Intent To Request Revision From OMB of One Current Public Collection of Information: Security Threat Assessment for Individuals Applying for a Hazardous Materials Endorsement for a Commercial Driver's License

Christina A. Walsh
Department of Homeland Security
16 August 2016

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 158 (Tuesday, August 16, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54585-54586]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-19448]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Transportation Security Administration

[Docket No. TSA-2003-14610]


Intent To Request Revision From OMB of One Current Public 
Collection of Information: Security Threat Assessment for Individuals 
Applying for a Hazardous Materials Endorsement for a Commercial 
Driver's License

AGENCY: Transportation Security Administration, DHS.

ACTION: 60-day notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) invites 
public comment on one currently approved Information Collection Request 
(ICR), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 1652-0027, 
abstracted below that we will submit to OMB for revision in compliance 
with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The ICR describes the nature of 
the information collection and its expected burden. The collection 
involves applicant submission of biometric and biographic information 
for TSA's security threat assessment in order to obtain the hazardous 
materials endorsement (HME) on a commercial drivers license (CDL) 
issued by states and the District of Columbia.

DATES: Send your comments by October 17, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be emailed to TSAPRA@dhs.gov or delivered to 
the TSA PRA Officer, Office of Information Technology (OIT), TSA-11, 
Transportation Security Administration, 601 South 12th Street, 
Arlington, VA 20598-6011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christina A. Walsh at the above 
address, or by telephone (571) 227-2062.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq.), an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is 
not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it 
displays a valid OMB control number. The ICR documentation is available 
at www.reginfo.gov. Therefore, in preparation for OMB review and 
approval of the following information collection, TSA is inviting 
comments to--
    (1) Evaluate whether the proposed information requirement is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including using appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.

Information Collection Requirement

    OMB Control Number 1652-0027; Security Threat Assessment for 
Individuals Applying for a Hazardous Materials Endorsement for a 
Commercial Driver's License, 49 CFR part 1572. TSA is requesting a 
revision of the currently approved ICR. The currently approved ICR 
supports implementation of section 1012 of the USA PATRIOT Act (Pub. L. 
107-56, 115 Stat. 272, 396, Oct. 26, 2001) (49 U.S.C. 5103a), which 
mandates that no state or the District of Columbia may issue a HME on a 
CDL unless TSA has first determined that the driver is not a threat to 
transportation security.
    TSA's implementing regulations (codified at 49 CFR part 1572) 
describe the procedures, standards, and eligibility criteria for 
security threat assessments on individuals seeking to obtain, renew, or 
transfer a HME on a CDL. In order to conduct the security threat 
assessment, states (or TSA's agent in states electing to have TSA 
perform the collection of information) must collect the driver's legal 
name, current and previous mailing addresses, date of birth, gender, 
height, weight, hair and eye color, city/state/country of birth, social 
security number (optional) and immigration status/naturalization date/
alien registration number (as applicable).
    In addition, states or the TSA agent must submit the driver's 
acknowledgement concerning previous criminal history, the driver's 
fingerprints, and whether the driver is a new applicant or applying to 
renew or transfer the HME. This information is necessary for TSA to 
forecast driver retention, transfer rate, and drop-rate to help improve 
customer service, reduce program costs, and provide comparability with 
other Federal background checks, including the Transportation Workers 
Identification Credential (TWIC). Finally, states are required to 
maintain a copy of the driver application for a period of one year.
    The currently approved ICR also includes an optional survey to 
gather information regarding the drivers' overall customer satisfaction 
with the service received at the enrollment center utilized by the TSA 
agent states. The optional survey will be administered at the end of 
the in-person enrollment service. Please note that the optional survey 
is only provided for drivers who enroll with a state serviced by TSA's 
designated enrollment contractor.
    TSA is revising the collection of information to expand the 
potential use of information. This revision would allow future use of 
the information collected for additional comparability determinations, 
such as allowing the HME applicant to participate in a program such as 
the TSA Pre[check][supreg] Application Program without requiring an 
additional background check. For example, the HME applicant may be able 
to ``opt in'' for a determination that the HME holder is eligible to 
participate in TSA Pre[check][supreg], TSA's expedited screening 
program for air travelers. TSA does not foresee additional fees for 
completing the comparability determination.

[[Page 54586]]

    TSA estimates an annualized 267,157 respondents \1\ will apply for 
an HME, and that the application and background check process will 
involve 440,275 annualized hours.\2\ TSA estimates that of the 267,157 
respondents, 93,505 drivers will respond to the survey with an 
annualized burden hours of 3,927. TSA estimates the total annualized 
costs to respondent drivers will be $23,497,498.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The number of respondents is based on actual numbers from 
2014, 2015, the estimate for 2016, and a 1 percent growth estimate 
for 2017-19.
    \2\ The hour burden was recalculated using zip code average 
transit, average enrollment time, and a ``wait time'' buffer of 10 
minutes. The total hour burden was reduced by about 1.5 hours, which 
accounts for the reduction of the annualized hours since the last 
submission to OMB in 2013.

    Dated: August 10, 2016.
Christina A. Walsh,
TSA Paperwork Reduction Act Officer, Office of Information Technology.
[FR Doc. 2016-19448 Filed 8-15-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-05-P