorney General, upon the recommendation of the Federal Board, for performing an act of bravery while in the line of duty.
Under Title II of the Act, the Law states: The Attorney General may award, and a Member of Congress or the Attorney General may present, in the name of Congress a State and local Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery to a State or local law enforcement officer who is cited by the Attorney General, upon the recommendation of the State and Local Board, for performing an act of bravery while in the line of duty.
Under the Contents sections of the Act – A nomination shall include: (1) a written narrative, of not more than 2 pages, describing the circumstances under which the nominee performed the act of bravery described in subsection (a) and how the circumstances meet the criteria described in such subsection; (2) the full name of the nominee; (3) the home mailing address of the nominee; (4) the agency in which the nominee serve on the date when such nominee performed the act of bravery described in subsection (a); (5) the occupational title and grade or rank of the nominee; (6) the field office address of the nominee on the date when such nominee performed the act of bravery described in subsection (a); and (7) the number of years of Government service by the nominee as of the date when such nominee performed the act of bravery described in subsection (a).
In addition, under the Submission Deadline sections of the Act – A Federal/State and Local agency head shall submit each nomination under subsection (a) to the Congressional Badge of Bravery (CBOB) Office not later than February 15 of the year following the date on which the nominee performed the act of bravery described in subsection (a).
2. Purpose for Use: BJA’s CBOB Office will use the CBOB application information to confirm the eligibility of applicants to be considered for the CBOB, and forward the application as appropriate to the Federal or the State and Local CBOB Board for their further consideration. In General – A Federal/State and Local agency head many nominate for a Federal/State and Local Law Enforcement Badge and individual – (1) who is a Federal/State and Local law enforcement officer working within the agency of the Federal/State and Local agency head making the nomination; and (2) who – (A)(i) sustained a physical injury while – (I) engaged in the lawful duties of the individual; and (II) performing an act characterized as bravery by the Federal/State and Local agency head making the nomination; and (ii) put the individual at personal risk when the injury described in clause (i) occurred; or (B) while not injured, performed and act characterized as bravery by the Federal/State and Local agency head making the nomination that placed the individual at risk of serious physical injury or death. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance has been authorized to administer the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery (CBOB) Program.
The electronic application form has been created in an effort to streamline the application process, collect all required information as established under the Act, and make available such applications to the relevant CBOB Board for their review and consideration.
3. Use of Information Technology: The CBOB application form is only accessible by the Internet at the CBOB website; www.bja.gov/CBOB.
4. Identification of Duplication: This is the only Federal program established by Congress strictly for the purpose of identifying and acknowledging the bravery and federal, state and local law enforcement officers. The CBOB application is the only form that asks the information required to determine if an individual is eligible for the CBOB.
5. Impact on Small Businesses or Other Entities: The information collection requirements do not impact small businesses or other entities as described in the instructions for completing OMB Form 83-I.
6. Consequences if Collection is not conducted: The information collected on the CBOB application is required under the Act, and is necessary to confirm that the applicant is eligible for the CBOB. Without the needed information, eligibility cannot be determined and consequently no awards will be made.
7. Special Circumstances: Applications are voluntary. Information is collected only if an agency decides to nominate a law enforcement officer for exceptional acts of bravery. A separate application must be submitted for each law enforcement officer, per incident of bravery.
Applications will be used only to nominate law enforcement officers for acts of bravery accomplished during a given eligibility period. Each eligibility period runs from January 1st through the following December 31st.
Applicants submit only a single application per nomination.
An official online CBOB application must be submitted.
The online application allows for the attachment of supporting material within certain limitations.
This collection is not part of a statistical survey.
This collection does not require the use of statistical data.
Under the Act, the CBOB Boards shall not disclose any information which may compromise an ongoing law enforcement investigation or is otherwise require by law to be kept confidential.
8. Publication: The CBOB application is made available only during the nomination period beginning each December 15th and ending the following February 15th.
9. Payment to Respondents: None.
10. Assurance of Confidentiality: As required by 42 U.S.C. § 15231 note et seq., the recipients of this information “shall not disclose any information which may compromise an ongoing law enforcement investigation or is otherwise required by law to be kept confidential.”
11. Questions of a Sensitive Nature: The Act requires that among other information, each application include the nominee’s home address information.
12. Estimate of the Hour Burden: During the 3 years of operation for the CBOB program, there has been an average of thirty-six (36) Federal applications, and one hundred fourth-eight (148) State and Local applications received. The process is estimated to take approximately 20 minutes to gather the required information and complete the online form.
Total average number of annual applications: 184
Number of applications submitted per respondent: varies
Estimated submission time per application: 20 minutes
Total Annual Reporting Burden: 184 x 20 minutes per application = 3680 minutes/ by 60 minutes per hour = 61 hours.
13. Estimate of the Total Annual Cost Burden: There are no direct costs to the applications other than the 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. Estimate of Annualized Cost to the Federal Government: The primary program point of contact for CBOB is paid at an annual rate of a GS-13/8 at $109,807.00 per year, plus $38,432 (or 35% in fringe benefits) = $148,229/52 weeks/40 hours per week equal an hourly rate of
$71.26. Each application review takes approximately 20 minutes or 3 applications per hour. 184 applications x $23.75 (1/3rd hourly salary) = $4,370.00.
15. Program Changes or Adjustments: None.
16. Publishing Information: The information collected will not be published.
17. Approval to not display the OMB Approval: The present information collection request does not seek such an approval.
18. Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submission: See attached Certification Statement.
B. STATISTICAL METHODS
This information collection does not employ the use of statistical collection methods.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | SUPPORTING STATEMENT |
| Author | presslem |
| Last Modified By | castoc |
| File Modified | 2013-10-24 |
| File Created | 2013-10-24 |