[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 239 (Friday, December 11, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80131-80132]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-27283]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Transportation Security Administration

[Docket No. TSA-2001-11120]


Intent To Request Extension 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 an extension in 
compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The ICR describes 
the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The 
collection involves air carriers maintaining an accounting system 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 three fiscal years.

DATES: Send your comments by February 9, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be emailed to [email protected] or delivered 
to the TSA PRA Officer, Information Technology (IT), TSA-11, 
Transportation Security Administration, 6595 Springfield Center Drive, 
Springfield, VA 20598-6011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christina A. Walsh at the above 
address, or by telephone (571) 227-2062.

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 will be 
available at http://www.reginfo.gov upon its submission to OMB. 
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.
    Consistent with the requirements of Executive Order (E.O.) 13771, 
Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs, and E.O. 13777, 
Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda, TSA is also requesting comments 
on the extent to which this request for information could be modified 
to reduce the burden on respondents.

Information Collection Requirement

    OMB Control Number 1652-0001; Imposition and Collection of 
Passenger Civil Aviation Security Service Fees. In accordance with 49 
U.S.C. 44940 and relevant TSA Regulations, see 49 CFR part 1510, TSA 
imposes a Passenger Civil Aviation Security Service Fee (September 11th 
Security Fee) on passengers of both foreign and domestic air carriers 
(``air carriers'') on air

[[Page 80132]]

transportation originating at airports in the United States.
    The September 11th Security Fee is collected by TSA and transmitted 
to the U.S. Treasury Department to offset the Federal Government's 
costs of providing civil aviation security services and other purposes 
designated by section 44940. This information collection requires air 
carriers to submit to TSA information regarding the amount of September 
11th Security Fees an air carrier has imposed, collected, refunded to 
passengers, and remitted to TSA. The retention of this data is 
necessary for TSA to ensure the proper imposition, collection, and 
regulation the September 11th Security Fee. Additionally, TSA collects 
the information to monitor carrier compliance with the fee requirements 
and for auditing purposes. Air carriers are required to retain this 
information for three years. Specifically, information collected during 
a given fiscal year (October 1 through September 30) must be retained 
through three subsequent fiscal years. For example, information 
collected during fiscal year 2020 must be retained through fiscal year 
2023.
    TSA's regulations require air carriers to impose and collect the 
fee on passengers, and to submit the fee to TSA by the final day of the 
calendar month following the month in which the fee was collected. See 
49 CFR 1510.13. Air carriers are further required to submit quarterly 
reports to TSA, which indicate the amount of the fees imposed, 
collected, and refunded to passengers, and remitted to TSA. See 49 CFR 
1510.17.
    Each air carrier that collects security service fees from more than 
50,000 passengers annually is also required to submit to TSA an annual 
independent audit, performed by an independent certified public 
accountant, of its security service fee activities and accounts. See 49 
CFR 1510.15. Although the annual independent audit requirements were 
suspended on January 23, 2003 (see 68 FR 3192), TSA conducts its own 
audits of the air carriers. See 49 CFR 1510.11. Notwithstanding the 
suspension of the audit requirements, air carriers must establish and 
maintain an accounting system to account for the security service fees 
imposed, collected, refunded to passengers and remitted to TSA. See 49 
CFR 1510.15(a).
    TSA is seeking an extension of this collection to require air 
carriers to continue submitting the quarterly reports to TSA, and to 
require air carriers to retain the information for three fiscal years 
after the fiscal year in which the information was collected. This 
requirement includes retaining the source information for the quarterly 
reports remitted to TSA as well as the calculations performed to create 
the reports submitted to TSA. Should the annual audit requirement be 
reinstated, the requirement would include information and documents 
reviewed and prepared for the independent audit; the accountant's 
working papers, notes, worksheets, and other relevant documentation 
used in the audit; and, if applicable, the specific information leading 
to the accountant's opinion, including any determination that the 
accountant could not provide an audit opinion. Although TSA suspended 
the independent audit requirement, TSA conducts audits of the air 
carriers, and therefore, requires air carriers to retain and provide 
the same information as required for the quarterly reports and 
independent audits.
    TSA has incorporated minor adjustments to the figures used to 
estimate the costs of this ICR. The adjustments consider changes in the 
number of regulated air carriers and various administrative cost rates 
since the previous extension. TSA estimates that 170 total respondent 
air carriers will each spend approximately 1 hour to prepare and submit 
each quarterly report. TSA estimates that these respondents will incur 
a total of 680 hours (170 carriers x 4 quarterly reports x 1 hour per 
report) to satisfy the quarterly reporting requirements annually.
    TSA estimates 274 total responses from all respondent air carriers 
(170 plus 104, should the annual audit requirement be reinstated), with 
2,760 burden hours (680 hours for quarterly reports and 2,080 hours for 
audits) annually to satisfy the quarterly report and audit 
requirements.
    TSA estimates that the 170 air carriers will each incur an average 
cost of $456.56 annually to satisfy the quarterly reporting 
requirement. This estimate includes $383.36 in labor for preparation of 
each quarterly report (4 reports x $95.84 per hour, each quarterly 
report is estimated to take 1 hour to prepare), $71.00 in annual 
records storage related costs, and $2.20 for postage to submit the 
report (4 stamps at 55 cents each). TSA estimates an aggregate annual 
cost of $77,615.20 ($456.56 cost x 170 air carriers) for all air 
carriers to prepare, store, and submit quarterly reports and a cost of 
$232,845.60 for the three-year extension period requested.
    Should TSA reinstate the audit requirement, TSA estimates that 104 
air carriers, of the 170 total respondent carriers that collect fees 
from more than 50,000 passengers annually, would be required to submit 
annual audits. These carriers would take approximately 20 hours for 
audit preparation, for a total of 2,080 hours (104 carriers x 20 hours 
per audit) annually. Air carriers required to submit annual audits 
would incur an average cost of $2,508.20 per audit. This estimate 
includes $2,433.40 in labor for preparation of each audit (20 hours per 
report x $121.67 per hour), $71.00 in annual records storage related 
costs, and $3.80 for postage to submit the report. TSA estimates an 
aggregate annual cost of $13,042.64 ($2,508.20 cost x 104 air carriers 
x .05 likelihood of audit to occur) for all air carriers to prepare, 
store, and summit the annual audit should the requirement be reinstated 
and $39,127.92 for the three-year extension period requested.

    Dated: December 8, 2020.
Christina A. Walsh,
TSA Paperwork Reduction Act Officer, Information Technology.
[FR Doc. 2020-27283 Filed 12-10-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-05-P