[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 226 (Friday, November 25, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71181-71182]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-6520]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 5236]


30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Form DS-71, 
Affidavit of Identifying Witness; OMB Number 1405-0088

ACTION: Notice of request for public comment and submission to OMB of 
proposed collection of information.

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SUMMARY: The Department of State has submitted the following 
information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995.
    Title of Information Collection: Affidavit of Identifying Witness
    OMB Control Number: 1405-0088.
    Type of Request: Revision of a Currently Approved Collection.
    Originating Office: Bureau of Consular Affairs, Department of 
State, Passport Services, Office of Field Operations, Field 
Coordination Division. CA/PPT/FO/FC.
    Form Number: DS-71.
    Respondents: Individuals or Households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 140,000.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 140,000.
    Average Hours Per Response: \1/2\ (5 min.).
    Total Estimated Burden: 11,700.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Obligation to Respond: Required To Obtain a Benefit.

DATES: Submit comments to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
up to 30 days from December 27, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Direct comments and questions to Katherine Astrich, the 
Department of State Desk Officer in the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), who 
may be reached at 202-395-4718. You may submit comments by any of the 
following methods:
     E-mail: [email protected]. You must 
include the DS form number, information collection title, and OMB 
control number in the subject line of your message.
     Mail (paper, disk, or CD-ROM submissions): Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 
725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.
     Fax: 202-395-6974.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct requests for additional 
information regarding the collection listed in this notice, including 
requests for copies of the proposed information collection and 
supporting documents, to Susan Cowlishaw, U.S. Department of State, CA/
PPT/FO/FC, 2100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 3rd Floor/Room 3040 SA-29, 
Washington, DC 20037, who may be reached on 202-261-8957 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We are soliciting public comments to permit 
the Department to:
     Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary to properly perform our functions.
     Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection, including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used.
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected.
     Minimize the reporting burden on those who are to respond, 
including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
technology.
    Abstract of proposed collection: The Affidavit of Identifying 
Witness (Form DS-71) is used by the Department of State in making a 
determination of the applicant's eligibility to be documented as a 
citizen or a non-citizen national of the United States. The form is 
used by Acceptance Agents and Consular Officers to collect information 
for the

[[Page 71182]]

purpose of establishing the identity of a passport applicant who has 
not submitted adequate evidence with his/her passport application. The 
primary purpose for soliciting the information is to establish identity 
and entitlement to issuance of a United States passport, and to 
properly administer and enforce the laws pertaining to issuance 
thereof. Lack of identity information may result in the refusal to 
issue a United States passport. Inaccurate identity evidence could 
possibly result in issuance of a passport to a non-U.S. citizen or to 
someone using an assumed identity.
    Methodology: The Affidavit of Identifying Witness (Form DS-71) is 
used in conjunction with the Application for A U.S. Passport (Form DS-
11). Along with the DS-71, the customer's insufficient or unacceptable 
identity documents are recorded. The identifying witness completes the 
form for a person applying for a passport who is unable to properly 
identify himself or herself at the acceptance facility/passport agency 
in the presence of the Acceptance Agent/Consular Officer.

Frank Moss,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Passport Services, Bureau of Consular 
Affairs, Department of State.
 [FR Doc. E5-6520 Filed 11-23-05; 8:45 am]
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