[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 206 (Tuesday, October 27, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55246-55247]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-25758]


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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: 60-day 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

[[Page 55247]]

flight instruction (``candidates'') from Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA)-certificated 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 or recurrent 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 December 28, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be e-mailed to [email protected] or delivered to 
the TSA Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) Officer, Office of Information 
Technology (OIT), TSA-40, Transportation Security Administration, 601 
South 12th Street, Arlington, VA 20598-6040.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ginger LeMay at the above address, or 
by telephone (571) 227-3616.

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 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

OMB Number 1652-0021; Flight Training for Aliens and Other Designated 
Individuals; Security Awareness Training for Flight School Employees, 
49 CFR Part 1552

    This is a renewal information collection request that includes 
background checks and fee changes for alien students requesting flight 
training in the United States.
    Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 44936 and 6 U.S.C. 469, TSA is required to 
conduct background checks for all aliens and other designated 
individuals seeking flight instruction with Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA)-certificated 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. TSA published a notice prescribing the 
process to determine that an alien who takes recurrent flight training 
is not a risk to aviation or national security, and to impose 
reasonable fees for this process.\1\
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    \1\ In September 2008, Congress passed the Consolidated 
Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 
2009 (Appropriations Act of 2009), which amends 6 U.S.C. 469 and 
authorizes TSA to establish a process to determine that an alien who 
takes a recurrent flight training is not a risk to aviation or 
national security, and to impose reasonable fees for this process.
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    The collection of information required under 49 CFR part 1552 and 
the Appropriations Act of 2009 permits TSA to gather candidates' 
biographic information, which is used to perform background checks. 
Flight training candidates also have to submit fingerprint information 
for 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 registered 
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.
    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 recordkeeping 
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.
    TSA estimates an annual cost burden of $223 per application (an 
increase of 3% per year when compared to the $205 per application cost 
burden that was estimated in 2004). The annual cost burden of $223 
includes a security fee of $130, for a total annual burden of 
$5,575,000 (12,500 Category 1-3 paying candidates x $223 per 
application x twice per year application). Recurrent training 
candidates pay a fee of $70 for a total of $1,960,000 (14,000 recurrent 
training candidates x $70 per application x twice per year 
application).
    TSA estimates the yearly recordkeeping costs per flight training 
provider for retaining records of candidates' applications and its 
employees' security awareness training files is estimated to remain the 
same per record as previously estimated at $1,500 for a total annual 
cost burden of 6,750,000 million ($1,500 x 4,500). TSA estimates the 
recordkeeping cost burden for flight training providers that do not 
register with TSA is negligible.
    The current combined annual cost burden to all respondents 
associated with this collection is estimated to be $14,285,000 
annually. The cost adjustments to TSA's original estimate are based on 
the added cost of 14,000 Category 4 recurrent training candidates 
estimated to apply for training twice per year; and the increase in the 
number of flight training providers from 3,000 to 4,500 who are subject 
to 49 CFR part 1552.

    Issued in Arlington, VA, on October 21, 2009.
Ginger LeMay,
TSA Paperwork Reduction Act Officer, Office of Information Technology.
[FR Doc. E9-25758 Filed 10-26-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-05-P