November
6, 1998
M-99-01
MEMORANDUM FOR THE
HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
| FROM: |
Jacob
J. Lew
Director |
| SUBJECT: |
New Statutory Language on Paperwork Reduction FY 1999
ICB |
Last month, I issued
OMB Bulletin 98-09, "Fiscal Year 1999 Information Collection Budget,"
asking you to submit, by December 15, 1998, the information necessary
for OMB to develop the FY 1999 Information Collection Budget (ICB).
Since then, in the FY 99 omnibus appropriations bill, Congress
directed OMB to submit by March 31, 1999, a report that "identifies
specific paperwork reduction accomplishments expected, constituting
annual five percent reductions in paperwork expected in fiscal
year 1999 and fiscal year 2000."
I am writing to emphasize
the need for you to make a concerted effort, during your ongoing
work on the FY 1999 ICB submission, to identify paperwork reductions
that can be accomplished in FY 1999 and in FY 2000. As you know,
there has been continued Congressional interest in this area,
and it is likely that progress towards meeting these requirements
will receive particular scrutiny in the future.
Specifically, as part
of your response to Bulletin 98-09, I am asking you to do the
following:
- Set an agency goal
of reducing paperwork by at least 5% in both FY 1999 and FY
2000 (in Bulletin 98-09, OMB set a government-wide goal of 5%
for FY 1999).
- Describe in detail,
in the section of your FY 1999 ICB submission entitled Burden
Reduction Effort and Goals, what program actions your agency – in
planning for the "maximum practicable" paperwork reduction – will
take to reduce paperwork by 5% in FY 1999 and in FY 2000.
- Add to your FY
1999 ICB submission a new section entitled Significant Changes
in Information Collection Burden Planned for FY 2000, describing
specific program changes planned for FY 2000 that will contribute
to paperwork reduction.
Finally, to ensure that
OMB can complete its report to Congress by March 31, 1999, I want
to stress the importance of submitting to OMB the information required
by OMB Bulletin 98-09 and this memorandum by December 15, 1998.
Should your staff have
any questions regarding this memorandum, they may contact David
Rostker in the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the
Office of Management and Budget at (202) 395-3897.