Matter for Congressional Consideration

1. Status: Closed - Not Implemented

   Comments: This problem has been corrected by the: (1) Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980; (2) revised SF 83; and (3) revised OMB Circular A-40. Further, despite staff briefings on this issue, Congress has taken no action on this issue.

   Matter: Congress should amend the Control of Paperwork Amendments of 1978 to limit Education's review and coordination authority to Education information collection requests.

Recommendations for Executive Action

1. Status: Closed - Implemented

   Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

   Recommendation: The Secretary of Education should take steps to implement the education amendments' requirements including such provisions as reports to Congress, procedures for submitting required information to a single agency, and establishment of uniform reporting dates.

   Agency Affected: Department of Education

2. Status: Closed - Implemented

   Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

   Recommendation: The Secretary of Education should strengthen and streamline Education's review operations by consolidating the forms required to process information collection requests and formalize guidelines for conducting information collection request reviews.

   Agency Affected: Department of Education

3. Status: Closed - Implemented

   Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

   Recommendation: The Secretary of Education should achieve further burden reduction by ensuring that, except under urgent or very unusual circumstances, education-related requests are not imposed on respondents unless they have been approved and publicly announced by February 15 preceding the new school year and by identifying and eliminating unauthorized forms.

   Agency Affected: Department of Education

4. Status: Closed - Implemented

   Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

   Recommendation: The Secretary of Education should work with OMB in developing efficient coordinating procedures for reviewing education-related requests and ensuring that Education has the major role of identifying such requests as directed by the education amendments of 1978.

   Agency Affected: Department of Education

5. Status: Closed - Implemented

   Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

   Recommendation: The Director of OMB should provide direction for the review and approval of education-related information collection requests, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, by issuing official guidance on proper coordinating procedures between Education and OMB.

   Agency Affected: Executive Office of the President: Office of Management and Budget

6. Status: Closed - Implemented

   Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

   Recommendation: The Secretary of Education should coordinate with OMB its development of the Federal Information Locator System to ensure that Education and OMB do not develop redundant systems and consider the OMB system as one alternative for meeting Education's legal requirement for an automated indexing system.

   Agency Affected: Department of Education

7. Status: Closed - Implemented

   Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

   Recommendation: The Secretary of Education should conduct feasibility and cost analyses of various automated indexing system alternatives before updating and expanding the existing system or converting it to another computer language.

   Agency Affected: Department of Education

8. Status: Closed - Implemented

   Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

   Recommendation: The Secretary of Education should analyze the completed studies to select the best alternative, comprehensively plan for implementing this alternative, and then develop and use an effective automated indexing system.

   Agency Affected: Department of Education

9. Status: Closed - Implemented

   Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

   Recommendation: The Secretary of Education should reactivate the Federal Data Acquisition Council and ensure that it meets regularly and performs its duties as required by law.

   Agency Affected: Department of Education

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