[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 49 (Monday, March 14, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14278-14279]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-05290]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

[1651-0019]


Vessel Entrance or Clearance Statement

AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Department of 
Homeland Security.

ACTION: 30-Day notice and request for comments; revision of an existing 
collection of information.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection 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 (PRA). 
The information collection is published in the Federal Register to 
obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and must be submitted (no later than 
April 13, 2022) to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the item(s) 
contained in this notice 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional PRA 
information should be directed to Seth Renkema, Chief, Economic Impact 
Analysis Branch, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Trade, 
Regulations and Rulings, 90 K Street NE, 10th Floor, Washington, DC 
20229-1177, Telephone number 202-325-0056 or via email 
[email protected]. Please note that the contact information provided 
here is solely for questions regarding this notice. Individuals seeking 
information about other CBP programs should contact the CBP National 
Customer Service Center at 877-227-5511, (TTY) 1-800-877-8339, or CBP 
website at https://www.cbp.gov/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CBP invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on the proposed and/or continuing 
information collections pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This proposed information collection was 
previously published in the Federal Register (Volume 86 FR Page 63036) 
on November 15, 2021, allowing for a 60-day comment period. This notice 
allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. This process is 
conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.8. Written comments and 
suggestions from the public and affected agencies should address one or 
more of the following four points: (1) 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) 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) suggestions to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
(4) suggestions to 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. The comments that are submitted 
will be summarized and included in the request for approval. All 
comments will become a matter of public record.

Overview of This Information Collection

    Title: Vessel Entrance or Clearance Statement.
    OMB Number: 1651-0019.
    Form Number: CBP Form 1300.
    Current Actions: Revision of an existing information collection.
    Type of Review: Revision.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Abstract: CBP Form 1300, Vessel Entrance or Clearance Statement, is 
used to collect essential commercial vessel data at time of formal 
entrance and clearance in U.S. ports, allows the master to attest to 
the truthfulness of all CBP forms associated with the manifest package, 
and collects relevant information about the vessel and cargo. The form 
was developed through agreement by the United Nations Intergovernmental 
Maritime Organization (IMO) in conjunction with the United States and 
various other countries. The form was developed as a single form to 
replace the numerous other forms used by various countries for the 
entrance and clearance of vessels. CBP Form 1300 is authorized by 19 
U.S.C. 1431, 1433, and 1434, and provided for by 19 CFR 4.
    This form is accessible at http://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/publications/forms?title=1300&=Apply.
    This form is currently submitted in paper format and is anticipated 
to be submitted electronically as part of CBP's efforts to automate 
maritime forms through the Vessel Entrance and Clearance System (VECS), 
which will reduce the need for paper submission of any vessel entrance 
or clearance requirements under the above referenced statutes and 
regulations. VECS will still collect and maintain the same data as CBP 
Form 1300 but will automate the capture of data to reduce or eliminate 
redundancy with other data collected by CBP.
    Proposed Changes:
    1. New ACE Account Type: CBP is adding a new ACE Account type for 
Vessel Agencies: The Vessel Agency Portal Account. The new account type 
within ACE will operate as a portal to the Vessel Entrance and 
Clearance System (VECS), which will run as its own separate system.
    Vessel Agents will be required to provide identifying information 
such as; their name, their employer identification number (EIN), 
company address, and their phone numbers, which will be requested at 
the time Vessel Agents apply for the new ACE account type.
    After creating an ACE account, Vessel Agencies, Vessel Operating 
Common Carriers (VOCCs), and their designees maybe able to use the new 
Vessel Entrance and Clearance System (VECS) as part of a forthcoming 
pilot program to test the functionality of VECS, and will be able to 
file vessel entrance, clearance, and related data to CBP 
electronically.
    2. VECS Public Pilot: VECS will automate and digitize the 
collection and processing of the data and filing requirements for which 
the CBP Form 1300 is used. CBP plans to run an initial public pilot to 
test the system. All users who obtained a Vessel Agency Account through 
the ACE Portal will be automatically enrolled into the VECS

[[Page 14279]]

public pilot. Initially, the pilot will begin at one of several ports 
where VECS has been internally tested. CBP will provide training to 
each CBP port and the Vessel Agency personnel at each port, prior to 
beginning/expanding the public pilot in another port.
    The VECS public pilot will expand to other internal CBP testing 
ports based on knowledge and familiarity with the system. The VECS 
public pilot will continue to expand to additional ports, in an effort 
to progressively test and implement the system nationwide. There will 
be no change to the paper format of CBP Form 1300, and CBP Form 1300 in 
paper format will continue to be accepted.
    Type of Information Collection: Vessel Entrance or Clearance 
Statement (CBP Form 1300).
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,624.
    Estimated Number of Annual Responses per Respondent: 72.
    Estimated Number of Total Annual Responses: 188,928.
    Estimated Time per Response: 30 minutes (0.5 hours).
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 94,464.

    Dated: March 9, 2022.
Seth D. Renkema,
Branch Chief, Economic Impact Analysis Branch, U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection.
[FR Doc. 2022-05290 Filed 3-11-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P