Supp_Stat

OMB SUPPORTING STATEMENT

OPM Form 1655 – Application for Senior Administrative Law Judge

OPM Form 1655-A – Geographic Preference Statement for Senior Administrative Law Judge Applicant

1. Justification

1. Title 5 U.S.C. § 3323(b), 5 CFR 930.209, and 5 CFR 230.204(b) describe the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) role in managing the Senior Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Program, and define the rules and regulations that govern the program. This program allows retired ALJs to be reemployed as Senior ALJs to hear and decide agency cases in a variety of subject matters. OPM currently maintains a Senior ALJ Master List of approximately 150 retired ALJs who are available to serve as Senior ALJs. They are required to submit an application for reemployment and proof of licensure and to answer a series of questions regarding geographic and personal preferences. Senior ALJ applicants are currently submitting an OF-612, “Application for Federal Employment” or resume as their application for reemployment. The OF-612/resume is insufficient to determine if the candidates meet the requirements of the Senior ALJ Program, and often OPM has to go back to Senior ALJ applicants for additional information.

2. OPM Form 1655 is an application form that will be used to capture the necessary information required for reemployment as a Senior ALJ. The creation of this form will streamline the application process for the Senior ALJ position by allowing the retired judges to place all of their requested information on these tailored forms. In addition, it will allow for easier data entry, and will eliminate the need for further contact with Senior ALJ applicants for additional information.

3. Improved information technology will do little to reduce the burden. The information collected cannot be obtained from other sources. The forms will be available on the OPM website and will be downloadable in a PDF format.

4. The forms are filed individually. Duplication is minimized.

5. Information is not collected from small businesses.

6. Senior ALJs hear and decide cases involving a variety of subject matters. According to 5 CFR 930.209, they must be deemed qualified to serve as a Senior ALJ as defined by OPM regulations. Insufficient collection of information could result in noncompliance with law and regulation.

7. Not applicable. This form does not meet criteria listed under item seven.

8. A 60-day notice of the proposed information collection was published in Federal Register/Vol. 71, No 151/Monday, August 7, 2006/Notices, page 44724 as required by 5 CFR 1320, giving persons outside the agency an opportunity to comment on the form. One comment was received. However, OPM took no action on the comment because it was not relevant to the proposed information collection under 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1). A 30-day notice will be published in the Federal Register with this submission.

9. No payment or gift is made to the respondents.

10. This information collection is protected by the Privacy Act of 1974 and OPM regulations. (SORN being revised)

11. The information collection does not include questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private.

12. Approximately 150 OPM 1655 forms, and approximately 200 OPM 1655-A forms are completed annually. The OPM 1655 form takes approximately 30 – 45 minutes to complete. The OPM 1655-A form takes approximately 15 – 25 minutes to complete. The annual estimated burden for the OPM 1655 and OPM 1655-A is 94 113 hours and 67 50 hours, respectively.

13. There are no costs to the respondents.

14. Not applicable.

15. Not applicable.

16. The results of this collection are not published.

17. Since we cannot always reprint the whole supply of forms to change the OMB clearance expiration date, we seek approval not to display the date on the form.

18. There are no exceptions to the certification statement.

2. Collection of Information Employing Statistical Methods

This information collection does not employ statistical methods.