[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 157 (Tuesday, August 14, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48608-48609]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19940]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[U.S. DOT Docket No. NHTSA-2012-0094]


Reports, Forms, and Record Keeping Requirements

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Request for public comment on proposed collection of 
information.

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SUMMARY: Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from 
the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB). Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit 
public comment on proposed collections of information, including 
extensions and reinstatements of previously approved collections.
    This document describes the collection of information for which 
NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 15, 2012.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number 
NHTSA-2012-0094 using any of the following methods:
    Electronic submissions: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
    Mail: Docket Management Facility, M-30, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590.
    Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
    Instructions: Each submission must include the Agency name and the 
Docket number for this Notice. Note that all comments received will be 
posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov including any 
personal information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Alan Block, Contracting Officer's 
Technical Representative, Office of Behavioral Safety Research (NTI-
131), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE., W46-499, Washington, DC 20590. Mr. Block's phone number is 
202-366-6401 and his email address is [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
before an agency submits a proposed collection of information to OMB 
for approval, it must publish a document in the Federal Register 
providing a 60-day comment period and otherwise consult with members of 
the public and affected agencies concerning each proposed collection of 
information. The OMB has promulgated regulations describing what must 
be included in such a document. Under OMB's regulations (at 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)), an agency must ask for public comment on the following:
    (I) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility;
    (ii) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (iii) How to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (iv) How to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses.
    In compliance with these requirements, NHTSA asks public comment on 
the following proposed collection of information:

Survey of DWI Courts

    Type of Request--New information collection requirement.
    OMB Clearance Number--None.
    Form Number--NHTSA 1175.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval--3 years from date of 
approval.
    Summary of the Collection of Information--The National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposes to collect information 
from specialized (or problem solving) courts known as DWI Courts and 
Hybrid DWI/Drug Courts to obtain an inventory of their current 
operational practices. All known operating DWI Courts and Hybrid DWI/
Drug Courts will be contacted by mail and/or email and asked to go to a 
designated Web site to fill out the questionnaire. The most recent 
figures (from the National Association of Drug Court Professionals 
(NADCP)) show 598 Courts operating in the United States that are either 
designated DWI Courts (192) or else Hybrid DWI/Drug Courts (406) as of 
December 2010. That number is projected to increase to approximately 
650 Courts by the time the survey is ready to enter the field. The 
survey will ask about case flow, eligibility criteria, management 
information systems, program staffing, treatment, testing, courtroom 
practices, sanctions, and other relevant program characteristics. The 
average amount of time for respondents to complete the survey is 
estimated to be 40 minutes.
    The survey will be conducted on-line, with the on-line technology 
serving to reduce length and minimize recording errors. No information 
will be collected that could be used to identify any clients 
participating in the court programs. The information provided will 
either describe program practices/characteristics, or provide 
information aggregated across all cases.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the 
Information--NHTSA was established to reduce the number of deaths, 
injuries, and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes on 
the Nation's highways. As part of this statutory mandate, NHTSA is 
authorized to conduct research as a foundation for the development of 
motor vehicle standards and traffic safety programs.
    DWI Courts are a relatively new intervention to combat alcohol-
impaired driving and are authorized under MAP-21, the current DOT 
authorization. Borrowing from the Drug Court Model, they are directed 
at repeat offenders and offenders having high blood alcohol 
concentration levels (BACs) at time of arrest. These Courts attack the 
source of the problem by taking a comprehensive approach to changing 
behavior that includes treatment. There is a body of research that now 
exists to show that Drug Courts are effective. However, Drug Courts and 
DWI Courts may treat different populations, and questions about the 
effectiveness of DWI Courts and their services have yet to be 
adequately answered. NHTSA is presently designing a program to evaluate 
DWI Courts to directly answer key questions pertaining to their 
effectiveness. But in order to do that, the agency first needs detailed 
information on how the DWI Courts are operating.
    NHTSA will use the findings from this proposed collection of 
information to guide the design of an evaluation program to answer key 
questions regarding the effectiveness of DWI Courts.
    Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number, 
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the

[[Page 48609]]

Collection of Information)--The respondents will be people involved in 
the running of DWI Courts and Hybrid DWI/Drug Courts. These primarily 
will be Judges and Court Staff, but may include others involved in 
specific aspects of the DWI Court program such as treatment providers, 
law enforcement and probation/parole personnel. Contacted Courts will 
determine who is appropriate to complete the sections of the 
questionnaire, and may apportion different sections to different people 
to complete, if necessary. The projected total number of DWI Courts and 
Hybrid Courts at the commencement of the field period is 650. Total 
estimated time to complete the questionnaire is expected to average 40 
minutes. All Courts will be administered the survey one time only.
    Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Record Keeping Burden 
Resulting from the Collection of Information--NHTSA estimates that the 
Courts would require an average of 40 minutes to complete the survey or 
a total of 433.33 hours for the projected 650 DWI and Hybrid Courts. 
The survey would be fielded during a two month period in 2013. Thus the 
annual reporting burden would be the entire 433.33 hours. Reporting 
costs would entail salaried time for responding to the questionnaire. 
Mean hourly wages for legal occupations range from $21.56 for legal 
support workers to $53.34 for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and 
Magistrates. At 433.33 total responding hours for the survey, this 
would put the cost burden at a level between $9,343 and $23,114, 
depending on which Court personnel respond to the survey. The 
respondents would not incur any record keeping burden or record keeping 
cost from the information collection.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. Section 3506(c)(2)(A)

    Issued on: August 9, 2012.
Jeffrey Michael,
Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2012-19940 Filed 8-13-12; 8:45 am]
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