Withdrawal of Prior Notice; Proposed Submission of Information Collection for OMB Review; Comment Request; Medical Exception Request

AGENCY:

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

ACTION:

Notice of withdrawal; Notice of intent to request extension of OMB approval of information collection.

SUMMARY:

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) published a notice in the Federal Register of its intent to request that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) extend approval, without change, under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), a collection of information for its employees to request a medical exception to the COVID-19 vaccination requirement on January 28, 2022. That notice is withdrawn in light of the January 21, 2022 nationwide preliminary injunction enjoining implementation and enforcement of the federal employee vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043. PBGC seeks comment on its new notice of intent to request that OMB approve, without change, under the PRA, a collection of information for its employees to request a medical exception to the COVID-19 vaccination requirement.

DATES:

The document published on January 28, 2022 (87 FR 4667) is withdrawn as of February 14, 2022. Comments on this notice of intent must be submitted on or before April 15, 2022.

ADDRESSES:

Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

• Email: paperwork.comments@pbgc.gov. Refer to OMB control number 1212-0075 in the subject line.

• Mail or Hand Delivery: Regulatory Affairs Division, Office of the General Counsel, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, 1200 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005-4026.

Commenters are strongly encouraged to submit public comments electronically. PBGC expects to have limited personnel available to process public comments that are submitted on paper through mail. Until further notice, any comments submitted on paper will be considered to the extent practicable.

All submissions received must include the agency's name (Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, or PBGC) and refer to OMB control number 1212-0075. All comments received will be posted without change to PBGC's website, http://www.pbgc.gov,, including any personal information provided. Commenters should not include any information for which disclosure is restricted by statute, such as trade secrets and commercial or financial information (“confidential business information”). Submission of confidential business information without a request for protected treatment constitutes a waiver of any claims of confidentiality.

Copies of the collection of information may be obtained by writing to Disclosure Division, Office of the General Counsel, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, 1200 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005-4026, or calling 202-229-4040 during normal business hours. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Melissa Rifkin ( rifkin.melissa@pbgc.gov ), Attorney, Regulatory Affairs Division, Office of the General Counsel, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, 1200 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005-4026; 202-229-6563. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This notice replaces the notice published on January 28, 2022 (87 FR 4667), which PBGC withdraws.

Under Executive Order 14043, every Federal agency must “implement, to the extent consistent with applicable law, a program to require COVID-19 vaccination for all of its Federal employees, with exceptions only as required by law.” In following this directive, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) imposed a requirement that its employees must receive and submit proof of a COVID-19 vaccination. As required by 29 U.S.C. 701 et seq. and 29 CFR part 1630, PBGC allows an exception from the vaccination requirement for employees who demonstrate medical reasons or disabilities that would make the COVID-19 vaccine unsafe for them. To obtain this exception, employees must complete the Request for Medical Exception to COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement form. PBGC uses the information on this form to verify employees' assertions that they are entitled to an exception to the COVID-19 vaccination requirement because of their medical or disability statuses.

The medical exception request collection of information has been approved by OMB under control number 1212-0075 (expires May 31, 2022). PBGC intends to request that OMB extend its approval for 3 years. 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.

PBGC estimates that an average of 2 employees each year will submit Request for Medical Exception to COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement forms. The total estimated annual burden of the collection of information is 0.5 hours and $0.

PBGC is soliciting public comments to—

• 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;
• Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodologies and assumptions used;
• Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

• 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.

A Notice Regarding Injunctions

The vaccination requirement issued pursuant to E.O. 14043 is currently the subject of a nationwide injunction. While that injunction remains in place, PBGC will not process requests for a medical exception from the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to E.O. 14043. PBGC will also not request the submission of any medical information related to a request for an exception from the vaccination requirement pursuant to E.O. 14043 while the injunction remains in place. But PBGC may nevertheless receive information regarding a medical exception. That is because, if PBGC were to receive a request for an exception from the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to E.O. 14043 during the pendency of the injunction, PBGC will accept the request, hold it in abeyance, and notify the employee who submitted the request that implementation and enforcement of the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to E.O. 14043 is currently enjoined and that an exception therefore is not necessary so long as the injunction is in place. In other words, during the pendency of the injunction, any information collection related to requests for medical exception from the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to E.O. 14043 is not undertaken to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement.