[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15500-15501]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05949]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

[OMB Number 1121-0269]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comments Requested; Reinstatement, With Change, of a Previously 
Approved Collection for Which Approval Has Expired: 2020 Census of 
Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories (CPFFCL)

AGENCY: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Justice.

ACTION: 30-Day notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs, 
Bureau of Justice Statistics, will be submitting the following 
information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. The proposed information collection was 
previously published, allowing a 60-day comment period. BJS received 
four comments in response. The responses were all favorable to the 
reinstatement of the CPFFCL program and emphasized the utility of the 
CPFFCL program to the field.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for 30 days until 
April 22, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Written comments and suggestions from the 
public and affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of 
information are encouraged. Your comments should address one or more of 
the following four points:

--Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary 
for the proper performance of the functions of the Bureau of Justice 
Statistics, including whether the information will have practical 
utility;
--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;
--Evaluate whether and if so how the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected can be enhanced; and
--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: Reinstatement of the Census of 
Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories, with changes, a previously 
approved collection for which approval has expired.
    (2) The Title of the Form/Collection: 2020 Census of Publicly 
Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories.
    (3) The agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of 
the Department sponsoring the collection: The form number is CFCL-20. 
The applicable component within the Department of Justice is the Bureau 
of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs.
    (4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as 
well as a brief abstract: This information collection is a census of 
federal, state, and local publicly funded forensic crime laboratories 
that analyze criminal evidence. This data collection follows the 2014 
study and will collect information on personnel, budgets, workloads, 
policies, and procedures of crime laboratories. BJS plans to field the 
2020 CPFFCL from May to October 2021. The census form was assessed by 
practitioners and subject matter experts to update it from the 2014 
form and ensure its relevance to forensic crime laboratories as well as 
reduce respondent burden. The form was then cognitively tested with 23 
forensic crime laboratories of different sizes, regions, and government 
levels. In addition to collecting detailed data for the 2020 reference 
year, CPFFCL will also collect summary data for the 2019 reference 
year.
    (5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount 
of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: A projected 500 
respondents will take an average of 2.5 hours to complete each form, 
including time to research or find information not readily available. 
BJS expects additional time will be needed for data quality follow-up 
for up to 250 respondents, which will require another 15 minutes of 
respondent's time.
    (6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated 
with the collection: There are an estimated

[[Page 15501]]

1312.5 total burden hours associated with this information collection.
    If additional information is required contact: Melody Braswell, 
Department Clearance Officer, United States Department of Justice, 
Justice Management Division, Policy and Planning Staff, Two 
Constitution Square, 145 N Street NE, 3E.405A, Washington, DC 20530.

    Dated: March 18, 2021.
Melody Braswell,
Department Clearance Officer for PRA, U.S. Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 2021-05949 Filed 3-22-21; 8:45 am]
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