[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 29, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 68774-68775]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-30721]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Transportation Security Administration

49 CFR Parts 1520 and 1554

[Docket No. TSA-2004-17131]
RIN 1652-AA38


Aircraft Repair Station Security

AGENCY: Transportation Security Administration (TSA), DHS.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is extending 
the comment period on the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) 
regarding the Aircraft Repair Station Security Program published on 
November 18, 2009. TSA has decided to grant, in part, two requests for 
an extension of the comment period and will extend the comment period 
for thirty (30) days. The comment period will now end on February 19, 
2010, instead of January 19, 2010.

DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule at 74 FR 59874, 
November 18, 2009, is extended until February 19, 2010.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by the TSA docket number 
to this rulemaking, to the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS), a 
government-wide, electronic docket management system, using any one of 
the following methods:
    Electronically: You may submit comments through the Federal 
eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Mail, In Person, or Fax: Address, hand-deliver, or fax your written 
comments to the Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building Ground 
Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001; fax (202) 493-2251. The 
Department of Transportation (DOT), which maintains and processes TSA's 
official regulatory dockets, will scan the submission and post it to 
FDMS.
    See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for format and other information 
about comment submissions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Celio Young, Office of Security 
Operations, TSA-29, Transportation Security Administration, 601 South 
12th Street, Arlington, VA 20598-6029; telephone (571) 227-3580; 
facsimile (571) 227-1905; e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited

    TSA invites interested persons to participate in this action by 
submitting written comments, data, or views. We also invite comments 
relating to the economic, environmental, energy, or federalism impacts 
that might result from this action. See ADDRESSES above for information 
on where to submit comments.
    With each comment, please identify the docket number at the 
beginning of your comments. TSA encourages commenters to provide their 
names and addresses. The most helpful comments reference a specific 
portion of the document, explain the reason for any recommended change, 
and include supporting data. You may submit comments and material 
electronically, in person, by mail, or by fax as provided under 
ADDRESSES, but please submit your comments and material by only one 
means. If you submit comments by mail or delivery, submit them in an 
unbound format, no larger than 8.5 by 11 inches, suitable for copying 
and electronic filing.
    If you would like TSA to acknowledge receipt of comments submitted 
by mail, include with your comments a self-addressed, stamped postcard 
on which the docket number appears. We will stamp the date on the 
postcard and mail it to you.
    TSA will file all comments to our docket address, as well as items 
sent to the address or e-mail under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, in 
the public docket, except for comments containing confidential 
information and sensitive security information (SSI) \1\. Should you 
wish your personally identifiable information be redacted prior to 
filing in the docket, please so state. TSA will consider all comments 
that are in the docket on or before the closing date for comments and 
will consider comments filed late to the extent practicable. The docket 
is available for public inspection before and after the comment closing 
date.
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    \1\ ``Sensitive Security Information'' or ``SSI'' is information 
obtained or developed in the conduct of security activities, the 
disclosure of which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of 
privacy, reveal trade secrets or privileged or confidential 
information, or be detrimental to the security of transportation. 
The protection of SSI is governed by 49 CFR part 1520.
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Handling of Confidential or Proprietary Information and Sensitive 
Security Information (SSI) Submitted in Public Comments

    Do not submit comments that include trade secrets, confidential 
commercial or financial information, or SSI to the public regulatory 
docket. Please submit such comments separately from other comments on 
the action. Comments containing this type of information should be 
appropriately marked as containing such information and submitted by 
mail to the address listed in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
    TSA will not place comments containing SSI in the public docket and 
will handle them in accordance with applicable safeguards and 
restrictions on access. TSA will hold documents containing SSI, 
confidential business information, or trade secrets in a separate file 
to which the public does not have access, and place a note in the 
public docket explaining that commenter's have submitted such 
documents. TSA may include a redacted version of the comment in the 
public docket. If an individual requests to examine or copy information 
that is not in the public docket, TSA will treat it as any other 
request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552) and 
the Department of Homeland

[[Page 68775]]

Security's (DHS') FOIA regulation found in 6 CFR part 5.

Reviewing Comments in the Docket

    Please be aware that anyone is able to search the electronic form 
of all comments in any of our dockets by the name of the individual who 
submitted the comment (or signed the comment, if an association, 
business, labor union, etc., submitted the comment). You may review the 
applicable Privacy Act Statement published in the Federal Register on 
April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477) and modified on January 17, 2008 (73 FR 
3316).
    You may review TSA's electronic public docket on the Internet at 
http://www.regulations.gov. In addition, DOT's Docket Management 
Facility provides a physical facility, staff, equipment, and assistance 
to the public. To obtain assistance or to review comments in TSA's 
public docket, you may visit this facility between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays, or call (202) 366-
9826. This docket operations facility is located in the West Building 
Ground Floor, Room W12-140 at 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, 
DC 20590.

Availability of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Comments Received

    You can get an electronic copy using the Internet by--
    (1) Searching the electronic Federal Docket Management System 
(FDMS) Web page at http://www.regulations.gov;
    (2) Accessing the Government Printing Office's Web page at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html; or
    (3) Visiting TSA's Security Regulations Web page at http://www.tsa.gov and accessing the link for ``Research Center'' at the top 
of the page.
    In addition, copies are available by writing or calling the 
individual in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section. Make sure to 
identify the docket number of this rulemaking.

Comment Period Extension

    On November 18, 2009 (74 FR 59874), TSA published an NPRM on the 
Aircraft Repair Station Security Program. The NPRM has a 60-day comment 
period that would have ended on January 19, 2010. In two separate 
requests, one dated November 20, 2009, from the Professional Aviation 
Maintenance Association (PAMA) and the other dated November 23, 2009, 
from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), both 
organizations requested that the deadline for filing comments on the 
Aircraft Repair Station Security NPRM be extended for an additional 60 
days from January 19, 2010, to March 19, 2010. See Docket Item Nos. 
TSA-2004-17131-0034 (PAMA); TSA-2004-17131-0043 and TSA-2004-17131-0066 
(IATA). PAMA and IATA believe that the original 60-day comment period 
is insufficient time to provide TSA with substantive comments. PAMA 
requests additional time for its membership to read and respond to the 
NPRM due to the holiday season being the airlines busiest time of the 
year. IATA believes that due to the complexity and scope of the rule, 
there is insufficient time for careful consideration by stakeholders. 
IATA also believes that further time is required for translation and 
review of the NPRM by foreign repair station operators abroad.
    TSA has decided to grant, in part, PAMA and IATA's requests for an 
extension and will extend the comment period for thirty (30) days. TSA 
believes that public awareness of the proposed Aircraft Repair Station 
Security rulemaking, which began in February 2004 with a public meeting 
and comment period, has allowed sufficient time for industry 
consideration. The comment period will now be a total of 90 days and 
will end on February 19, 2010. This extension will allow the aviation 
industry and other interested entities and individuals additional time 
to complete their comments on the NPRM and will enable TSA to continue 
its efforts to implement final regulations as mandated by 49 U.S.C. 
44924.

    Issued in Arlington, Virginia, on December 22, 2009.
Gale D. Rossides,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. E9-30721 Filed 12-28-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-05-P