E8-3631. Extension of Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review: Security Threat Assessment for Individuals Applying for a Hazardous Materials Endorsement for a Commercial Drivers License

AGENCY:

Transportation Security Administration, DHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

This notice announces that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has forwarded the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval of an extension of the currently approved collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. TSA published a Federal Register notice, with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments, of the following collection of information on December 28, 2007, 72 FR 73865. 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 the U.S. States and the District of Columbia.

DATES:

Send your comments by March 27, 2008. A comment to OMB is most effective if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication.

ADDRESSES:

Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on the proposed information collection to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget. Comments should be addressed to Nathan Lesser, Desk Officer, Department of Homeland Security/TSA, and sent via electronic mail to [e-mail] or faxed to [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Joanna Johnson, Communications Branch, Business Management Office, Operational Process and Technology, TSA-32, Transportation Security Administration, 601 South 12th Street, Arlington, VA 22202-4220; telephone [phone]; facsimile [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 is available at http://www.reginfo.gov. 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 using appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Information Collection Requirement

Title: Security Threat Assessment for Individuals Applying for a Hazardous Materials Endorsement for a Commercial Drivers License.

Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.

OMB Control Number: 1652-0027.

Form(s): N/A.

Affected Public: Drivers seeking a hazardous material endorsement (HME) on their commercial driver's license (CDL).

Abstract: This collection supports the implementation of section 1012 of the USA PATRIOT Act (Pub. L. 107-56, 115 Stat. 272, 396, Oct. 26, 2001), which mandates that no State or the District of Columbia may issue a HME on a CDL unless TSA has first determined the driver is not a threat to transportation security. TSA's regulations 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 a TSA designated agent in States that elect to have TSA perform the collection of information) must collect information in addition to that already collected for the purpose of HME applications, which will occur once approximately every five years. The driver is required to submit an application that includes personal biographic information (for instance, height, weight, eye and hair color, date of birth); information concerning legal status, mental health defects history, military status, and criminal history; as well as fingerprints. In addition, 49 CFR part 1572 requires States to maintain a copy of the driver application for a period of one year. In this information collection renewal, TSA is amending the application to collect minor additional information, such as whether the driver is a new applicant or renewing or transferring the HME, to better understand and 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 Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC).

Number of Respondents: 348,000.

Estimated Annual Burden Hours: An estimated 3.4 million hours annually.

Issued in Arlington, Virginia, on February 19, 2008.

Fran Lozito,

Director, Business Management Office, Operational Process and Technology.