[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 183 (Wednesday, September 21, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58531-58532]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-24158]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) invites 
public comment on one currently approved Information Collection Request 
(ICR), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 1652-0021, 
abstracted below, that we will submit to OMB for renewal in compliance 
with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The ICR describes the nature of 
the information collection and its expected burden. 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 November 21, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be e-mailed to [email protected] or delivered to 
the TSA PRA Officer, Office of Information Technology (OIT), TSA-11, 
Transportation Security Administration, 601 South 12th Street, 
Arlington, VA 20598-6011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joanna Johnson at the above address, 
or by telephone (571) 227-3651.

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 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 Control Number 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, 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 
(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 document is available in the docket for the interim final rule on 
``Flight Training for Aliens and Other Designated Individuals; Security 
Awareness Training for Flight School Employees'' (Docket ID: TSA-2004-
19147). This clarification reduced the number of candidates anticipated

[[Page 58532]]

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 September 15, 2011.
Joanna Johnson,
TSA Paperwork Reduction Act Officer, Office of Information Technology.
[FR Doc. 2011-24158 Filed 9-20-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-05-P