[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 5, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26073-26074]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11966]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY


Private Sector Clearance Program Request Form

AGENCY: National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), Department 
of Homeland Security (DHS).

ACTION: 30-Day notice and request for comments; revised information 
collection request: 1670-0013.

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SUMMARY: DHS NPPD will submit the following information collection 
request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review 
and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 
NPPD previously published this ICR in the Federal Register on Thursday, 
February 1, 2018 for a 60-day public comment period. One comment was 
received by NPPD. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 
30 days for public comments.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until July 5, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on 
the proposed information collection to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, OMB. Comments should be addressed to OMB Desk 
Officer, Department of Homeland Security and sent via electronic mail 
to [email protected]. All submissions must include the words 
``Department of Homeland Security'' and the OMB Control Number 1670-
0013.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice may be made available 
to the public through relevant websites. For this reason, please do not 
include in your comments information of a confidential nature, such as 
sensitive personal information or proprietary information. Please note 
that responses to this public comment request containing any routine 
notice about the confidentiality of the communication will be treated 
as public comments that may be made available to the public 
notwithstanding the inclusion of the routine notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Quintin Whitaker at 703-235-9485 
or at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Partnerships between the U.S. Government and 
the private sector at times necessitate the sharing of classified 
information. The Private Sector Clearance Program (PSCP) facilitates 
this sharing by sponsoring security clearances for ``appropriate 
representatives of sector coordinating counsels, sector information 
sharing and analysis organizations [(ISAOs),] owners and operators of 
critical infrastructure, and any other person that the Secretary 
determines appropriate.'' 6 U.S.C. 150. In order to begin this process 
of approving an applicant to participate in the clearance program, the 
applicant's employment information and Personally Identifiable 
Information (PII) is collected. Their association/SCC membership or 
employment information is reviewed for approval, and their PII is input 
into e-QIP, the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) secure portal 
for investigation processing.
    The U.S. Government is authorized to ask for this information under 
Sections 201 and 229 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-
296, 6 U.S.C. 121, 150), and Executive Orders 12968, 13526, 13549, 
13636, and 13691 which authorize the collection of this information.
    The PSCP is designed to process security clearances for private 
sector personnel who have been sponsored for access to classified 
information by a Federal Agency. In 2010, through Executive Order 
13549, the President established the Classified National Security 
Information Program (otherwise known as the Private Sector Clearance 
Program) to ``safeguard and govern access to classified national 
security information shared by the Federal Government with State, 
local, tribal, and private sector (SLTPS) entities. 75 FR 51609, 1.1 
(2010). In 2013, in a subsequent Executive Order 16363, the President 
directed the Secretary of Homeland Security, as Executive Agent for 
PSCP, to ``expedite the processing of security clearances to 
appropriate personnel employed by critical infrastructure owners and 
operators, prioritizing the critical infrastructure identified in 
section 9 of this order.'' 78 FR 11739, 11740 4(d) (2013). Section 9 of 
Executive Order 13636 refers to ``critical infrastructure where a 
cybersecurity incident could reasonably result in catastrophic regional 
or national effects on public health or safety, economic security, or 
national security.'' Id. at Section 9. In 2014 and 2015, Congress 
codified PSCP in section 229 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, 
authorizing the Secretary of Homeland Security to ``make available the 
process of application for security clearances under Executive Order 
13549 . . . or any successor Executive Order to appropriate 
representatives of sector coordinating councils, sector information 
sharing and analysis organizations . . . , owners and operators of 
critical infrastructure, and any other persons that the Secretary 
determines appropriate.'' 6 U.S.C. 150. Also in 2015, through Executive 
Order 13691, the President designated the National Cybersecurity and 
Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) as a critical infrastructure 
protection program and required the Department to manage the sharing of 
classified cybersecurity information under this designation. E.O. 
13691, 80 FR 9349 4(a) (2015); see 6 U.S.C. 132. These partners are 
subject matter experts within specific industries and have specialized 
knowledge not available within DHS. Private citizens do not receive 
monetary compensation for their time. DHS has created this program to 
facilitate clearances for these individuals who are not employed by an 
agency of the Federal government or otherwise have a contract, license 
or grant with an agency of the Federal government pursuant to E.O. 
12829 (the traditional means of obtaining a clearance) and must have 
clearances.

[[Page 26074]]

    Program changes require a revision of the existing collection. 
These changes include: Updating the title of the collection and updates 
to the form itself and reflects the potential for increased sponsorship 
and associated justifications articulated in section 229 of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002 and Presidential direction through the 
2013 and 2015 Executive Orders.
    The form will accommodate an increase in potential sponsorships and 
be used by additional programs in the same manner to sponsor private 
sector entities and individuals for security clearances. The additional 
sponsorships and programs will increase the burden totals by 360 
responses, 60 burden hours, and $6,155 annual burden cost. For current 
programs using the form, the burden estimates have decreased by 200 
responses, 33 burden hours and $706 annual burden cost based on actual 
responses received. As a result, the total burden estimates will 
increase overall by 160 responses, 27 burden hours, $5,448 annual 
burden costs.
    The changes to the form itself include: Updating the title; adding 
a program type field, adding justification guidance to the back of the 
form, and updating the wording of the field titles and instructions to 
improve clarity. A redlined mockup of the form changes will be included 
as a supplement to this supporting statement. The changes to the form 
itself will not change the burden estimates as the only field being 
added is an open text field to distinguish the justification for the 
nomination.
    The annual government cost for the collection has increased by 
$91,998, from $150,852 to $242,850, due to updated wage rates.
    This ICR was previously published at 83 FR 4670 for 60-day comment, 
and NPPD is soliciting public comment for another 30 days. OMB is 
particularly interested in comments that:
    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;
    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 
submissions of responses.
    Title of Collection: Private Sector Clearance Program Request Form.
    OMB Control Number: 1670-0013.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Affected Public: Private and Public Sector.
    Number of Respondents: 660 respondents.
    Estimated Time per Respondent: 10 minutes.
    Total Burden Hours: 110 annual burden hours.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $0.
    Total Recordkeeping Burden: $0.

David Epperson,
Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-11966 Filed 6-4-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-9P-P