[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 130 (Tuesday, July 8, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38558-38559]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-15829]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

[OMB Control Number 1615--New]


Agency Information Collection Activities: DNA Evidence in Refugee 
Processing: Forms; G-1294, DNA Collection Consent Form (Laboratory 
Test) and G-1295, DNA Collection Consent Form (Rapid Test): New 
Collection

ACTION: 60-Day Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship 
and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment upon this proposed new collection of 
information. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 
1995, the information collection notice is published in the Federal 
Register to obtain comments regarding the nature of the information 
collection, the categories of respondents, the estimated burden (i.e., 
the time, effort, and resources used by the respondents to respond), 
the estimated cost to the respondent, and the actual information 
collection instruments.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for 60 days until 
September 8, 2014.

ADDRESSES: All submissions received must include the OMB Control Number 
1615-New in the subject box, the agency name and Docket ID USCIS-2014-
0002. To avoid duplicate submissions, please use only one of the 
following methods to submit comments:
    (1) Online. Submit comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal Web 
site at www.regulations.gov under e-Docket ID number USCIS-2014-0002;
    (2) Email. Submit comments to [email protected];
    (3) Mail. Submit written comments to DHS, USCIS, Office of Policy 
and Strategy, Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division, 20 Massachusetts 
Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20529-2140.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments

    Regardless of the method used for submitting comments or material, 
all submissions will be posted, without change, to the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, and will include any 
personal information you provide. Therefore, submitting this 
information makes it public. You may wish to consider limiting the 
amount of personal information that you provide in any voluntary 
submission you make to DHS. DHS may withhold information provided in 
comments from public viewing that it determines may impact the privacy 
of an individual or is offensive. For additional information, please 
read the Privacy Act notice that is available via the link in the 
footer of http://www.regulations.gov.

    Note: The address listed in this notice should only be used to 
submit comments concerning this information collection. Please do 
not submit requests for individual case status inquiries to this 
address. If you are seeking information about the status of your 
individual case, please check ``My Case Status'' online at: https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/Dashboard.do, or call the USCIS National 
Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.


    Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected 
agencies should address one or more of the following four points:
    (1) Evaluate 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;
    (2) Evaluate 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;

[[Page 38559]]

    (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 through 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.

Overview of This Information Collection

    (1) Type of Information Collection: New Collection.
    (2) Title of the Form/Collection: DNA Evidence in Refugee 
Processing.
    (3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the 
DHS sponsoring the collection: G-1294, DNA Collection Consent Form 
(Laboratory Test) and G-1295, DNA Collection Consent Form (Rapid Test); 
USCIS.
    (4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as 
well as a brief abstract:
    Primary: Individuals or households. Overseas applicants for refugee 
status filing through the USCIS Form I-590 (OMB Control Number 1615-
0068) that have a spouse and/or child(ren) must meet all requirements 
of Immigration and Nationality Act Sec.  207(c)(2) and have the 
necessary burden of proof to establish the relationship(s). In the case 
of a parent-child relationship, there is often a degree of difficulty 
in establishing this for refugee populations that often lack reliable 
documentation. USCIS is seeking to allow I-590 applicants to provide 
DNA testing results through an AABB accredited laboratory, and in 
coordination with the USCIS overseas office, to provide effective and 
credible evidence of this parent-child relationship. USCIS is also 
seeking to conduct simultaneous Rapid DNA testing as a pilot to make a 
determination if the Rapid DNA machines provide a valid alternative to 
traditional DNA testing. USCIS will be collecting samples for 
traditional DNA testing through an AABB accredited laboratory in 
conjunction with the Rapid DNA pilot to test the validity of the 
results obtained during the pilot. The collection of DNA, regardless of 
process employed, is strictly voluntary and refusal to provide a sample 
does not adversely impact an applicant's I-590 application.
    (5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount 
of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: 60 respondents 
for the standard DNA process with a total of 360 hours of burden with 
an estimated average of 6 hours per response. 250 respondents for the 
Rapid DNA process with a total of 110 hours of burden with an estimated 
average of .44 hours per response.
    (6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated 
with the collection: The total estimated annual public burden for this 
collection of information is 470 hours.
    If you need a copy of the information collection instrument with 
instructions, or additional information, please visit the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal site at: http://www.regulations.gov. We may also be 
contacted at: USCIS, Office of Policy and Strategy, Regulatory 
Coordination Division, 20 Massachusetts Avenue NW., Washington, DC 
20529-2140, Telephone number 202-272-8377.

    Dated: July 1, 2014.
Samantha Deshommes,
Acting Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division, Office of Policy and 
Strategy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of 
Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2014-15829 Filed 7-7-14; 8:45 am]
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