SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR
Form PHS-50 AApplication for Appointment as a Commissioned Officer in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps@
Form PHS-1813 AReference Request for Applicants to the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps@
AND SUPPORTING REGULATIONS
CONTAINED IN 42 CFR 21.22 AND 21.34
A. Background
Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Commissioned Corps Force Management (OCCFM), Office of Public Health and Science, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), requests that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) extend for 18 months form PHS-50, AApplication for Appointment as a Commissioned Officer in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps,@ (OMB No. 0937-0025) and form PHS-1813, AReference Request for Applicants to the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps@ (OMB No. 0937-0025). Current approval expires September 30, 2006. OCCFM is requesting an extension from September 30, 2006 to March 30, 2008 because OCCFM and the Office of Commissioned Corps Operations (OCCO) is in the process of redesigning the entire Corps application and call to duty process. The 18-month extension would afford the time needed to launch the new process.
Justification
Need and Legal Basis
The principal purpose for collecting the information is to permit HHS to determine eligibility for appointment of applicants into the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (Corps). The Corps is one of the seven Uniformed Services of the United States (37 U.S.C. 101(3)), and appointments in the Corps are made pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 204 et seq. and 42 CFR 21.58.
Note: On July 23, 2003, the Secretary of HHS delegated the authorities necessary to administer the Corps to the Assistant Secretary for Health. This delegation may have an affect wherever the Surgeon General is cited in this document.
There are two sections of Corps regulations (see Tab C) relevant to the application process. They are 42 CFR 21.22 and 21.34. Section 42 CFR 21.22 is nonspecific in that it requires applicants to submit applications on such forms as the Surgeon General may prescribe. This nonspecific language does not require OMB approval. However, clearance for the language in 42 CFR 21.34 is sought since it requires certification by the applicant of his/her health status. No additional response burden is required by this regulation because the certifications are performed on Department of Defense forms (with an HHS Privacy Act Statement) included in the application packet, and the response burden is accounted for therein (see Tab D).
Applicants for appointment in the Corps must submit the information requested in the application packet, including form PHS-50 and form PHS-1813, so that a determination can be made about their qualifications for appointment as required by law and regulations. The application packet is available in electronic format at http://www.usphs.gov and paper copies are available upon request.
Recruitment and retention is a primary focus of the Corps, and efforts are directed toward recruiting entry-level health professionals and attempting to interest them in career service in the Corps.
Information Users
If the applicant is appointed, the information collected will be used for subsequent personnel actions such as transfer, promotion, and in determining eligibility for benefits.
If the applicant is not appointed, the records are retained for 2 years (4 years for an applicant to the Medical category) and then destroyed. In addition to the uses authorized by law, information from an individual=s records may be disclosed to: prospective employers or other organizations at the request of the individual; other Federal agencies to the extent necessary to obtain suitability and security investigation reports; non-HHS organizations if the applicant is a candidate for assignment by the Corps to a non-HHS organization, e.g., Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Marshals Service (both with the Department of Justice), U.S. Coast Guard (Department of Homeland Security), U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Park Service (Department of the Interior) Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Department of Commerce), Department of Defense, and Environmental Protection Agency. If the information was not collected, it would not be possible to evaluate applicants for appointment to the Corps.
3. Improved Information Technology
The information requested in the application packet is vital for an evaluation of the applicant=s qualifications for appointment in the Corps. A computerized applicant system permits timely tracking of applicants= records, allows specialists to generate follow-up letters, and permits officials to determine the status of each applicant at any given time during the application review process. In addition, applicants may review the status of their applications by checking information on the following Web site: http://www.usphs.gov. Electronic versions (PDF fillable and Word fillable format) of forms PHS-50 and PHS-1813 are available for downloading from the following Web site: http://dcp.psc.gov as well as from the Commissioned Corps Management Information System Web site: http://dcp.psc.gov/DCPForms.asp. Original signatures are still required, thus preventing the submission of completely electronic forms.
Duplication of Similar Information
The Corps has its own requirements for appointment so there is no duplication of effort with respect to its application requirements.
Small Businesses
The information collection involves only individuals.
Less Frequent Collection
There is no other method to collect this information, and if the information is not collected, there would be no way to determine eligibility for appointment in the Corps.
Special Circumstances
Each applicant must complete the forms in the application packet. The applicant completes only one application packet for the Corps regardless of the number of professional positions in the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs)/Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs) and non-HHS organizations in which he/she may be interested.
Federal Register Notice/Outside Consultation
Consistent with 5 CFR 1320.8(d), a notice soliciting comments regarding forms PHS-50 and PHS-1813 was published in the Federal Register on September 29, 2006. No comments were received from the public.
Over the years, other persons were contacted as described below:
a. In 1997, the Commissioned Corps Liaisons were consulted because they are involved in the recruitment and assignment of commissioned officers for all OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs/non-HHS organizations where commissioned officers are assigned. The consultations at that time revealed that the application packet which was approved in 1988 provided the necessary information about applicants so that decisions can be made about their appointment and assignment.
In 2000, a work group of staff members was convened. Since the application packet from 1997 still provided the necessary information about applicants, only minor improvements to the packet were suggested. Draft copies of the suggested changes of the forms and the instructions for completing the forms were distributed to the members of the work group. The drafts were reviewed, approved, and finalized for submission to OMB.
In November 2002, a request was made to all staff members for suggested revisions to forms PHS-50 and PHS-1813. It was again determined that the application packets from 1997 and 2000 still provided the necessary information about applicants. Those staff members who responded requested only slight rewording changes to clarify the meaning of some questions. In February 2002, draft copies of the revised forms were distributed to those who suggested changes. The drafts were reviewed, approved, and finalized for submission to OMB.
The application packet pertains only to health professionals who wish to apply for appointment in the Corps. Therefore, no public comments will be sought or obtained in excess of the Federal Register notification.
9. Payment/Gift to Respondent
No payments or gifts are provided to respondents.
10. Confidentiality
Confidentiality of the data collected is provided pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), and arrangements concerning the handling, storage, and disposition of information are explained in the Privacy Act System of Notice (09-40-0001, APHS Commissioned Corps General Personnel Records,@ HHS/PSC/HRS) published in the Federal Register, Vol. 63, No. 238, page 68596, December 11, 1998 (see Tab E). The methods of collecting and handling the information comply with the Privacy Act of 1974 and OMB Circular A-130, AManagement of Federal Information Resources,@ Appendix I, AFederal Agency Responsibilities for Maintaining Records About Individuals.@
11. Sensitive Questions
The Corps is not currently collecting information about an applicant=s race, ethnic background, or sex. Age information historically has been collected on form PHS-50 because this information has a direct bearing on an applicant=s appointment in the Corps. Under 42 U.S.C. 209(a)(3), no individual who has attained the age of 44 may be appointed to the Regular Corps or called to active duty in the Reserve Corps for a period in excess of 1 year unless the applicant: has had a number of years of active service equal to the number of years by which his/her age exceeds 44; the Surgeon General determines that the applicant possesses exceptional qualifications, not readily available elsewhere in the Corps; or, in the case of an officer in the Reserve Corps, the Corps has been declared by the President to be a military service. It is important that information about an applicant=s age be available on form PHS-50, and this form has safeguards designed to protect data confidentiality. Because of statutory requirements imposed by 42 U.S.C. 209(a)(3), provision of this information is not voluntary for applicants to the Corps.
Naturalized citizens are requested to provide information on form PHS-50 about the date they entered the country, the date they were naturalized, their naturalization number, the person to whom the naturalization number was issued, and the place naturalized. This information is necessary to obtain information from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service in the Department of Homeland Security for purposes of conducting the suitability investigation.
The information requested on form PHS-1813 is needed in order to determine an applicant=s suitability for competitive appointment in accordance with Executive Order No. 10450 and regulations prescribed in INSTRUCTION 1, Subchapter CC43.7, ATermination of Officers= Commissions in the Regular and Reserve Corps Without the Consent of the Officers Involved,@ of the electronic Commissioned Corps Issuance System. Appointment boards assess the professional qualifications of applicants for both the Regular and Reserve components of the Corps, and the boards are responsible for making certain that only fully-qualified applicants are recommended for appointment.
Burden Estimate (Total Hours and Wages)
Each applicant must complete an original and one copy of form PHS-50. The original is retained for processing and the copy forwarded to the Suitability Adjudications Branch of the Investigations Service, Federal Investigations Processing Center, Boyers, PA, for the security investigation (National Agency Check with Inquiries) mandated by Executive Order No. 10450 and Corps regulations.
Based on a sample of individuals who completed form PHS-50, the average amount of time required to complete the form is 1 hour. Each applicant must submit references from four individuals. Based on a sample of individuals who completed form PHS-1813, the average amount of time required to complete the form is less than 5 minutes for the applicant, and 15 minutes for each individual who provides a reference.
It should be noted, however, that each applicant is required to complete several forms in order to make application to the Corps. In addition to form PHS-50 and form PHS-1813, these forms include the following which are available at http://dcp.psc.gov/DCPForms.asp :
DD Form 2807-1, AReport of Medical History,@ and
DD Form 2808, AReport of Medical Examination.@
However, the response burden for these forms is reported annually by the Department of Defense. Therefore, the response burden listed below pertains only to form PHS-50 and form PHS-1813:
Form Respondents Response per Total Hrs. per Total
18 months Respondent Responses Response Hours
PHS-50 1,000 1 1,000 1.0* 1,000
PHS-1813 4,000** 1 4,000 .25 1,000
TOTAL 5,000 2,000
*Estimated time required to complete original and one copy of form PHS-50. As stated above, the original is used for processing and the copy is used for a background suitability check.
**Represents four references submitted on each applicant=s suitability.
The cost burden for these forms is based on $10 wages per hour per student and $50 wages per hour per reference.
Form Respondents Response Hourly Hrs. per Total Cost
18 months Per Wages Response
Respondent
PHS-50 1,000 1 $10** 1.0* $10,000
PHS-1813 4,000*** 1 $50** .25 $50,000
TOTAL $60,000
*Estimated time required to complete original and one copy of form PHS-50. As stated above, the original is used for processing and the copy is used for a background suitability check.
**Estimated hourly wages are $10 per hour per applicant and $50 per hour per reference.
***Represents four references submitted on each applicant=s suitability.
Capital Costs (Maintenance of Capital Costs)
The only costs to the respondents are the time required to complete the forms in the application packet and for the acquisition of college transcripts, a one time cost of approximately $10 depending on the educational institution. Applicants are also required to pay required postage, a one time cost of approximately $2. The cost would be $2,000 based on 1,000 respondents at the approximate cost of $2 each. There are no other identified costs associated with collection of the information.
Cost to the Federal Government
On average, approximately 4 hours of staff time by personnel specialists (average grade GS-9, step 6) are required to process each application. At approximately $27 per hour (salary plus overhead), the cost of processing by personnel specialists is approximately $108 each per year for 1,000 applications or $108,000. On average, approximately 1 hour of staff time is required to review thoroughly each application. At $40 per hour (salary plus overhead), the cost of professional personnel reviewing applications is $40,000 per year for 1,000 applications. Much of the application processing is conducted on computers at an estimated total amount of $2,000 per year for use of automated data processing equipment. The majority of applicants download the application packet from the Corps Web site, but about 100 printed application packets cost $300. Thus, annual cost to the Federal Government for processing 1,000 applications is estimated to be $150,300.
Program or Burden Changes
The Corps Web site http://www.usphs.gov contains a >Prequalification Questionnaire,= and potential applicants can find out immediately if they are qualified to apply to the Corps simply by answering a few questions. Thus, those potential applicants who are found not qualified, avoid an unnecessary burden of completing the application packet. Recruitment efforts to attract qualified applicants will continue, and it is expected the number of applicants will be approximately 1,500 per year.
Publication and Tabulation Dates
The data collected will not be published for statistical use.
17. Expiration Date
This request is for an extension of the September 30, 2006 expiration date to March 30, 2008. The date of expiration of OMB approval will be displayed.
18. Certification Statement
There are no exceptions to the second page of the 83i.
B. Collection of Information Employing Statistical Methods
Not applicable. The information collected will not be analyzed by employing statistical methodology.
October 2, 1006 (revised July 18, 2006 version)
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR |
| Last Modified By | DHHS |
| File Modified | 2006-12-19 |
| File Created | 2006-12-19 |