[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 163 (Thursday, August 26, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47653-47654]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18358]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Transportation Security Administration


Revision of Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB 
Review: Baseline Assessment for Security Enhancement (BASE) Program

AGENCY: Transportation Security Administration, Homeland Security 
(DHS).

ACTION: 30-Day notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the Transportation Security 
Administration (TSA) has forwarded the Information Collection Request 
(ICR), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 1652-0062, 
abstracted below, to OMB for review and approval of a revision to the 
currently approved collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). 
The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its 
expected burden. The collection allows TSA to conduct transportation 
security-related assessments during site visits with surface 
transportation security and operating officials.

DATES: Send your comments by September 27, 2021. A comment to OMB is 
most effective if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication.

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 Review--Open for 
Public Comments'' and by using the find function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christina A. Walsh, TSA PRA Officer, 
Information Technology (IT), TSA-11, Transportation Security 
Administration, 6595 Springfield Center Drive, Springfield, VA 20598-
6011; telephone (571) 227-2062; email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: TSA published a Federal Register notice, 
with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments, of the following 
collection of information on June 4, 2021, 86 FR 30065.

[[Page 47654]]

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.

Information Collection Requirement

    Title: Baseline Assessment for Security Enhancement (BASE) Program.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    OMB Control Number: 1652-0062.
    Form(s): BASE electronic checklist.
    Affected Public: Highway transportation asset owners and operators; 
and, public transportation agencies, including mass transit bus, rail 
transit, and less common types of service (such as cable cars, inclined 
planes, funiculars, and automated guideway systems).
    Abstract: TSA's BASE program works with existing (and new) 
transportation asset and system owner/operators by asking established 
questions to identify their current security posture, identify security 
gaps, and encourage implementation of countermeasures applicable to the 
specific surface mode of transportation. Data and results collected 
through the BASE program will inform TSA's policy and program 
initiatives and allow TSA to provide focused resources and tools to 
enhance the overall security posture within these sectors of the 
surface transportation community.
    The Government Accountability Office, audit GAO-20-404, ``Passenger 
Rail Security: TSA Engages with Stakeholders but Could Better Identify 
and Share Standards and Key Practices (April 2020),'' recommended TSA 
update the BASE cybersecurity questions to ensure they reflect key 
practices.\1\ TSA concurred with this recommendation and is requesting 
to revise the collection to include questions that cover all five core 
functions of the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
cybersecurity framework. All core functions and a majority of the 
subcategories are integrated with Cybersecurity and Infrastructure 
Security Agency guidelines and established industry best practices in 
the newly-developed cybersecurity questions and cybersecurity annex 
questions, strengthening the cybersecurity health for the 
transportation sector.
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    \1\ Additional information regarding this audit and the GAO's 
recommendations are available on the GAO's website using the audit 
number (GAO-20-0404) or at the following link: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-20-404.
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    Number of Respondents: 182.
    Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 1,698 hours annually.\2\
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    \2\ The annual burden has decreased since the publication of the 
60-day notice, which reported 1,708 annual hour burden (MT/PR BASE 
1,196 hours annually + HWY BASE 512 hours annually).

    Dated: August 20, 2021.
Christina A. Walsh,
TSA Paperwork Reduction Act Officer, Information Technology.
[FR Doc. 2021-18358 Filed 8-25-21; 8:45 am]
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