[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 110 (Friday, June 6, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 32346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-12755]



[[Page 32346]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Transportation Security Administration

[Docket No. TSA-2004-19147]


Intent To Request Renewal From OMB of One Current Public 
Collection of Information: Flight Training for Aliens and Other 
Designated Individuals; Security Awareness Training for Flight School 
Employees

AGENCY: Transportation Security Administration, DHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) invites 
public comment on an existing information collection requirement 
abstracted below that will be submitted to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for renewal in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act. The collection involves conducting background checks for all 
aliens and other designated individuals seeking flight instruction 
(``candidates'') from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-certified 
flight training providers. Through the information collected, TSA will 
determine whether a candidate is a threat to aviation or national 
security, and thus prohibited from receiving flight training. 
Additionally, flight training providers are required to conduct a 
security awareness program for their employees, and to maintain records 
associated with this training.

DATES: Send your comments by August 5, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed or delivered to Joanna Johnson, 
Communications Branch, Business Management Office, Operational Process 
and Technology, TSA-32, Transportation Security Administration, 601 
South 12th Street, Arlington, VA 22202-4220.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joanna Johnson at the above address, 
or by telephone (571) 227-3651 or 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 Information Collection 
Requirement (ICR) documentation is available at 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

    1652-0021, Flight Training for Aliens and Other Designated 
Individuals; Security Awareness Training for Flight School Employees, 
49 CFR part 1552. Pursuant to section 612 of the Vision 100--Century of 
Aviation Reauthorization Act, TSA is required to conduct background 
checks for all aliens and other designated individuals seeking flight 
instruction with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-certified flight 
training providers. In September 2004, TSA developed and implemented 
these requirements at 49 CFR part 1552, prescribing standards relating 
to the security threat assessment process that TSA conducts to 
determine whether candidates are a threat to aviation or national 
security and thus prohibited from receiving flight training. The 
collection of information required under 49 CFR part 1552 permits TSA 
to gather candidates' biographic information and fingerprints, which 
are used to perform the background checks. Additionally, flight 
training providers are required to conduct security awareness training 
for their employees to increase awareness of suspicious circumstances 
and activities of individuals enrolling in, or attending, flight 
training. The flight training provider may use the initial security 
awareness training program offered by TSA, or an alternative initial 
training program offered by a third party, or training designed by the 
flight training provider itself. Each flight training provider employee 
must receive recurrent security awareness training each year, and 
flight training providers must maintain records of the training 
completed throughout the course of the individual's employment, and for 
one year after the individual is no longer a flight training provider 
employee.
    Based on the numbers of respondents to date, TSA estimates a total 
of 31,000 respondents annually: 26,500 candidates and 4,500 flight 
training providers.
    Respondents are required to provide the subject information every 
time an alien or other designated individual applies for pilot training 
as described in the regulation, which is estimated to be twice a year 
per candidate, for a total of 53,000 responses per year. In response to 
comments to the interim final rule regarding in aircraft weighing 
12,500 lbs. or less, TSA delineated the types of training events that 
would be subject to the requirements. TSA specified that candidates 
applying for flight training in aircraft weighing 12,500 lbs. or less 
would be subject to requirements only if they are training towards an 
initial certificate, an instrument, or multi-engine training. See TSA's 
clarifying interpretation document in Docket (Document ID: TSA-2004-
19147-0337), dated January 5, 2005, titled ``Flight Schools and 
Individuals Subject to 49 CFR part 1552; RE: Interpretation of `Flight 
Training' for Aircraft with an MTOW of 12,500 Pounds or Less and 
Exemption from Certain `Recurrent Training' Information Submission 
Requirements Contained in 49 CFR part 1552.'' This clarification 
reduced the number of candidates anticipated from the original 
estimates made in November 2004. In addition, 1,500 more flight 
training providers have participated in this program.
    TSA estimates that it will take the 26,500 candidates 45 minutes 
per application (twice per year) to provide TSA with all of the 
information required, for a total approximate application burden of 
39,750 hours per year. Flight training providers must keep records for 
five years from the time they are created, and it is estimated each of 
the 4,500 flight training providers will carry an annual record keeping 
burden of 104 hours, for a total of 468,000 hours. Thus, TSA estimates 
the combined hour burden associated with this collection to be 507,750 
hours annually.

    Issued in Arlington, Virginia, on May 30, 2008.
Fran Lozito,
Director, Business Management Office, Operational Process and 
Technology.
[FR Doc. E8-12755 Filed 6-5-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-05-P