[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 159 (Monday, August 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48755-48756]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-19463]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Transportation Security Administration

[Docket No. TSA-2001-11120]


Intent To Request Renewal From OMB of One Current Public 
Collection of Information: Imposition and Collection of Passenger Civil 
Aviation Security Service Fees

AGENCY: Transportation Security Administration, DHS.

ACTION: 60-day Notice.

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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 1652-0001, 
abstracted below that we will submit to OMB for renewal in compliance 
with the Paperwork Reduction Act. The ICR describes the nature of the 
information collection and its expected burden. The collection involves 
air carriers maintaining an accounting system to account for the 
passenger civil aviation security service fees collected and reporting 
this information to TSA on a quarterly basis, as well as retaining the 
data used for these reports for a three-year rolling period.

DATES: Send your comments by October 17, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be emailed 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: Christina A. Walsh at the above 
address.

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 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 Control Number 1652-0001; Imposition and Collection of 
Passenger Civil Aviation Security Service Fees. In accordance with the 
Aviation Transportation Security Act (ATSA) (49 U.S.C. 44940) and 
relevant TSA Regulations (49 CFR part 1510), TSA imposes a Passenger 
Civil Aviation Security Service Fee (September 11th Security Fee) on 
passenger air carriers and foreign air carriers (``air carriers'') on 
air transportation originating at airports in the United States. In 
December of 2013, 49 U.S.C. 44940 was amended. See section 601, Title A 
of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 (Pub. L. 113-67 (Dec. 26, 2013)) 
(Budget Act).

[[Page 48756]]

Changes to the underlying statute required amendments to 49 CFR part 
1510, which were addressed through an Interim Final Rule (IFR) 
published in the Federal Register on June 20, 2014 (2014 IFR). See 79 
FR 35462. The adjusted September 11th Security Fee now requires fees to 
be based on one-way trips rather than enplanements.
    The September 11th Security Fee is used to help defray the costs of 
providing Federal services, including civil aviation security services. 
This information collection requires air carriers to submit to TSA the 
amount of September 11th Security Fees an air carrier has imposed, 
collected, refunded, and remitted. Air carriers are required to retain 
this information for a three-year rolling period. For instance, air 
carriers must keep the information collected during fiscal year 2011 
until the expiration of fiscal year 2014.
    TSA rules require air carriers to impose and collect the September 
11th Security Fee and remit the amounts collected to TSA. See 49 CFR 
1510.13. The regulation also requires air carriers to submit quarterly 
reports to TSA, indicating the amount of the fees (no more than $5.60 
per one-way trip) imposed on, collected from, and refunded to 
passengers, and the amount remitted to TSA. See 49 CFR 1510.17.
    As initially promulgated in 2001, 49 CFR 1510.15 requires each air 
carrier that collects security service fees from more than 50,000 
passengers annually have an independent certified public accountant 
perform an annual independent audit of its security service fee 
activities and accounts. TSA made a decision in 2003 to conduct its own 
audits of air carriers (under the provisions of 49 CFR 1510.11), 
mitigating the need for the annual independent audit requirements. To 
that end, the independent audit requirements were suspended on January 
23, 2003. See 68 FR 3192. While the independent audit requirements have 
been suspended, air carriers are still required to establish and 
maintain an accounting system to account for the security service fees 
imposed, collected, refunded and remitted. See 49 CFR 1510.15(a).
    The Office of Management and Budget approved a revision to the 
collection to reflect changes resulting from basing the security 
service fee on enplanements to basing the fee on one-way trips. See ICR 
No. 201405-1652-001. That collection has been approved through January 
2015. TSA is seeking renewal of this revised collection related to the 
requirement for air carriers to submit the quarterly reports to TSA, 
retain the information for a three-year rolling period, and provide to 
TSA upon request the information required for the quarterly reports or 
necessary for an independent audit.
    TSA estimates that 173 total respondent air carriers will each 
spend approximately 1 hour to prepare and submit each quarterly report. 
TSA estimates that all respondents will incur a total of 692 hours (173 
carriers * 4 quarterly reports * 1 hour per report) to satisfy the 
quarterly reporting requirements annually.
    Should TSA reinstate the audit requirement, TSA estimates that 105 
air carriers would be required to submit annual audits, which would 
require approximately 20 hours for preparation, for a total of 2,100 
hours (105 carriers * 20 hours per audit) annually.
    TSA estimates that all respondent air carriers would incur 2,792 
hours (692 hours for quarterly reports and 2,100 hours for audits) 
annually to satisfy the quarterly report and audit requirements.
    TSA estimates that the 173 air carriers will each incur an average 
cost of $363.96 annually to satisfy the quarterly reporting 
requirement. This estimate includes $291.00 in labor for preparation of 
each quarterly report (4 reports * $72.75 per hour, each quarterly 
report is estimated to take 1 hour to prepare), $71.00 in annual 
records storage related costs, and $1.96 for postage to submit the 
report (4 stamps at 49 cents each). TSA estimates an aggregate annual 
cost of $62,965.08 ($363.96 cost * 173 air carriers) for all air 
carriers to prepare, store, and submit quarterly reports and a cost of 
$188,895.24 for the three-year extension period requested.
    Should TSA reinstate the annual audit requirement, TSA estimates 
that 105 air carriers would be required to submit annual audits and 
would incur an average cost of $3,074.50 per audit. This estimate 
includes $3,000.00 in labor for preparation of each audit (20 hours per 
report * $150.00 per hour), $71.00 in annual records storage related 
costs, and $3.50 for postage to submit the report. TSA estimates an 
aggregate annual cost of $322,822.50 ($3,074.50 cost * 105 air carries) 
for all air carriers to prepare, store, and summit the annual audit 
should the requirement be reinstated and $968,647.50 for the three-year 
extension period requested.

    Dated: August 11, 2014.
Christina A. Walsh,
TSA Paperwork Reduction Act Officer, Office of Information Technology.
[FR Doc. 2014-19463 Filed 8-15-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-05-P