FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Stewart, Deputy General Counsel, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, 1331 F Street NW, suite 1000, Washington DC 20004-1111. Telephone number (202) 272-0042 (voice); (202) 272-0082 (TTY). Electronic mail address: stewart@access-board.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for FY 2001 (Public Law 106-554), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued implementing guidelines entitled “Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity, Utility, and Integrity of Information Disseminated by Federal Agencies.” OMB’s implementing guidelines directed each agency to post final information quality guidelines on their web site no later than October 1, 2002.
The purpose of the information quality guidelines is to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information disseminated by the Access Board. The guidelines also establish administrative mechanisms allowing affected persons to seek and obtain correction of information that does not comply with these guidelines. Pursuant to the implementing guidelines issued by OMB, the Access Board must report annually to the Director of OMB, beginning January 1, 2004, on the number and nature of complaints regarding the Access Board’s compliance with the information quality guidelines and how such complaints were resolved.
On August 27, 2002, the Access Board published a notice of availability of its draft information quality guidelines and requested comment by September 10, 2002. (67 FR 55000). The Board received one comment on the draft guidelines from the Paralyzed Veterans of America. That comment was supportive in general of the draft guidelines, and, in particular of the manner in which the guidelines addressed the issue of complaints filed during rulemaking proceedings.
The Board has substantively modified the final guidelines in one respect. Section 13 of the final guidelines was amended to provide for an administrative review of the decision on the initial complaint. Section 13 provides that within 15 days of receipt of the decision issued by the Deputy General Counsel, the complainant may file a request for reconsideration of that decision with the General Counsel. There are no other substantive changes to the information quality guidelines.
The Office of Management and Budget has reviewed the Board’s final guidelines. The Access Board has made its final information quality guidelines available on its web site at www.access-board.gov/infoquality.htm.
Lawrence W. Roffee,
Executive Director