[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 38 (Tuesday, February 26, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10263-10264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3631]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Transportation Security Administration

[Docket No. TSA-2003-14610]


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.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the Transportation Security

[[Page 10264]]

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 [email protected] or faxed to (202) 395-6974.

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 (571) 227-3651; facsimile (571) 
227-3588.

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.
 [FR Doc. E8-3631 Filed 2-25-08; 8:45 am]
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