2018-26368. Intent To Request Extension From the Office of Management and Budget of One Current Public Collection of Information: Secure Flight Program

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 1652-0046, abstracted below, that we will submit to OMB for an extension in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The information collection involves passenger information that certain U.S. aircraft operators and foreign air carriers (collectively referred to in this document as “covered aircraft operators”) submit to Secure Flight for the purposes of identifying and protecting against potential and actual threats to transportation security. The information collection also involves low risk lists identifying those individuals who are a lower risk to transportation security and therefore may be eligible for expedited screening.

DATES:

Send your comments by February 4, 2019.

ADDRESSES:

Comments may be emailed to [e-mail] or delivered to the TSA PRA Officer, Information Technology (IT), 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 [phone].

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 will be available at http://www.reginfo.gov upon its submission to OMB. Therefore, in preparation for OMB review and approval of the following information collection, TSA is soliciting 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 the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Consistent with the requirements of Executive Order (E.O.) 13771, Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs, and E.O. 13777, Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda, TSA is also requesting comments on the extent to which this request for information could be modified to reduce the burden on respondents.

Information Collection Requirement

OMB Control Number 1652-0046; Secure Flight Program, 49 CFR part 1560. Under the Secure Flight Program, the Transportation Security Administration collects information from covered aircraft operators, including foreign air carriers and U.S. airports in order to prescreen passengers and individuals seeking access to the sterile area of the airport. Specifically, the information collected is used for watchlist matching, for matching against lists of Known Travelers, and to assess passenger risk (e.g., to identify passengers who present lower risk and may be eligible for expedited screening). The collection covers the following:

(1) Secure Flight Passenger Data (SFPD) for passengers of covered domestic and international flights within, to, from, or over the continental United States, as well as flights between two foreign locations when operated by a covered U.S. aircraft operator.

(2) SFPD for passengers of charter operators and lessors of aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of over 12,500 pounds.

(3) Certain identifying information for non-traveling individuals that airport operators or airport operator points of contact seek to authorize to enter a sterile area at a U.S. airport (e.g., to patronize a restaurant, to escort a minor or a passenger with disabilities, or for another approved purpose).

(4) Registration information critical to deployment of Secure Flight, such as contact information, data format, or the mechanism the covered aircraft operators use to transmit SFPD and other data.

(5) Lists of low-risk individuals who are eligible for expedited screening provided by Federal and non-federal entities. In support of TSA Pre✓®, TSA implemented expedited screening of known or low-risk travelers. Federal and non-federal list entities provide TSA with a list of eligible low-risk individuals to be used as part of Secure Flight processes. Secure Flight identifies individuals who should receive low risk screening and transmits the appropriate boarding pass printing result to the aircraft operators.

TSA estimates there are 4,660,363 respondents with an estimated annual reporting burden of 67,147 hours.

Dated: November 28, 2018.

Christina A. Walsh,

TSA Paperwork Reduction Act Officer, Information Technology.