Justification for Emergency Review

JUSTIFICATION FOR EMERGENCY REVIEW

OMB Control No. 1405-0068

DS-1843 and DS-1622

Appointments to the Foreign Service cannot be made unless candidates have received appropriate medical clearances, and those clearances are dependent upon the medical information collected from candidates. Form DS-1843 collects the information that is needed to determine whether a candidate for a Foreign Service appointment can obtain the medical clearance that is a requirement of the appointment. Additionally, the information collected in Forms DS-1843 and DS-1622 is used to provide and to update medical clearances for individuals who participate in the Department of State’s Medical Program. Accordingly, the information collection is essential to the mission of the Foreign Service.

Form revisions are needed to clarify that the information collection is consistent with applicable authorities, including the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) (42 U.S.C. § 2000ff, Title II, and 29 C.F.R. Part 1635).  In particular, the Forms’ questions concerning family medical history and genetic tests (which are not used for appointment purposes) are being removed. Moreover, the Forms are being amended to include GINA’s “safe harbor” language, which instructs those who are completing the Forms that they should not provide genetic information, as defined by GINA. 

The Department has therefore determined that:

1. This collection is needed prior to the expiration of time periods normally associated with a routine submission for review under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act;

2. This collection is essential to the mission of the Department of State; and

3. The use of normal clearance procedures is reasonably likely to prevent or disrupt the Department obtaining this information, which is essential to the hiring process for the Foreign Service, in a manner that ensures consistency with its statutory and regulatory obligations.

Therefore, the Department of State requests emergency OMB approval for this collection immediately.