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Code of Federal Regulations
Title 5 - Administrative Personnel
Volume: 3
Date: 2010-01-01
Original Date: 2010-01-01
Title: PART 1320 - CONTROLLING PAPERWORK BURDENS ON THE PUBLIC
Context: Title 5 - Administrative Personnel. CHAPTER III - OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND
BUDGET. SUBCHAPTER B - OMB DIRECTIVES.
Pt. 1320

PART 1320—CONTROLLING PAPERWORK BURDENS ON THE PUBLIC

Sec.
1320.1 Purpose.
1320.2 Effect.
1320.3 Definitions.
1320.4 Coverage.
1320.5 General requirements.
1320.6 Public protection.
1320.7 Agency head and Senior Official responsibilities.
1320.8 Agency collection of information responsibilities.
1320.9 Agency certifications for proposed collections of information.
1320.10 Clearance of collections of information, other than those contained in proposed rules or
in current rules.
1320.11 Clearance of collections of information in proposed rules.
1320.12 Clearance of collections of information in current rules.
1320.13 Emergency processing.
1320.14 Public access.
1320.15 Independent regulatory agency override authority.
1320.16 Delegation of approval authority.
1320.17 Information collection budget.
1320.18 Other authority.

Appendix A to Part 1320—Agencies With Delegated Review and Approval
Authority
Authority:31 U.S.C. Sec. 1111 and 44 U.S.C. Chs. 21, 25, 27, 29, 31, 35.
Source: 60 FR 44984, Aug. 29, 1995, unless otherwise noted.
§ 1320.1

Purpose.

The purpose of this part is to implement the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(44 U.S.C. chapter 35)(the Act) concerning collections of information. It is issued under the
authority of section 3516 of the Act, which provides that “The Director shall promulgate rules,
regulations, or procedures necessary to exercise the authority provided by this chapter.” It is
designed to reduce, minimize and control burdens and maximize the practical utility and public
benefit of the information created, collected, disclosed, maintained, used, shared and
disseminated by or for the Federal government.
§ 1320.2

Effect.

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, this part takes effect on October 1, 1995.

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(b)(1) In the case of a collection of information for which there is in effect on September 30,
1995, a control number issued by the Office of Management and Budget under 44 U.S.C.
Chapter 35, the provisions of this Part shall take effect beginning on the earlier of:
(i) The date of the first extension of approval for or modification of that collection of information
after September 30, 1995; or
(ii) The date of the expiration of the OMB control number after September 30, 1995.
(2) Prior to such extension of approval, modification, or expiration, the collection of information
shall be subject to 5 CFR part 1320, as in effect on September 30, 1995.
§ 1320.3

Definitions.

For purposes of implementing the Act and this Part, the following terms are defined as follows:
(a) Agency means any executive department, military department, Government corporation,
Government controlled corporation, or other establishment in the executive branch of the
government, or any independent regulatory agency, but does not include:
(1) The General Accounting Office;
(2) Federal Election Commission;
(3) The governments of the District of Columbia and the territories and possessions of the United
States, and their various subdivisions; or
(4) Government-owned contractor-operated facilities, including laboratories engaged in national
defense research and production activities.
(b)(1) Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by persons to
generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency,
including:
(i) Reviewing instructions;
(ii) Developing, acquiring, installing, and utilizing technology and systems for the purpose of
collecting, validating, and verifying information;
(iii) Developing, acquiring, installing, and utilizing technology and systems for the purpose of
processing and maintaining information;
(iv) Developing, acquiring, installing, and utilizing technology and systems for the purpose of
disclosing and providing information;
(v) Adjusting the existing ways to comply with any previously applicable instructions and
requirements;
(vi) Training personnel to be able to respond to a collection of information;
(vii) Searching data sources;
(viii) Completing and reviewing the collection of information; and
(ix) Transmitting, or otherwise disclosing the information.
(2) The time, effort, and financial resources necessary to comply with a collection of information
that would be incurred by persons in the normal course of their activities (e.g., in compiling and
maintaining business records) will be excluded from the “burden” if the agency demonstrates that
the reporting, recordkeeping, or disclosure activities needed to comply are usual and customary.
(3) A collection of information conducted or sponsored by a Federal agency that is also
conducted or sponsored by a unit of State, local, or tribal government is presumed to impose a
Federal burden except to the extent that the agency shows that such State, local, or tribal
requirement would be imposed even in the absence of a Federal requirement.
(c) Collection of information means, except as provided in § 1320.4, the obtaining, causing to be
obtained, soliciting, or requiring the disclosure to an agency, third parties or the public of
information by or for an agency by means of identical questions posed to, or identical reporting,
recordkeeping, or disclosure requirements imposed on, ten or more persons, whether such

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collection of information is mandatory, voluntary, or required to obtain or retain a benefit.
“Collection of information” includes any requirement or request for persons to obtain, maintain,
retain, report, or publicly disclose information. As used in this Part, “collection of information”
refers to the act of collecting or disclosing information, to the information to be collected or
disclosed, to a plan and/or an instrument calling for the collection or disclosure of information, or
any of these, as appropriate.
(1) A “collection of information” may be in any form or format, including the use of report forms;
application forms; schedules; questionnaires; surveys; reporting or recordkeeping requirements;
contracts; agreements; policy statements; plans; rules or regulations; planning requirements;
circulars; directives; instructions; bulletins; requests for proposal or other procurement
requirements; interview guides; oral communications; posting, notification, labeling, or similar
disclosure requirements; telegraphic or telephonic requests; automated, electronic, mechanical,
or other technological collection techniques; standard questionnaires used to monitor compliance
with agency requirements; or any other techniques or technological methods used to monitor
compliance with agency requirements. A “collection of information” may implicitly or explicitly
include related collection of information requirements.
(2) Requirements by an agency for a person to obtain or compile information for the purpose of
disclosure to members of the public or the public at large, through posting, notification, labeling
or similar disclosure requirements constitute the “collection of information” whenever the same
requirement to obtain or compile information would be a “collection of information” if the
information were directly provided to the agency. The public disclosure of information originally
supplied by the Federal government to the recipient for the purpose of disclosure to the public is
not included within this definition.
(3) “Collection of information” includes questions posed to agencies, instrumentalities, or
employees of the United States, if the results are to be used for general statistical purposes, that
is, if the results are to be used for statistical compilations of general public interest, including
compilations showing the status or implementation of Federal activities and programs.
(4) As used in paragraph (c) of this section, “ten or more persons” refers to the persons to whom
a collection of information is addressed by the agency within any 12-month period, and to any
independent entities to which the initial addressee may reasonably be expected to transmit the
collection of information during that period, including independent State, territorial, tribal or local
entities and separately incorporated subsidiaries or affiliates. For the purposes of this definition
of “ten or more persons,” “persons” does not include employees of the respondent acting within
the scope of their employment, contractors engaged by a respondent for the purpose of
complying with the collection of information, or current employees of the Federal government
(including military reservists and members of the National Guard while on active duty) when
acting within the scope of their employment, but it does include retired and other former Federal
employees.
(i) Any recordkeeping, reporting, or disclosure requirement contained in a rule of general
applicability is deemed to involve ten or more persons.
(ii) Any collection of information addressed to all or a substantial majority of an industry is
presumed to involve ten or more persons.
(d) Conduct or Sponsor. A Federal agency is considered to “conduct or sponsor” a collection of
information if the agency collects the information, causes another agency to collect the
information, contracts or enters into a cooperative agreement with a person to collect the
information, or requires a person to provide information to another person, or in similar ways
causes another agency, contractor, partner in a cooperative agreement, or person to obtain,
solicit, or require the disclosure to third parties or the public of information by or for an agency. A
collection of information undertaken by a recipient of a Federal grant is considered to be
“conducted or sponsored” by an agency only if:
(1) The recipient of a grant is conducting the collection of information at the specific request of
the agency; or
(2) The terms and conditions of the grant require specific approval by the agency of the collection
of information or collection procedures.
(e) Director means the Director of OMB, or his or her designee.

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(f) Display means:
(1) In the case of forms, questionnaires, instructions, and other written collections of information
sent or made available to potential respondents (other than in an electronic format), to place the
currently valid OMB control number on the front page of the collection of information;
(2) In the case of forms, questionnaires, instructions, and other written collections of information
sent or made available to potential respondents in an electronic format, to place the currently
valid OMB control number in the instructions, near the title of the electronic collection instrument,
or, for on-line applications, on the first screen viewed by the respondent;
(3) In the case of collections of information published in regulations, guidelines, and other
issuances in the Federal Register, to publish the currently valid OMB control number in the
Federal Register (for example, in the case of a collection of information in a regulation, by
publishing the OMB control number in the preamble or the regulatory text for the final rule, in a
technical amendment to the final rule, or in a separate notice announcing OMB approval of the
collection of information). In the case of a collection of information published in an issuance that
is also included in the Code of Federal Regulations, publication of the currently valid control
number in the Code of Federal Regulations constitutes an alternative means of “display.” In the
case of a collection of information published in an issuance that is also included in the Code of
Federal Regulations, OMB recommends for ease of future reference that, even where an agency
has already “displayed” the OMB control number by publishing it in the Federal Register as a
separate notice or in the preamble for the final rule (rather than in the regulatory text for the final
rule or in a technical amendment to the final rule), the agency also place the currently valid
control number in a table or codified section to be included in the Code of Federal Regulations.
For placement of OMB control numbers in the Code of Federal Regulations, see 1 CFR 21.35.
(4) In other cases, and where OMB determines in advance in writing that special circumstances
exist, to use other means to inform potential respondents of the OMB control number.
(g) Independent regulatory agency means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Consumer Product Safety
Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Federal Housing Finance Board,
the Federal Maritime Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, the Interstate Commerce
Commission, the Mine Enforcement Safety and Health Review Commission, the National Labor
Relations Board, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Occupational Safety and Health
Review Commission, the Postal Rate Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission,
and any other similar agency designated by statute as a Federal independent regulatory agency
or commission.
(h) Information means any statement or estimate of fact or opinion, regardless of form or format,
whether in numerical, graphic, or narrative form, and whether oral or maintained on paper,
electronic or other media. “Information” does not generally include items in the following
categories; however, OMB may determine that any specific item constitutes “information”:
(1) Affidavits, oaths, affirmations, certifications, receipts, changes of address, consents, or
acknowledgments; provided that they entail no burden other than that necessary to identify the
respondent, the date, the respondent's address, and the nature of the instrument (by contrast, a
certification would likely involve the collection of “information” if an agency conducted or
sponsored it as a substitute for a collection of information to collect evidence of, or to monitor,
compliance with regulatory standards, because such a certification would generally entail burden
in addition to that necessary to identify the respondent, the date, the respondent's address, and
the nature of the instrument);
(2) Samples of products or of any other physical objects;
(3) Facts or opinions obtained through direct observation by an employee or agent of the
sponsoring agency or through nonstandardized oral communication in connection with such
direct observations;
(4) Facts or opinions submitted in response to general solicitations of comments from the public,
published in the Federal Register or other publications, regardless of the form or format thereof,
provided that no person is required to supply specific information pertaining to the commenter,
other than that necessary for self-identification, as a condition of the agency's full consideration
of the comment;

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(5) Facts or opinions obtained initially or in follow-on requests, from individuals (including
individuals in control groups) under treatment or clinical examination in connection with research
on or prophylaxis to prevent a clinical disorder, direct treatment of that disorder, or the
interpretation of biological analyses of body fluids, tissues, or other specimens, or the
identification or classification of such specimens;
(6) A request for facts or opinions addressed to a single person;
(7) Examinations designed to test the aptitude, abilities, or knowledge of the persons tested and
the collection of information for identification or classification in connection with such
examinations;
(8) Facts or opinions obtained or solicited at or in connection with public hearings or meetings;
(9) Facts or opinions obtained or solicited through nonstandardized follow-up questions designed
to clarify responses to approved collections of information; and
(10) Like items so designated by OMB.
(i) OMB refers to the Office of Management and Budget.
(j) Penalty includes the imposition by an agency or court of a fine or other punishment; a
judgment for monetary damages or equitable relief; or the revocation, suspension, reduction, or
denial of a license, privilege, right, grant, or benefit.
(k) Person means an individual, partnership, association, corporation (including operations of
government-owned contractor-operated facilities), business trust, or legal representative, an
organized group of individuals, a State, territorial, tribal, or local government or branch thereof, or
a political subdivision of a State, territory, tribal, or local government or a branch of a political
subdivision;
(l) Practical utility means the actual, not merely the theoretical or potential, usefulness of
information to or for an agency, taking into account its accuracy, validity, adequacy, and
reliability, and the agency's ability to process the information it collects (or a person's ability to
receive and process that which is disclosed, in the case of a third-party or public disclosure) in a
useful and timely fashion. In determining whether information will have “practical utility,” OMB will
take into account whether the agency demonstrates actual timely use for the information either to
carry out its functions or make it available to third-parties or the public, either directly or by
means of a third-party or public posting, notification, labeling, or similar disclosure requirement,
for the use of persons who have an interest in entities or transactions over which the agency has
jurisdiction. In the case of recordkeeping requirements or general purpose statistics (see §
1320.3(c)(3)), “practical utility” means that actual uses can be demonstrated.
(m) Recordkeeping requirement means a requirement imposed by or for an agency on persons
to maintain specified records, including a requirement to:
(1) Retain such records;
(2) Notify third parties, the Federal government, or the public of the existence of such records;
(3) Disclose such records to third parties, the Federal government, or the public; or
(4) Report to third parties, the Federal government, or the public regarding such records.
§ 1320.4

Coverage.

(a) The requirements of this part apply to all agencies as defined in § 1320.3(a) and to all
collections of information conducted or sponsored by those agencies, as defined in § 1320.3 (c)
and (d), wherever conducted or sponsored, but, except as provided in paragraph (b) of this
section, shall not apply to collections of information:
(1) During the conduct of a Federal criminal investigation or prosecution, or during the disposition
of a particular criminal matter;
(2) During the conduct of a civil action to which the United States or any official or agency thereof
is a party, or during the conduct of an administrative action, investigation, or audit involving an
agency against specific individuals or entities;

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(3) By compulsory process pursuant to the Antitrust Civil Process Act and section 13 of the
Federal Trade Commission Improvements Act of 1980; or
(4) During the conduct of intelligence activities as defined in section 3.4(e) of Executive Order
No. 12333, issued December 4, 1981, or successor orders, or during the conduct of cryptologic
activities that are communications security activities.
(b) The requirements of this Part apply to the collection of information during the conduct of
general investigations or audits (other than information collected in an antitrust investigation to
the extent provided in paragraph (a)(3) of this section) undertaken with reference to a category of
individuals or entities such as a class of licensees or an entire industry.
(c) The exception in paragraph (a)(2) of this section applies during the entire course of the
investigation, audit, or action, whether before or after formal charges or complaints are filed or
formal administrative action is initiated, but only after a case file or equivalent is opened with
respect to a particular party. In accordance with paragraph (b) of this section, collections of
information prepared or undertaken with reference to a category of individuals or entities, such
as a class of licensees or an industry, do not fall within this exception.
§ 1320.5

General requirements.

(a) An agency shall not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless, in advance of the
adoption or revision of the collection of information—
(1) The agency has—
(i) Conducted the review required in § 1320.8;
(ii) Evaluated the public comments received under § 1320.8(d) and § 1320.11;
(iii) Submitted to the Director, in accordance with such procedures and in such form as OMB may
specify,
(A) The certification required under § 1320.9,
(B) The proposed collection of information in accordance with § 1320.10, § 1320.11, or §
1320.12, as appropriate,
(C) An explanation for the decision that it would not be appropriate, under § 1320.8(b)(1), for a
proposed collection of information to display an expiration date;
(D) An explanation for a decision to provide for any payment or gift to respondents, other than
remuneration of contractors or grantees;
(E) A statement indicating whether (and if so, to what extent) the proposed collection of
information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic
submission of responses, and an explanation for the decision;
(F) A summary of the public comments received under § 1320.8(d), including actions taken by
the agency in response to the comments, and the date and page of the publication in the
Federal Register of the notice therefor; and
(G) Copies of pertinent statutory authority, regulations, and such related supporting materials as
OMB may request; and
(iv) Published, except as provided in § 1320.13(d), a notice in the Federal Register—
(A) Stating that the agency has made such submission; and
(B) Setting forth—
( 1 ) A title for the collection of information;
( 2 ) A summary of the collection of information;
( 3 ) A brief description of the need for the information and proposed use of the information;
( 4 ) A description of the likely respondents, including the estimated number of likely respondents,
and proposed frequency of response to the collection of information;

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( 5 ) An estimate of the total annual reporting and recordkeeping burden that will result from the
collection of information;
( 6 ) Notice that comments may be submitted to OMB; and
( 7 ) The time period within which the agency is requesting OMB to approve or disapprove the
collection of information if, at the time of submittal of a collection of information for OMB review
under § 1320.10, § 1320.11 or § 1320.12, the agency plans to request or has requested OMB to
conduct its review on an emergency basis under § 1320.13; and
(2) OMB has approved the proposed collection of information, OMB's approval has been inferred
under § 1320.10(c), § 1320.11(i), or § 1320.12(e), or OMB's disapproval has been voided by an
independent regulatory agency under § 1320.15; and
(3) The agency has obtained from the Director a control number to be displayed upon the
collection of information.
(b) In addition to the requirements in paragraph (a) of this section, an agency shall not conduct or
sponsor a collection of information unless:
(1) The collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control number; and
(2)(i) The agency informs the potential persons who are to respond to the collection of
information that such persons are not required to respond to the collection of information unless
it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
(ii) An agency shall provide the information described in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section in a
manner that is reasonably calculated to inform the public.
(A) In the case of forms, questionnaires, instructions, and other written collections of information
sent or made available to potential respondents (other than in an electronic format), the
information described in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section is provided “in a manner that is
reasonably calculated to inform the public” if the agency includes it either on the form,
questionnaire or other collection of information, or in the instructions for such collection.
(B) In the case of forms, questionnaires, instructions, and other written collections of information
sent or made available to potential respondents in an electronic format, the information described
in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section is provided “in a manner that is reasonably calculated to
inform the public” if the agency places the currently valid OMB control number in the instructions,
near the title of the electronic collection instrument, or, for on-line applications, on the first screen
viewed by the respondent.
(C) In the case of collections of information published in regulations, guidelines, and other
issuances in the Federal Register, the information described in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this
section is provided “in a manner that is reasonably calculated to inform the public” if the agency
publishes such information in the Federal Register (for example, in the case of a collection of
information in a regulation, by publishing such information in the preamble or the regulatory text,
or in a technical amendment to the regulation, or in a separate notice announcing OMB approval
of the collection of information). In the case of a collection of information published in an
issuance that is also included in the Code of Federal Regulations, publication of such information
in the Code of Federal Regulations constitutes an alternative means of providing it “in a manner
that is reasonably calculated to inform the public.” In the case of a collection of information
published in an issuance that is also included in the Code of Federal Regulations, OMB
recommends for ease of future reference that, even where an agency has already provided such
information “in a manner that is reasonably calculated to inform the public” by publishing it in the
Federal Register as a separate notice or in the preamble for the final rule (rather than in the
regulatory text for the final rule or in a technical amendment to the final rule), the agency also
publish such information along with a table or codified section of OMB control numbers to be
included in the Code of Federal Regulations (see § 1320.3(f)(3)).
(D) In other cases, and where OMB determines in advance in writing that special circumstances
exist, to use other means that are reasonably calculated to inform the public of the information
described in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section.
(c)(1) Agencies shall submit all collections of information, other than those contained in proposed
rules published for public comment in the Federal Register or in current regulations that were
published as final rules in the Federal Register, in accordance with the requirements in §

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1320.10. Agencies shall submit collections of information contained in interim final rules or direct
final rules in accordance with the requirements of § 1320.10.
(2) Agencies shall submit collections of information contained in proposed rules published for
public comment in the Federal Register in accordance with the requirements in § 1320.11.
(3) Agencies shall submit collections of information contained in current regulations that were
published as final rules in the Federal Register in accordance with the requirements in §
1320.12.
(4) Special rules for emergency processing of collections of information are set forth in §
1320.13.
(5) For purposes of time limits for OMB review of collections of information, any submission
properly submitted and received by OMB after 12:00 noon will be deemed to have been received
on the following business day.
(d)(1) To obtain OMB approval of a collection of information, an agency shall demonstrate that it
has taken every reasonable step to ensure that the proposed collection of information:
(i) Is the least burdensome necessary for the proper performance of the agency's functions to
comply with legal requirements and achieve program objectives;
(ii) Is not duplicative of information otherwise accessible to the agency; and
(iii) Has practical utility. The agency shall also seek to minimize the cost to itself of collecting,
processing, and using the information, but shall not do so by means of shifting disproportionate
costs or burdens onto the public.
(2) Unless the agency is able to demonstrate, in its submission for OMB clearance, that such
characteristic of the collection of information is necessary to satisfy statutory requirements or
other substantial need, OMB will not approve a collection of information—
(i) Requiring respondents to report information to the agency more often than quarterly;
(ii) Requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer
than 30 days after receipt of it;
(iii) Requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any document;
(iv) Requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government contract,
grant-in-aid, or tax records, for more than three years;
(v) In connection with a statistical survey, that is not designed to produce valid and reliable
results that can be generalized to the universe of study;
(vi) Requiring the use of a statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved
by OMB;
(vii) That includes a pledge of confidentiality that is not supported by authority established in
statute or regulation, that is not supported by disclosure and data security policies that are
consistent with the pledge, or which unnecessarily impedes sharing of data with other agencies
for compatible confidential use; or
(viii) Requiring respondents to submit proprietary, trade secret, or other confidential information
unless the agency can demonstrate that it has instituted procedures to protect the information's
confidentiality to the extent permitted by law.
(e) OMB shall determine whether the collection of information, as submitted by the agency, is
necessary for the proper performance of the agency's functions. In making this determination,
OMB will take into account the criteria set forth in paragraph (d) of this section, and will consider
whether the burden of the collection of information is justified by its practical utility. In addition:
(1) OMB will consider necessary any collection of information specifically mandated by statute or
court order, but will independently assess any collection of information to the extent that the
agency exercises discretion in its implementation; and
(2) OMB will consider necessary any collection of information specifically required by an agency
rule approved or not acted upon by OMB under § 1320.11 or § 1320.12, but will independently

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assess any such collection of information to the extent that it deviates from the specifications of
the rule.
(f) Except as provided in § 1320.15, to the extent that OMB determines that all or any portion of a
collection of information is unnecessary, for any reason, the agency shall not engage in such
collection or portion thereof. OMB will reconsider its disapproval of a collection of information
upon the request of the agency head or Senior Official only if the sponsoring agency is able to
provide significant new or additional information relevant to the original decision.
(g) An agency may not make a substantive or material modification to a collection of information
after such collection of information has been approved by OMB, unless the modification has
been submitted to OMB for review and approval under this Part.
(h) An agency should consult with OMB before using currently approved forms or other
collections of information after the expiration date printed thereon (in those cases where the
actual form being used contains an expiration date that would expire before the end of the use of
the form).
§ 1320.6

Public protection.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for
failing to comply with a collection of information that is subject to the requirements of this part if:
(1) The collection of information does not display, in accordance with § 1320.3(f) and § 1320.5(b)
(1), a currently valid OMB control number assigned by the Director in accordance with the Act; or
(2) The agency fails to inform the potential person who is to respond to the collection of
information, in accordance with § 1320.5(b)(2), that such person is not required to respond to the
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
(b) The protection provided by paragraph (a) of this section may be raised in the form of a
complete defense, bar, or otherwise to the imposition of such penalty at any time during the
agency administrative process in which such penalty may be imposed or in any judicial action
applicable thereto.
(c) Whenever an agency has imposed a collection of information as a means for proving or
satisfying a condition for the receipt of a benefit or the avoidance of a penalty, and the collection
of information does not display a currently valid OMB control number or inform the potential
persons who are to respond to the collection of information, as prescribed in § 1320.5(b), the
agency shall not treat a person's failure to comply, in and of itself, as grounds for withholding the
benefit or imposing the penalty. The agency shall instead permit respondents to prove or satisfy
the legal conditions in any other reasonable manner.
(1) If OMB disapproves the whole of such a collection of information (and the disapproval is not
overridden under § 1320.15), the agency shall grant the benefit to (or not impose the penalty on)
otherwise qualified persons without requesting further proof concerning the condition.
(2) If OMB instructs an agency to make a substantive or material change to such a collection of
information (and the instruction is not overridden under § 1320.15), the agency shall permit
respondents to prove or satisfy the condition by complying with the collection of information as so
changed.
(d) Whenever a member of the public is protected from imposition of a penalty under this section
for failure to comply with a collection of information, such penalty may not be imposed by an
agency directly, by an agency through judicial process, or by any other person through
administrative or judicial process.
(e) The protection provided by paragraph (a) of this section does not preclude the imposition of a
penalty on a person for failing to comply with a collection of information that is imposed on the
person by statute—e.g., 26 U.S.C. § 6011(a) (statutory requirement for person to file a tax
return), 42 U.S.C. § 6938(c) (statutory requirement for person to provide notification before
exporting hazardous waste).
§ 1320.7

Agency head and Senior Official responsibilities.

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, each agency head shall designate a
Senior Official to carry out the responsibilities of the agency under the Act and this part. The

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Senior Official shall report directly to the head of the agency and shall have the authority, subject
to that of the agency head, to carry out the responsibilities of the agency under the Act and this
part.
(b) An agency head may retain full undelegated review authority for any component of the
agency which by statute is required to be independent of any agency official below the agency
head. For each component for which responsibility under the Act is not delegated to the Senior
Official, the agency head shall be responsible for the performance of those functions.
(c) The Senior Official shall head an office responsible for ensuring agency compliance with and
prompt, efficient, and effective implementation of the information policies and information
resources management responsibilities established under the Act, including the reduction of
information collection burdens on the public.
(d) With respect to the collection of information and the control of paperwork, the Senior Official
shall establish a process within such office that is sufficiently independent of program
responsibility to evaluate fairly whether proposed collections of information should be approved
under this Part.
(e) Agency submissions of collections of information for OMB review, and the accompanying
certifications under § 1320.9, may be made only by the agency head or the Senior Official, or
their designee.
§ 1320.8

Agency collection of information responsibilities.

The office established under § 1320.7 shall review each collection of information before
submission to OMB for review under this part.
(a) This review shall include:
(1) An evaluation of the need for the collection of information, which shall include, in the case of
an existing collection of information, an evaluation of the continued need for such collection;
(2) A functional description of the information to be collected;
(3) A plan for the collection of information;
(4) A specific, objectively supported estimate of burden, which shall include, in the case of an
existing collection of information, an evaluation of the burden that has been imposed by such
collection;
(5) An evaluation of whether (and if so, to what extent) the burden on respondents can be
reduced by use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of
responses;
(6) A test of the collection of information through a pilot program, if appropriate; and
(7) A plan for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected,
including necessary resources.
(b) Such office shall ensure that each collection of information:
(1) Is inventoried, displays a currently valid OMB control number, and, if appropriate, an
expiration date;
(2) Is reviewed by OMB in accordance with the clearance requirements of 44 U.S.C. § 3507; and
(3) Informs and provides reasonable notice to the potential persons to whom the collection of
information is addressed of—
(i) The reasons the information is planned to be and/or has been collected;
(ii) The way such information is planned to be and/or has been used to further the proper
performance of the functions of the agency;
(iii) An estimate, to the extent practicable, of the average burden of the collection (together with a
request that the public direct to the agency any comments concerning the accuracy of this
burden estimate and any suggestions for reducing this burden);

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(iv) Whether responses to the collection of information are voluntary, required to obtain or retain
a benefit (citing authority), or mandatory (citing authority);
(v) The nature and extent of confidentiality to be provided, if any (citing authority); and
(vi) The fact that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond
to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
(c)(1) An agency shall provide the information described in paragraphs (b)(3)(i) through (v) of this
section as follows:
(i) In the case of forms, questionnaires, instructions, and other written collections of information
sent or made available to potential respondents (except in an electronic format), such information
can be included either on the form, questionnaire or other collection of information, as part of the
instructions for such collection, or in a cover letter or memorandum that accompanies the
collection of information.
(ii) In the case of forms, questionnaires, instructions, and other written collections of information
sent or made available to potential respondents in an electronic format, such information can be
included either in the instructions, near the title of the electronic collection instrument, or, for online applications, on the first screen viewed by the respondent;
(iii) In the case of collections of information published in regulations, guidelines, and other
issuances in the Federal Register, such information can be published in the Federal Register
(for example, in the case of a collection of information in a regulation, by publishing such
information in the preamble or the regulatory text to the final rule, or in a technical amendment to
the final rule, or in a separate notice announcing OMB approval of the collection of information).
(iv) In other cases, and where OMB determines in advance in writing that special circumstances
exist, agencies may use other means to inform potential respondents.
(2) An agency shall provide the information described in paragraph (b)(3)(vi) of this section in a
manner that is reasonably calculated to inform the public (see § 1320.5(b)(2)(ii)).
(d)(1) Before an agency submits a collection of information to OMB for approval, and except as
provided in paragraphs (d)(3) and (d)(4) of this section, the agency shall provide 60-day notice in
the Federal Register, and otherwise consult with members of the public and affected agencies
concerning each proposed collection of information, to solicit comment to:
(i) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical
utility;
(ii) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
(iii) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
(iv) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including
through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic
submission of responses.
(2) If the agency does not publish a copy of the proposed collection of information, together with
the related instructions, as part of the Federal Register notice, the agency should—
(i) Provide more than 60-day notice to permit timely receipt, by interested members of the public,
of a copy of the proposed collection of information and related instructions; or
(ii) Explain how and from whom an interested member of the public can request and obtain a
copy without charge, including, if applicable, how the public can gain access to the collection of
information and related instructions electronically on demand.
(3) The agency need not separately seek such public comment for any proposed collection of
information contained in a proposed rule to be reviewed under § 1320.11, if the agency provides
notice and comment through the notice of proposed rulemaking for the proposed rule and such
notice specifically includes the solicitation of comments for the same purposes as are listed
under paragraph (d)(1) of this section.

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(4) The agency need not seek or may shorten the time allowed for such public comment if OMB
grants an exemption from such requirement for emergency processing under § 1320.13.
§ 1320.9

Agency certifications for proposed collections of information.

As part of the agency submission to OMB of a proposed collection of information, the agency
(through the head of the agency, the Senior Official, or their designee) shall certify (and provide a
record supporting such certification) that the proposed collection of information—
(a) Is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including that the
information to be collected will have practical utility;
(b) Is not unnecessarily duplicative of information otherwise reasonably accessible to the agency;
(c) Reduces to the extent practicable and appropriate the burden on persons who shall provide
information to or for the agency, including with respect to small entities, as defined in the
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601(6)), the use of such techniques as:
(1) Establishing differing compliance or reporting requirements or timetables that take into
account the resources available to those who are to respond;
(2) The clarification, consolidation, or simplification of compliance and reporting requirements; or
(3) An exemption from coverage of the collection of information, or any part thereof;
(d) Is written using plain, coherent, and unambiguous terminology and is understandable to those
who are to respond;
(e) Is to be implemented in ways consistent and compatible, to the maximum extent practicable,
with the existing reporting and recordkeeping practices of those who are to respond;
(f) Indicates for each recordkeeping requirement the length of time persons are required to
maintain the records specified;
(g) Informs potential respondents of the information called for under § 1320.8(b)(3);
(h) Has been developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient
and effective management and use of the information to be collected, including the processing of
the information in a manner which shall enhance, where appropriate, the utility of the information
to agencies and the public;
(i) Uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology appropriate to the purpose for
which the information is to be collected; and
(j) To the maximum extent practicable, uses appropriate information technology to reduce burden
and improve data quality, agency efficiency and responsiveness to the public.
Clearance of collections of information, other than those contained in
§ 1320.10
proposed rules or in current rules.
Agencies shall submit all collections of information, other than those contained either in proposed
rules published for public comment in the Federal Register (which are submitted under §
1320.11) or in current rules that were published as final rules in the Federal Register (which are
submitted under § 1320.12), in accordance with the following requirements:
(a) On or before the date of submission to OMB, the agency shall, in accordance with the
requirements in § 1320.5(a)(1)(iv), forward a notice to the Federal Register stating that OMB
approval is being sought. The notice shall direct requests for information, including copies of the
proposed collection of information and supporting documentation, to the agency, and shall
request that comments be submitted to OMB within 30 days of the notice's publication. The
notice shall direct comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB,
Attention: Desk Officer for [name of agency]. A copy of the notice submitted to the Federal
Register, together with the date of expected publication, shall be included in the agency's
submission to OMB.
(b) Within 60 days after receipt of the proposed collection of information or publication of the
notice under paragraph (a) of this section, whichever is later, OMB shall notify the agency
involved of its decision to approve, to instruct the agency to make a substantive or material
change to, or to disapprove, the collection of information, and shall make such decision publicly

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available. OMB shall provide at least 30 days for public comment after receipt of the proposed
collection of information before making its decision, except as provided under § 1320.13. Upon
approval of a collection of information, OMB shall assign an OMB control number and, if
appropriate, an expiration date. OMB shall not approve any collection of information for a period
longer than three years.
(c) If OMB fails to notify the agency of its approval, instruction to make substantive or material
change, or disapproval within the 60-day period, the agency may request, and OMB shall assign
without further delay, an OMB control number that shall be valid for not more than one year.
(d) As provided in § 1320.5(b) and § 1320.6(a), an agency may not conduct or sponsor a
collection of information unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to respond to the collection of
information that such persons are not required to respond to the collection of information unless
it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
(e)(1) In the case of a collection of information not contained in a published current rule which
has been approved by OMB and has a currently valid OMB control number, the agency shall:
(i) Conduct the review established under § 1320.8, including the seeking of public comment
under § 1320.8(d); and
(ii) After having made a reasonable effort to seek public comment, but no later than 60 days
before the expiration date of the OMB control number for the currently approved collection of
information, submit the collection of information for review and approval under this part, which
shall include an explanation of how the agency has used the information that it has collected.
(2) The agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information while the
submission is pending at OMB.
(f) Prior to the expiration of OMB's approval of a collection of information, OMB may decide on its
own initiative, after consultation with the agency, to review the collection of information. Such
decisions will be made only when relevant circumstances have changed or the burden estimates
provided by the agency at the time of initial submission were materially in error. Upon notification
by OMB of its decision to review the collection of information, the agency shall submit it to OMB
for review under this part.
(g) For good cause, after consultation with the agency, OMB may stay the effectiveness of its
prior approval of any collection of information that is not specifically required by agency rule; in
such case, the agency shall cease conducting or sponsoring such collection of information while
the submission is pending, and shall publish a notice in the Federal Register to that effect.
§ 1320.11

Clearance of collections of information in proposed rules.

Agencies shall submit collections of information contained in proposed rules published for public
comment in the Federal Register in accordance with the following requirements:
(a) The agency shall include, in accordance with the requirements in § 1320.5(a)(1)(iv) and §
1320.8(d)(1) and (3), in the preamble to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking a statement that the
collections of information contained in the proposed rule, and identified as such, have been
submitted to OMB for review under section 3507(d) of the Act. The notice shall direct comments
to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for [name of
agency].
(b) All such submissions shall be made to OMB not later than the day on which the Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking is published in the Federal Register, in such form and in accordance with
such procedures as OMB may direct. Such submissions shall include a copy of the proposed
regulation and preamble.
(c) Within 60 days of publication of the proposed rule, but subject to paragraph (e) of this section,
OMB may file public comments on collection of information provisions. The OMB comments shall
be in the form of an OMB Notice of Action, which shall be sent to the Senior Official or agency
head, or their designee, and which shall be made a part of the agency's rulemaking record.
(d) If an agency submission is not in compliance with paragraph (b) of this section, OMB may,
subject to paragraph (e) of this section, disapprove the collection of information in the proposed
rule within 60 days of receipt of the submission. If an agency fails to submit a collection of

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information subject to this section, OMB may, subject to paragraph (e) of this section, disapprove
it at any time.
(e) OMB shall provide at least 30 days after receipt of the proposed collection of information
before submitting its comments or making its decision, except as provided under § 1320.13.
(f) When the final rule is published in the Federal Register, the agency shall explain how any
collection of information contained in the final rule responds to any comments received from
OMB or the public. The agency shall include an identification and explanation of any
modifications made in the rule, or explain why it rejected the comments. If requested by OMB,
the agency shall include OMB's comments in the preamble to the final rule.
(g) If OMB has not filed public comments under paragraph (c) of this section, or has approved
without conditions the collection of information contained in a rule before the final rule is
published in the Federal Register, OMB may assign an OMB control number prior to publication
of the final rule.
(h) On or before the date of publication of the final rule, the agency shall submit the final rule to
OMB, unless it has been approved under paragraph (g) of this section (and not substantively or
materially modified by the agency after approval). Not later than 60 days after publication, but
subject to paragraph (e) of this section, OMB shall approve, instruct the agency to make a
substantive or material change to, or disapprove, the collection of information contained in the
final rule. Any such instruction to change or disapprove may be based on one or more of the
following reasons, as determined by OMB:
(1) The agency has failed to comply with paragraph (b) of this section;
(2) The agency had substantially modified the collection of information contained in the final rule
from that contained in the proposed rule without providing OMB with notice of the change and
sufficient information to make a determination concerning the modified collection of information
at least 60 days before publication of the final rule; or
(3) In cases in which OMB had filed public comments under paragraph (c) of this section, the
agency's response to such comments was unreasonable, and the collection of information is
unnecessary for the proper performance of the agency's functions.
(i) After making such decision to approve, to instruct the agency to make a substantive or
material change to, or disapprove, the collection of information, OMB shall so notify the agency.
If OMB approves the collection of information or if it has not acted upon the submission within the
time limits of this section, the agency may request, and OMB shall assign an OMB control
number. If OMB disapproves or instructs the agency to make substantive or material change to
the collection of information, it shall make the reasons for its decision publicly available.
(j) OMB shall not approve any collection of information under this section for a period longer than
three years. Approval of such collection of information will be for the full three-year period, unless
OMB determines that there are special circumstances requiring approval for a shorter period.
(k) After receipt of notification of OMB's approval, instruction to make a substantive or material
change to, disapproval of a collection of information, or failure to act, the agency shall publish a
notice in the Federal Register to inform the public of OMB's decision.
(l) As provided in § 1320.5(b) and § 1320.6(a), an agency may not conduct or sponsor a
collection of information unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to respond to the collection of
information that such persons are not required to respond to the collection of information unless
it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
§ 1320.12

Clearance of collections of information in current rules.

Agencies shall submit collections of information contained in current rules that were published as
final rules in the Federal Register in accordance with the following procedures:
(a) In the case of a collection of information contained in a published current rule which has been
approved by OMB and has a currently valid OMB control number, the agency shall:
(1) Conduct the review established under § 1320.8, including the seeking of public comment
under § 1320.8(d); and

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(2) After having made a reasonable effort to seek public comment, but no later than 60 days
before the expiration date of the OMB control number for the currently approved collection of
information, submit the collection of information for review and approval under this part, which
shall include an explanation of how the agency has used the information that it has collected.
(b)(1) In the case of a collection of information contained in a published current rule that was not
required to be submitted for OMB review under the Paperwork Reduction Act at the time the
collection of information was made part of the rule, but which collection of information is now
subject to the Act and this part, the agency shall:
(i) Conduct the review established under § 1320.8, including the seeking of public comment
under § 1320.(8)(d); and
(ii) After having made a reasonable effort to seek public comment, submit the collection of
information for review and approval under this part, which shall include an explanation of how the
agency has used the information that it has collected.
(2) The agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information while the
submission is pending at OMB. In the case of a collection of information not previously approved,
approval shall be granted for such period, which shall not exceed 60 days, unless extended by
the Director for an additional 60 days, and an OMB control number assigned. Upon assignment
of the OMB control number, and in accordance with § 1320.3(f) and § 1320.5(b), the agency
shall display the number and inform the potential persons who are to respond to the collection of
information that such persons are not required to respond to the collection of information unless
it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
(c) On or before the day of submission to OMB under paragraphs (a) or (b) of this section, the
agency shall, in accordance with the requirements set forth in § 1320.5(a)(1)(iv), forward a notice
to the Federal Register stating that OMB review is being sought. The notice shall direct requests
for copies of the collection of information and supporting documentation to the agency, and shall
request that comments be submitted to OMB within 30 days of the notice's publication. The
notice shall direct comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB,
Attention: Desk Officer for [name of agency]. A copy of the notice submitted to the Federal
Register, together with the date of expected publication, shall be included in the agency's
submission to OMB.
(d) Within 60 days after receipt of the collection of information or publication of the notice under
paragraph (c) of this section, whichever is later, OMB shall notify the agency involved of its
decision to approve, to instruct the agency to make a substantive or material change to, or to
disapprove, the collection of information, and shall make such decision publicly available. OMB
shall provide at least 30 days for public comment after receipt of the proposed collection of
information before making its decision, except as provided under § 1320.13.
(e)(1) Upon approval of a collection of information, OMB shall assign an OMB control number
and an expiration date. OMB shall not approve any collection of information for a period longer
than three years. Approval of any collection of information submitted under this section will be for
the full three-year period, unless OMB determines that there are special circumstances requiring
approval for a shorter period.
(2) If OMB fails to notify the agency of its approval, instruction to make substantive or material
change, or disapproval within the 60-day period, the agency may request, and OMB shall assign
without further delay, an OMB control number that shall be valid for not more than one year.
(3) As provided in § 1320.5(b) and § 1320.6(a), an agency may not conduct or sponsor a
collection of information unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to respond to the collection of
information that such persons are not required to respond to the collection of information unless
it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
(f)(1) If OMB disapproves a collection of information contained in an existing rule, or instructs the
agency to make a substantive or material change to a collection of information contained in an
existing rule, OMB shall:
(i) Publish an explanation thereof in the Federal Register; and

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(ii) Instruct the agency to undertake a rulemaking within a reasonable time limited to
consideration of changes to the collection of information contained in the rule and thereafter to
submit the collection of information for approval or disapproval under § 1320.10 or § 1320.11, as
appropriate; and
(iii) Extend the existing approval of the collection of information (including an interim approval
granted under paragraph (b) of this section) for the duration of the period required for
consideration of proposed changes, including that required for OMB approval or disapproval of
the collection of information under § 1320.10 or § 1320.11, as appropriate.
(2) Thereafter, the agency shall, within a reasonable period of time not to exceed 120 days,
undertake such procedures as are necessary in compliance with the Administrative Procedure
Act and other applicable law to amend or rescind the collection of information, and shall notify
the public through the Federal Register. Such notice shall identify the proposed changes in the
collections of information and shall solicit public comment on retention, change, or rescission of
such collections of information. If the agency employs notice and comment rulemaking
procedures for amendment or rescission of the collection of information, publication of the above
in the Federal Register and submission to OMB shall initiate OMB clearance procedures under
section 3507(d) of the Act and § 1320.11. All procedures shall be completed within a reasonable
period of time to be determined by OMB in consultation with the agency.
(g) OMB may disapprove, in whole or in part, any collection of information subject to the
procedures of this section, if the agency:
(1) Has refused within a reasonable time to comply with an OMB instruction to submit the
collection of information for review;
(2) Has refused within a reasonable time to initiate procedures to change the collection of
information; or
(3) Has refused within a reasonable time to publish a final rule continuing the collection of
information, with such changes as may be appropriate, or otherwise complete the procedures for
amendment or rescission of the collection of information.
(h)(1) Upon disapproval by OMB of a collection of information subject to this section, except as
provided in paragraph (f)(1)(iii) of this section, the OMB control number assigned to such
collection of information shall immediately expire, and no agency shall conduct or sponsor such
collection of information. Any such disapproval shall constitute disapproval of the collection of
information contained in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking or other submissions, and also of
the preexisting information collection instruments directed at the same collection of information
and therefore constituting essentially the same collection of information.
(2) The failure to display a currently valid OMB control number for a collection of information
contained in a current rule, or the failure to inform the potential persons who are to respond to
the collection of information that such persons are not required to respond to the collection of
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number, does not, as a legal matter,
rescind or amend the rule; however, such absence will alert the public that either the agency has
failed to comply with applicable legal requirements for the collection of information or the
collection of information has been disapproved, and that therefore the portion of the rule
containing the collection of information has no legal force and effect and the public protection
provisions of 44 U.S.C. 3512 apply.
(i) Prior to the expiration of OMB's approval of a collection of information in a current rule, OMB
may decide on its own initiative, after consultation with the agency, to review the collection of
information. Such decisions will be made only when relevant circumstances have changed or the
burden estimates provided by the agency at the time of initial submission were materially in error.
Upon notification by OMB of its decision to review the collection of information, the agency shall
submit it to OMB for review under this Part.
§ 1320.13

Emergency processing.

An agency head or the Senior Official, or their designee, may request OMB to authorize
emergency processing of submissions of collections of information.
(a) Any such request shall be accompanied by a written determination that:
(1) The collection of information:

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(i) Is needed prior to the expiration of time periods established under this Part; and
(ii) Is essential to the mission of the agency; and
(2) The agency cannot reasonably comply with the normal clearance procedures under this part
because:
(i) Public harm is reasonably likely to result if normal clearance procedures are followed;
(ii) An unanticipated event has occurred; or
(iii) The use of normal clearance procedures is reasonably likely to prevent or disrupt the
collection of information or is reasonably likely to cause a statutory or court ordered deadline to
be missed.
(b) The agency shall state the time period within which OMB should approve or disapprove the
collection of information.
(c) The agency shall submit information indicating that it has taken all practicable steps to consult
with interested agencies and members of the public in order to minimize the burden of the
collection of information.
(d) The agency shall set forth in the Federal Register notice prescribed by § 1320.5(a)(1)(iv),
unless waived or modified under this section, a statement that it is requesting emergency
processing, and the time period stated under paragraph (b) of this section.
(e) OMB shall approve or disapprove each such submission within the time period stated under
paragraph (b) of this section, provided that such time period is consistent with the purposes of
this Act.
(f) If OMB approves the collection of information, it shall assign a control number valid for a
maximum of 90 days after receipt of the agency submission.
§ 1320.14

Public access.

(a) In order to enable the public to participate in and provide comments during the clearance
process, OMB will ordinarily make its paperwork docket files available for public inspection
during normal business hours. Notwithstanding other provisions of this Part, and to the extent
permitted by law, requirements to publish public notices or to provide materials to the public may
be modified or waived by the Director to the extent that such public participation in the approval
process would defeat the purpose of the collection of information; jeopardize the confidentiality of
proprietary, trade secret, or other confidential information; violate State or Federal law; or
substantially interfere with an agency's ability to perform its statutory obligations.
(b) Agencies shall provide copies of the material submitted to OMB for review promptly upon
request by any person.
(c) Any person may request OMB to review any collection of information conducted by or for an
agency to determine, if, under this Act and this part, a person shall maintain, provide, or disclose
the information to or for the agency. Unless the request is frivolous, OMB shall, in coordination
with the agency responsible for the collection of information:
(1) Respond to the request within 60 days after receiving the request, unless such period is
extended by OMB to a specified date and the person making the request is given notice of such
extension; and
(2) Take appropriate remedial action, if necessary.
§ 1320.15

Independent regulatory agency override authority.

(a) An independent regulatory agency which is administered by two or more members of a
commission, board, or similar body, may by majority vote void:
(1) Any disapproval, instruction to such agency to make material or substantive change to, or
stay of the effectiveness of OMB approval of, any collection of information of such agency; or
(2) An exercise of authority under § 1320.10(g) concerning such agency.

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(b) The agency shall certify each vote to void such OMB action to OMB, and explain the reasons
for such vote. OMB shall without further delay assign an OMB control number to such collection
of information, valid for the length of time requested by the agency, up to three years, to any
collection of information as to which this vote is exercised. No override shall become effective
until the independent regulatory agency, as provided in § 1320.5(b) and § 1320.6(2), has
displayed the OMB control number and informed the potential persons who are to respond to the
collection of information that such persons are not required to respond to the collection of
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
§ 1320.16

Delegation of approval authority.

(a) OMB may, after complying with the notice and comment procedures of the Administrative
Procedure Act, delegate OMB review of some or all of an agency's collections of information to
the Senior Official, or to the agency head with respect to those components of the agency for
which he or she has not delegated authority.
(b) No delegation of review authority shall be made unless the agency demonstrates to OMB that
the Senior Official or agency head to whom the authority would be delegate:
(1) Is sufficiently independent of program responsibility to evaluate fairly whether proposed
collections of information should be approved;
(2) Has sufficient resources to carry out this responsibility effectively; and
(3) Has established an agency review process that demonstrates the prompt, efficient, and
effective performance of collection of information review responsibilities.
(c) OMB may limit, condition, or rescind, in whole or in part, at any time, such delegations of
authority, and reserves the right to review any individual collection of information, or part thereof,
conducted or sponsored by an agency, at any time.
(d) Subject to the provisions of this part, and in accordance with the terms and conditions of each
delegation as specified in appendix A to this part, OMB delegates review and approval authority
to the following agencies:
(1) Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; and
(2) Managing Director of the Federal Communications Commission.
§ 1320.17

Information collection budget.

Each agency's Senior Official, or agency head in the case of any agency for which the agency
head has not delegated responsibility under the Act for any component of the agency to the
Senior Official, shall develop and submit to OMB, in such form, at such time, and in accordance
with such procedures as OMB may prescribe, an annual comprehensive budget for all collections
of information from the public to be conducted in the succeeding twelve months. For good cause,
OMB may exempt any agency from this requirement.
§ 1320.18

Other authority.

(a) OMB shall determine whether any collection of information or other matter is within the scope
of the Act, or this Part.
(b) In appropriate cases, after consultation with the agency, OMB may initiate a rulemaking
proceeding to determine whether an agency's collection of information is consistent with
statutory standards. Such proceedings shall be in accordance with the informal rulemaking
procedures of the Administrative Procedure Act.
(c) Each agency is responsible for complying with the information policies, principles, standards,
and guidelines prescribed by OMB under this Act.
(d) To the extent permitted by law, OMB may waive any requirements contained in this part.
(e) Nothing in this part shall be interpreted to limit the authority of OMB under this Act, or any
other law. Nothing in this part or this Act shall be interpreted as increasing or decreasing the
authority of OMB with respect to the substantive policies and programs of the agencies.
Pt. 1320, App. A

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Appendix A to Part 1320—Agencies With Delegated Review and Approval Authority
1. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
(a) Authority to review and approve collection of information requests, collection of information
requirements, and collections of information in current rules is delegated to the Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
(1) This delegation does not include review and approval authority over any new collection of
information or any modification to an existing collection of information that:
(i) Is proposed to be collected as a result of a requirement or other mandate of the Federal
Financial Institutions Examination Council, or other Federal executive branch entities with
authority to require the Board to conduct or sponsor a collection of information.
(ii) Is objected to by another Federal agency on the grounds that agency requires information
currently collected by the Board, that the currently collected information is being deleted from the
collection, and the deletion will have a serious adverse impact on the agency's program,
provided that such objection is certified to OMB by the head of the Federal agency involved, with
a copy to the Board, before the end of the comment period specified by the Board on the
Federal Register notices specified in paragraph (1)(3)(i) of this section 1.
(iii) Would cause the burden of the information collections conducted or sponsored by the Board
to exceed by the end of the fiscal year the Information Collection Budget allowance set by the
Board and OMB for the fiscal year-end.
(2) The Board may ask that OMB review and approve collections of information covered by this
delegation.
(3) In exercising delegated authority, the Board will:
(i) Provide the public, to the extent possible and appropriate, with reasonable opportunity to
comment on collections of information under review prior to taking final action approving the
collection. Reasonable opportunity for public comment will include publishing a notice in the
Federal Register informing the public of the proposed collection of information, announcing the
beginning of a 60-day public comment period, and the availability of copies of the “clearance
package,” to provide the public with the opportunity to comment. Such Federal Register notices
shall also advise the public that they may also send a copy of their comments to the Federal
Reserve Board and to the OMB/OIRA Desk Officer.
(A) Should the Board determine that a new collection of information or a change in an existing
collection must be instituted quickly and that public participation in the approval process would
defeat the purpose of the collection or substantially interfere with the Board's ability to perform its
statutory obligation, the Board may temporarily approve of the collection of information for a
period not to exceed 90 days without providing opportunity for public comment.
(B) At the earliest practical date after approving the temporary extension to the collection of
information, the Board will publish a Federal Register notice informing the public of its approval
of the collection of information and indicating why immediate action was necessary. In such
cases, the Board will conduct a normal delegated review and publish a notice in the Federal
Register soliciting public comment on the intention to extend the collection of information for a
period not to exceed three years.
(ii) Provide the OMB/OIRA Desk Officer for the Federal Reserve Board with a copy of the
Board's Federal Register notice not later than the day the Board files the notice with the Office
of the Federal Register.
(iii) Assure that approved collections of information are reviewed not less frequently than once
every three years, and that such reviews are normally conducted before the expiration date of
the prior approval. Where the review has not been completed prior to the expiration date, the
Board may extend the report, for up to three months, without public notice in order to complete
the review and consequent revisions, if any. There may also be other circumstances in which the
Board determines that a three-month extension without public notice is appropriate.
(iv) Take every reasonable step to conduct the review established under 5 CFR 1320.8, including
the seeking of public comment under 5 CFR 1320.8(d). In determining whether to approve a
collection of information, the Board will consider all comments received from the public and other

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agencies. The Board will not approve a collection of information that it determines does not
satisfy the guidelines set forth in 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2), unless it determines that departure from
these guidelines is necessary to satisfy statutory requirements or other substantial need.
(v)(A) Assure that each approved collection of information displays, as required by 5 CFR
1320.6, a currently valid OMB control number and the fact that a person is not required to
respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
(B) Assure that all collections of information, except those contained in regulations, display the
expiration date of the approval, or, in case the expiration date has been omitted, explain the
decision that it would not be appropriate, under 5 CFR 1320.5(a)(1)(iii)(C), for a proposed
collection of information to display an expiration date.
(C) Assure that each collection of information, as required by 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3), informs and
provides fair notice to the potential respondents of why the information is being collected; the
way in which such information is to be used; the estimated burden; whether responses are
voluntary, required to obtain or retain a benefit, or mandatory; the confidentiality to be provided;
and the fact that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to
respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
(vi) Assure that each approved collection of information, together with a completed form OMB
83-I, a supporting statement, a copy of each comment received from the public and other
agencies in response to the Board's Federal Register notice or a summary of these comments,
the certification required by 5 CFR 1320.9, and a certification that the Board has approved of the
collection of information in accordance with the provisions of this delegation is transmitted to
OMB for incorporation into OMB's public docket files. Such transmittal shall be made as soon as
practical after the Board has taken final action approving the collection. However, no collection of
information may be instituted until the Board has delivered this transmittal to OMB.
(b) OMB will:
(1) Provide the Board in advance with a block of control numbers which the Board will assign in
sequential order to and display on, new collections of information.
(2) Provide a written notice of action to the Board indicating that the Board approvals of
collections of information that have been received by OMB and incorporated into OMB's public
docket files and an inventory of currently approved collections of information.
(3) Review any collection of information referred by the Board in accordance with the provisions
of section 1(a)(2) of this Appendix.
(c) OMB may review the Board's paperwork review process under the delegation. The Board will
cooperate in carrying out such a review. The Board will respond to any recommendations
resulting from such review and, if it finds the recommendations to be appropriate, will either
accept the recommendations or propose an alternative approach to achieve the intended
purpose.
(d) This delegation may, as provided by 5 CFR 1320.16(c), be limited, conditioned, or rescinded,
in whole or in part at any time. OMB will exercise this authority only in unusual circumstances
and, in those rare instances, will do so, subject to the provisions of 5 CFR 1320.10(f) and
1320.10(g), prior to the expiration of the time period set for public comment in the Board's
Federal Register notices and generally only if:
(1) Prior to the commencement of a Board review (e.g., during the review for the Information
Collection Budget). OMB has notified the Board that it intends to review a specific new proposal
for the collection of information or the continued use (with or without modification) of an existing
collection;
(2) There is substantial public objection to a proposed information collection: or
(3) OMB determines that a substantially inadequate and inappropriate lead time has been
provided between the final announcement date of the proposed requirement and the first date
when the information is to be submitted or disclosed. When OMB exercises this authority it will
consider that the period of its review began the date that OMB received the Federal Register
notice provided for in section 1(a)(3)(i) of this Appendix.

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(e) Where OMB conducts a review of a Board information collection proposal under section 1(a)
(1), 1(a)(2), or 1(d) of this Appendix, the provisions of 5 CFR 1320.13 continue to apply.
2. The Managing Director of the Federal Communications Commission
(a) Authority to review and approve currently valid (OMB-approved) collections of information,
including collections of information contained in existing rules, that have a total annual burden of
5,000 hours or less and a burden of less than 500 hours per respondent is delegated to the
Managing Director of the Federal Communications Commission.
(1) This delegation does not include review and approval authority over any new collection of
information, any collections whose approval has lapsed, any substantive or material modification
to existing collections, any reauthorization of information collections employing statistical
methods, or any information collections that exceed a total annual burden of 5,000 hours or an
estimated burden of 500 hours per respondent.
(2) The Managing Director may ask that OMB review and approve collections of information
covered by the delegation.
(3) In exercising delegated authority, the Managing Director will:
(i) Provide the public, to the extent possible and appropriate, with reasonable opportunity to
comment on collections of information under review prior to taking final action on reauthorizing
an existing collection. Reasonable opportunity for public comment will include publishing a notice
in the Federal Register and an FCC Public Notice informing the public that a collection of
information is being extended and announcing the beginning of a 60-day comment period,
notifying the public of the “intent to extend an information collection,” and providing the public
with the opportunity to comment on the need for the information, its practicality, the accuracy of
the agency's burden estimate, and on ways to minimize burden, including the use of automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information
technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses. Such notices shall advise the
public that they may also send a copy of their comments to the OMB/Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs desk officer for the Commission.
(A) Should the Managing Director determine that a collection of information that falls within the
scope of this delegation must be reauthorized quickly and that public participation in the
reauthorization process interferes with the Commission's ability to perform its statutory
obligation, the Managing Director may temporarily reauthorize the extension of an information
collection, for a period not to exceed 90 days, without providing opportunity for public comment.
(B) At the earliest practical date after granting this temporary extension to an information
collection, the Managing Director will conduct a normal delegated review and publish a Federal
Register notice soliciting public comment on its intention to extend the collection of information
for a period not to exceed three years.
(ii) Assure that approved collections of information are reviewed not less frequently than once
every three years and that such reviews are conducted before the expiration date of the prior
approval. When the review is not completed prior to the expiration date, the Managing Director
will submit the lapsed information collection to OMB for review and reauthorization.
(iii) Assure that each reauthorized collection of information displays an OMB control number and,
except for those contained in regulations or specifically designated by OMB, displays the
expiration date of the approval.
(iv) Inform and provide fair notice to the potential respondents, as required by 5 CFR 1320.8(b)
(3), of why the information is being collected; the way in which such information is to be used; the
estimated burden; whether responses are voluntary, required, required to obtain or retain a
benefit, or mandatory; the confidentiality to be provided; and the fact that an agency may not
conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, a collection of information
unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
(v) Transmit to OMB for incorporation into OMB's public docket files, a report of delegated
approval certifying that the Managing Director has reauthorized each collection of information in
accordance with the provisions of this delegation. The Managing Director shall also make the
certification required by 5 CFR 1320.9, e.g., that the approved collection of information reduces
to the extent practicable and appropriate, the burden on respondents, including, for small

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business, local government, and other small entities, the use of the techniques outlined in the
Regulatory Flexibility Act. Such transmittals shall be made no later than 15 days after the
Managing Director has taken final action reauthorizing the extension of an information collection.
(vi) Ensure that the personnel in the Commission's functional bureaus and offices responsible for
managing information collections receive periodic training on procedures related to meeting the
requirements of this part and the Act.
(b) OMB will:
(1) Provide notice to the Commission acknowledging receipt of the report of delegated approval
and its incorporation into OMB's public docket files and inventory of currently approved
collections of information.
(2) Act upon any request by the Commission to review a collection of information referred by the
Commission in accordance with the provisions of section 2(a)(2) of this appendix.
(3) Periodically assess, at its discretion, the Commission's paperwork review process as
administered under the delegation. The Managing Director will cooperate in carrying out such an
assessment. The Managing Director will respond to any recommendations resulting from such a
review and, if it finds the recommendations to be appropriate, will either accept the
recommendation or propose an alternative approach to achieve the intended purpose.
(c) This delegation may, as provided by 5 CFR 1320.16(c), be limited, conditioned, or rescinded,
in whole or in part at any time. OMB will exercise this authority only in unusual circumstances.

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