OGE Form 201 Modification and Public Comment Request

Content

ACTION:

Notice of request for agency and public comments.

SUMMARY:

After publication of this second-round notice, the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) plans to submit a proposed modified
OGE Form 201, Request an Individual's Ethics Documents (OGE Form 201) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review
and approval of a three-year extension under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The OGE Form 201 is used by persons requesting
access to executive branch public financial disclosure reports and other covered records.

DATES:

Written comments by the public and agencies on this proposed extension are invited and must be received by April 6, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

Submit written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection within 30 days of publication of this
notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find and comment on this particular information collection by using the “Select Agency” drop-down menu under the “Currently
Under Review” section to locate “Office of Government Ethics,” click the “Submit” button, and then click the “Comment” button.
Alternatively, click the “Currently under Review—Open for Public Comments” link, locate the information on the page related
to OMB Control Number 3209-0002, and click the “Comment” button to the right of such information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

McEvan Baum at the U.S. Office of Government Ethics; telephone: 202-482-9287; TTY: 800-877-8339; Email: usoge@oge.gov. An electronic copy of the OGE Form 201 version used to manually submit access requests to OGE or other executive branch agencies
by mail or FAX is available in the Forms Library section of OGE's website at http://www.oge.gov. A paper copy may also be obtained, without charge, by contacting Mr. Baum.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: OGE Form 201 Request an Individual's Ethics Documents.

Agency Form Number: OGE Form 201.

OMB Control Number: 3209-0002.

Type of Information Collection: Extension with modifications of a currently approved collection.

Type of Review Request: Regular.

Respondents: Individuals requesting access to executive branch public financial disclosure reports and other covered records.

Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 12,461.

Estimated Time per Response: 10 minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 2,077 hours.

Abstract: The OGE Form 201 (the form) collects information from, and provides certain information to, persons who seek access to OGE
Form 278 Public Financial Disclosure Reports, including OGE Form 278-T Periodic Transaction Reports, and other covered records.
The form reflects the requirements of the Ethics in Government Act, subsequent amendments pursuant to the STOCK Act, and OGE's
implementing regulations that must be met by a person before access can be granted. These requirements include the address
of the requester, as well as any other person on whose behalf a record is sought, and acknowledgement that the applicant is
aware of the prohibited uses of executive branch public disclosure financial reports. See 5 U.S.C. 13107(b) and (c) and 13122(b)(1)
and 5 CFR 2634.603(c) and (f). Executive branch departments and agencies are encouraged to utilize the form for individuals
seeking access to public financial disclosure reports and other covered documents. OGE permits departments and agencies to
use or develop their own forms as long as the forms collect and provide all of the required information.

OGE currently has OMB approval for six versions of the form: OGE's online application (English, Arabic, Chinese, French, and
Spanish), and a PDF version in English.

A
Federal Register
Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on this information collection was published on September

  9, 2025 (90 FR 43445). OGE received one set of comments containing several recommendations. OGE appreciates the feedback and
  considered each recommendation. The proposed modifications discussed below incorporate recommendations received that OGE believes
  will increase clarity, improve user experience, and/or reduce the burden on requesters utilizing the form. OGE declined to
  adopt other recommendations because they could not be implemented due to technical limitations, the suggested course of action
  fell outside of the scope of the form renewal process, or because OGE reached a different conclusion than the commenter regarding
  the utility of the specific form inquiry on which action was recommended.

Proposed changes to the PDF and online English language versions:

• Modifying the language of the Privacy Act Statement for clarity.

• Modifying the Ethics in Government Act citation for accuracy.
  Proposed changes to the PDF version only:

• Adding language to the Supplemental Information section to (1) better capture the full scope of records available from OGE
  upon request and (2) inform requesters of general retention periods that may impact the availability of the documents they
  are requesting.

• Removing the following text from the “Should I use the online system or fill out the PDF Form?” portion of the Supplemental
  Information section because it is no longer relevant: “Note: Currently OGE is unable to fill any request using the PDF Form
  that does not provide an email address for the requestor.”

• Replacing sub-section numbering with standard numbering to improve user experience.

• Adding a parenthetical containing the word “optional” next to the “Your telephone number” section heading to clarify that
  providing such information is optional.

• Combining sections 1a and 6 into a single section with updated language (section 2 of proposed form) to reduce the number
  of responses needed to complete the form and explain why the requested information is sought.

• Relocating section 4 on page 3 of the current form down to section 8 of the proposed form and adding an explanatory parenthetical
  clarifying that a response is optional and informing that the requested information is for statistical purposes only.

• Combining sections 5 and 5a into a single section (section 7 of proposed form), updating the language of that section to
  better align it with the requirements of the Ethics in Government Act, and adding language to inform that documents are generally
  retained for 6 to 7 years under Federal law such that older documents may not be available.

• Updating the language of the form's Continuation Page to align it with section 7 of the proposed form, discussed above.

• Modifying text, formatting and spacing in several places to improve accuracy, clarity, consistency, and/or alignment with
  plain language principles.
  To view a draft of the pdf version with proposed changes, visit the download link at https://www.oge.gov/Web/OGE.nsf/0/912FAA19EB55D09185258D940067A5AC/$FILE/OGE%20Form%20201%20Renewal_Draft_2nd%20Round%20FR%20(Feb)_.pdf.

Proposed removal of the translated online versions of the form: Because OGE does not have the resources available to update its translated online versions of the form, OGE is proposing to
remove the Arabic, Chinese, French and Spanish language versions of its Form 201 online application.

Request for Comments: Agency and public comment are invited specifically on the need for and practical utility of this information collection, the
accuracy of OGE's burden estimate, the enhancement of quality, utility and clarity of the information collected, and the minimization
of burden (including the use of information technology). Comments received in response to this notice will be summarized for
and included with the OGE request for extension of OMB paperwork approval. The comments will also become a matter of public
record.

Specifically, OGE seeks public comment on the following:

• What problems do you have using the form?
• Are there sections of the form or instructions that are unclear?
• Is there information provided that is confusing?
• What additional information would be helpful? Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.; 5 U.S.C. 13107(b) and (c); 5 U.S.C. 13122(b)(1); 5 CFR 2634.603(c) and (f).

Approved: February 27, 2026. James Cooper, Chief Information Officer, Office of Government Ethics. [FR Doc. 2026-04439 Filed 3-5-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6345-04-P

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