DS-7801 Vetting Questionnaire Supporting Statement 20250401

SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR
PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSION

Overseas Vetting Questionnaire

OMB Number 1405-XXXX

DS-7801

A. JUSTIFICATION

1. Why is this collection necessary and what are the legal statutes that allow this?

The Department of State intends to use the information collected through the proposed Overseas Vetting Questionnaire to conduct personnel vetting investigations for persons under consideration for, or retention in, low risk or public trust positions under Executive Order 13467, as amended and EO 13488, as amended.

2. What business purpose is the information gathered going to be used for?

This questionnaire will also be used for making trust determinations associated with an individual's initial and ongoing suitability or fitness for Federal employment, fitness for contract employment, or eligibility for physical and logical access to federally controlled facilities or information systems.

3. Is this collection able to be completed electronically (e.g. through a website or application)?

The collection of information will be presented to individuals as an electronically fillable form as well as through a static webpage that will produce an electronic form.

4. Does this collection duplicate any other collection of information?

A respondent’s name may be duplicated from a previous application for a position.

5. Describe any impacts on small business.

There is no impact on small business.

6. What are consequences if this collection is not done?

Inability to collect the required information will substantially undermine the Department of State’s ability to conduct personnel vetting investigations.

7. Are there any special collection circumstances?

No.

8. Document publication (or intent to publish) a request for public comments in the Federal Register

On January 22, 2025, the Department published a notice in the Federal Register soliciting public comments for a period of 60 days. No comments were received.

.

9. Are payments or gifts given to the respondents?

No.

10. Describe assurances of privacy/confidentiality

The Department of State’s System of Records: Security Records, State-36 may be reviewed at 83 FR 28058.

11. Are any questions of a sensitive nature asked?

Questions pertaining to criminal conduct, alcohol abuse, and drug abuse are asked so that the Department may make a personnel vetting trust determination.

12. Describe the hour time burden and the hour cost burden on the respondent needed to complete this collection

The Department anticipates that 25,000 individuals will complete the Overseas Vetting Questionnaire each year. The average response time will be approximately 70 minutes. The total estimated burden time will be approximately 29,167 hours.

The Department estimates a cost burden of $27.04 per response or $788,676 annually. The Department determined this estimate using the Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, median hourly wage for all occupations ($23.11).

One response is 70 minutes. 70 minutes is 1.17 hours.

$23.11 x 1.17 hours = $27.04

$27.04 x 29,167 hours = $788,676.

13. Describe the monetary burden to respondents (out of pocket costs) needed to complete this collection.

None.

14. Describe the cost incurred by the Federal Government to complete this collection.

The estimated cost to the federal government to create and execute the form is $50,000.00. This includes the labor cost of two individuals to design the form and ensure it integrates with a Department system. The estimated cost to the federal government to maintain the form is approximately $68,000.00 for an Adobe license.

15. Explain any changes/adjustments to this collection since the previous submission

This is a new collection, so this is not applicable.

16. Specify if the data gathered by this collection will be published.

The data gathered by the collection will not be published.

17. If applicable, explain the reason(s) for seeking approval to not display the OMB expiration date. Otherwise, write “The Department will display the OMB expiration date.”

The Department will display the OMB expiration date.

18. Explain any exceptions to the OMB certification statement below. If there are no exceptions, write “The Department is not seeking exceptions to the certification statement”.

The Department is not seeking exceptions to the certification statement.

B. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

This collection does not employ statistical methods.