2023-24847. Agency Information Collection Activities; Extension of Existing Information Collection; Vessel Entrance and Clearance System (VECS) (CBP Form 1300)

AGENCY:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION:

30-Day notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). The information collection is published in the Federal Register to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.

DATES:

Comments are encouraged and must be submitted (no later than December 11, 2023) to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the item(s) contained in this notice should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional PRA information should be directed to Seth Renkema, Chief, Economic Impact Analysis Branch, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Trade, Regulations and Rulings, 90 K Street NE, 10th Floor, Washington, DC 20229–1177, Telephone number 202–325–0056 or via email [e-mail]. Please note that the contact information provided here is solely for questions regarding this notice. Individuals seeking information about other CBP programs should contact the CBP National Customer Service Center at 877–227–5511, (TTY) 1–800–877–8339, or CBP website at https://www.cbp.gov/​.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

CBP invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on the proposed and/or continuing information collections pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register (88 FR 59932) on August 30, 2023, allowing for a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.8. Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected agencies should address one or more of the following four points: (1) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) suggestions to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) suggestions to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses. The comments that are submitted will be summarized and included in the request for approval. All comments will become a matter of public record.

Overview of This Information Collection

Title: Vessel Entrance and Clearance System (VECS).

OMB Number: 1651–0019.

Form Number: CBP Form 1300.

Current Actions: Extension.

Type of Review: Extension.

Affected Public: Individuals.

Abstract: CBP Form 1300, Vessel Entrance or Clearance Statement, is used to collect essential commercial vessel data at time of formal entrance and clearance in U.S. ports, allows the master to attest to the truthfulness of all CBP forms associated with the manifest package, and collects relevant information about the vessel and cargo. The form was developed through agreement by the United Nations Intergovernmental Maritime Organization (IMO) in conjunction with the United States and various other countries. The form was developed as a single form to replace the numerous other forms used by various countries for the entrance and clearance of vessels. CBP Form 1300 is authorized by 5 U.S.C. 301, and 19 U.S.C. 66, 1415, 1624, 2071, 1431, 1433, and 1434, as well as 46 U.S.C. 501, 60105 and provided for by 19 CFR 4. This form is accessible at: http://www.cbp.gov/​newsroom/​publications/​forms?​title=​1300&​=​Apply.

This form is currently submitted in paper format and is anticipated to be submitted electronically as part of CBP's efforts to automate maritime forms through the Vessel Entrance and Clearance System (VECS), which will reduce the need for paper submission of any vessel entrance or clearance requirements under the above referenced statutes and regulations. VECS will still collect and maintain the same data as CBP Form 1300 but will automate the capture of data to reduce or eliminate redundancy with other data collected by CBP.

Respondents are enabled to create a new ACE Account type for Vessel Agencies through the ACE Portal. The new account type within ACE will operate as a portal that leads to the Vessel Entrance and Clearance System (VECS), which will run as its own independent system.

Vessel Agents will be required to provide identifying information such as; their name, their employer identification number (EIN), company address, and their phone numbers, which will be requested at the time Vessel Agents apply for the new ACE account type.

After creating an ACE account, Vessel Agencies, Vessel Operating Common Carriers (VOCCs), and their designees are able to use the new Vessel Entrance and Clearance System (VECS) as part of the ongoing pilot program to test the functionality of VECS, and will be able to file vessel entrance, clearance, and related data to CBP electronically.

CBP is currently running a small public VECS Pilot on several ports. VECS will automate and digitize the collection and processing of the data and filing requirements for which the CBP Form 1300 is used. CBP plans to run an initial public pilot to test the system. All users who obtained a Vessel Agency Account through the ACE Portal will be automatically enrolled into the VECS public pilot. Initially, the pilot began at one of eleven ports where VECS was previously internally tested. CBP is providing training to each CBP port and the Vessel Agency personnel at each port, prior to beginning/expanding the public pilot in another port.

The VECS public pilot will continue to expand to additional ports, in an effort to progressively test and implement the system nationwide. There will be no change to the paper format of CBP Form 1300, and CBP Form 1300 in paper format will continue to be accepted.

New Submission: No changes to the information collection, the VECS pilot is still on-going and was live in 72 port codes as of August 2023, enabling fully electronic processing of vessel entrance and clearance. The public pilot has allowed CBP to identify areas for additional enhancement and automation, fix minor errors with the system's operation, and simultaneously deploy to new locations while continuing to test fixes and new capabilities. VECS pilot will continue to expand to other port codes while implementing training for port staff.

Type of Information Collection: CBP Form 1300.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,624.

Estimated Number of Annual Responses per Respondent: 72.

Estimated Number of Total Annual Responses: 188,928.

Estimated Time per Response: 30 minutes (0.5 hours).

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 94,464.

Dated: November 6, 2023.

Seth D. Renkema,

Branch Chief, Economic Impact Analysis Branch, U.S. Customs and Border Protection.