2020-01527. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

Agency: National Technical Information Service (NTIS), Commerce.

Title: Limited Access Death Master File Certification Form (Certification Form).

OMB Control Number: 0692-0013.

Form Number(s): NTIS FM161.

Type of Request: Renewal of a currently approved information collection.

Number of Respondents: NTIS expects to receive approximately 250 applications and renewals for certification every year for access to the Limited Access Death Master File.

Average Hours per Response: 2.5 hours.

Burden Hours: 625 (250 × 2.5 hours = 625 hours).

Needs and Uses: NTIS issued a final rule establishing a program through which persons may become eligible to obtain access to Death Master File (DMF) information about an individual within three years of that individual's death. The final rule was promulgated under Section 203 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, Public Law 113-67 (Act). The Act prohibits the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) from disclosing DMF information during the three-year period following an individual's death (Limited Access DMF), unless the person requesting the information has been certified to access the Limited Access DMF pursuant to certain criteria in a program that the Secretary establishes. The Secretary delegated the authority to carry out Section 203 to the Director of NTIS.

The final rule requires that a Person seeking access to the Limited Access DMF establish a legitimate fraud prevention interest or legitimate business purpose pursuant to a law, governmental rule, regulation, or fiduciary duty. The Certification Application Form collects information that NTIS will use to evaluate whether the respondent qualifies to receive the Limited Access Death Master File under the rule.

Affected Public: Members of the public seeking certification or renewal of certification for access to the Limited Access Death Master File under the final rule for the “Certification Program for Access to the Death Master File.”

Frequency: Once a year.

Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

This information collection request may be viewed at reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to [e-mail] or fax to [phone].

Sheleen Dumas,

Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Commerce Department.