[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 26, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3726-3727]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-1404]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Transportation Security Administration


Notice of Intent To Request Approval From the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) of One Public Collection of Information; 
Law Enforcement Officer Flying Armed Training and Certification

AGENCY: Transportation Security Administration (TSA), DHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: TSA invites public comment on a new information collection 
requirement abstracted below that will be submitted to OMB for approval 
in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act.

DATES: Send your comments by March 28, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed or delivered to Katrina Wawer, 
Information Collection Specialist, Office of Transportation Security 
Policy, TSA-9, Transportation Security Administration, 601 South 12th 
Street, Arlington, VA 22202-4220.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katrina Wawer at the above address or 
by telephone (571) 227-1995 or facsimile (571) 227-2594.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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. Therefore, 
in preparation for submission to renew clearance 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 through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.

Purpose of Data Collection

    TSA is requesting the collection of this information to comply with 
49 CFR 1544.219, which requires Federal and state law enforcement 
officers (LEOs) that are flying armed with a firearm to complete the 
Flying Armed Training course. TSA assumed responsibility for the LEO 
Flying Armed Training course under Section 107(a) of the Aviation and 
Transportation Security Act (ATSA) (Pub. L. 107-71) (codified at 49 
U.S.C. 44918 Crew Training). The course is a non-tactical overview of 
the conditions under which an officer may fly armed with a firearm, 
their expected behavior while flying armed, and the scope of their 
authority while in the air. After training is completed, TSA will 
solicit written feedback from the LEOs using a TSA training evaluation 
form. This collection would permit TSA to collect identifying 
information from LEOs who register for this training course and to 
solicit voluntary feedback from the participants on the quality of 
training.

Description of Data Collection

    Identifying information would be gathered from LEOs who have 
registered for the LEO Flying Armed Training program to confirm that 
they are eligible for this program (i.e., that they are active law 
enforcement officers who have an operational need to fly armed and 
receive the training). The course will be offered to Federal law 
enforcement agencies via CD-ROM or at the basic training course that 
LEOs attend at Federal training academies, such as the Federal Law 
Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) and the FBI and the Drug 
Enforcement Administration (DEA) Academies in Quantico, Virginia.
    For state and local LEOs, the course will be offered on a secure 
site over the Internet. State and local LEOs will be required to log 
onto the FLETC website, which will provide a link to the TSA LEO Flying 
Armed website. TSA will collect information when they register for the 
course and then maintain a record of successful completion, which is 
verified with a certificate the LEO will show at the airport-screening 
checkpoint.
    If the TSA agent on site doubts a LEO's authenticity when the LEO 
presents his or her credentials at the airport to fly, the TSA agent on 
site will contact the TSA's Transportation Security Operations Center 
(TSOC), , for identity verification. To verify the LEO's identity, the 
TSOC representative will direct the TSA agent to ask the LEO a series 
of questions, which the LEO was required to answer during the course 
registration (e.g., Where is your high school located?).
    After training is completed, TSA would solicit written feedback 
from the LEO training using a TSA training evaluation form. Completion 
of the form would be voluntary and anonymous. TSA proposes an annual 
certification for this training process. The number of potential 
respondents is 40,000 LEOs. The estimated annual reporting burden is 
7500 hours annually with an estimated annual cost burden of $673,248.

Use of Results

    TSA Headquarters and authorized airport personnel (airport 
screeners) will use the registration information to verify

[[Page 3727]]

the need and identities of the LEOs who must fly armed. The 
registration information and the certificate of successful completion 
from this collection will also provide TSA Headquarters personnel and 
airport personnel with the means to prevent unauthorized, or non-
certified, LEOs from flying with a firearm unnecessarily and without 
proper training. The results of the training evaluation forms will 
assist TSA in determining whether this training and certification 
should be an annual process.

    Issued in Arlington, Virginia, on January 14, 2005.
Lisa S. Dean,
Privacy Officer.
[FR Doc. 05-1404 Filed 1-25-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-62-P