[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 183 (Thursday, September 22, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57924-57925]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-20507]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

[OMB Number 1123-0013]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed eCollection of 
eComments Requested; United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism 
Fund Application Form

AGENCY: Criminal Division, Department of Justice.

ACTION: 30-Day notice.

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SUMMARY: The United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, 
Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 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. This proposed information collection 
was previously published in the Federal Register on May 31, 2022, 
allowing for a 60-day comment period. No comments were received.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for 30 days until 
October 24, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have additional comments 
especially on the estimated public burden or associated response time, 
suggestions, or need a copy of the proposed information collection 
instrument with instructions or additional information, please contact 
either Mary Patrice Brown, Special Master, United States Victims of 
State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, or Jennifer Bickford, Chief, Program 
Management and Training Unit, Money Laundering and Asset Recovery 
Section, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 950 
Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20530-0001, telephone (202) 353-
2046. Written comments and/or suggestions can also be sent to the 
Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Attention Department of Justice Desk Officer, Washington, DC 
20503 or sent to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected 
agencies concerning the proposed collection of

[[Page 57925]]

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 United 
States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, Criminal Division, 
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: Revision of a currently approved 
collection.
    2. The Title of the Form/Collection: Application Form for the 
United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (USVSST Fund).
    3. The agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of 
the Department sponsoring the collection: There is no agency form 
number for this collection. The applicable component within the 
Department of Justice is the Criminal Division, USVSST Fund.
    4. Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as 
well as a brief abstract:
    Primary: Individuals or households.
    Abstract: The USVSST Fund was established to provide compensation 
to certain individuals who were injured as a result of acts of 
international terrorism by a state sponsor of terrorism. Under the 
Justice for United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act 
(Act), 34 U.S.C. 20144(c), as amended, an eligible claimant is (1) a 
U.S. person, as defined in 34 U.S.C. 20144(j)(8), with a final judgment 
issued by a U.S. district court under state or federal law against a 
state sponsor of terrorism and arising from an act of international 
terrorism, for which the foreign state was found not immune under 
provisions of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, codified at 28 
U.S.C. 1605A or 1605(a)(7) (as such section was in effect on January 
27, 2008); (2) a U.S. person, as defined in 34 U.S.C. 20144(j)(8), who 
was taken and held hostage from the United States Embassy in Tehran, 
Iran, during the period beginning November 4, 1979, and ending January 
20, 1981; or the spouse and child of that U.S. person at that time, who 
is also identified as a member of the proposed class in case number 
1:00-CV-03110 (EGS) of the United States District Court for the 
District of Columbia; or (3) the personal representative of a deceased 
individual in either of those two categories.
    The information collected from the USVSST Fund's Application Form 
will be used to determine whether applicants are eligible for 
compensation from the USVSST Fund, and if so, the amount of 
compensation to be awarded. The Application Form consists of parts 
related to eligibility and compensation. The eligibility parts seek the 
information required by the Act to determine whether a claimant is 
eligible for payment from the USVSST Fund, including information 
related to participation in federal lawsuits against a state sponsor of 
terrorism under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. The compensation 
parts seek the information required by the Justice for United States 
Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act, as amended, to determine the 
amount of compensation for which the claimant is eligible. 
Specifically, the compensation parts seek information regarding the 
amount of compensatory damages awarded the claimant in a final judgment 
as well as any payments from sources other than the USVSST Fund, as 
defined in 34 U.S.C. 20144(j)(6), that the claimant received, is 
entitled to receive, or is scheduled to receive, as a result of the act 
of international terrorism by a state sponsor of terrorism. The 
Application Form was revised with formatting changes and removal of 
certain information requests to minimize respondents' collection 
burden. There are changes in the revised Application Form, but it 
contains the same information regarding eligibility and compensation.
    The USVSST Fund may require an eligible claimant to supplement his 
or her application by submitting additional forms. These additional 
supplementary forms include information related to: (1) An 
acknowledgment and certification by applicants and their attorneys 
regarding the statutory provision on the amount of attorneys' fees; (2) 
an authorization for the USVSST Fund to communicate with individuals 
identified by an applicant regarding his or her claim; (3) a 
certification of the personal representative of a deceased individual 
regarding the USVSST Fund award for the decedent's estate; (4) a 
claimant's decision to change an attorney or representative; (5) a 
hearing request upon receipt of a decision denying the claim in whole 
or in part; and (6) electronic payment information.
    5. An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of 
time estimated for an average respondent to respond: It is estimated 
that 700 respondents may complete the Application Form. It is estimated 
that respondents will complete the paper form or the electronic form in 
an average of 1.25 hours.
    6. An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated 
with the collection: The estimated public burden associated with this 
collection is 875 hours.
    If additional information is required contact: Robert Houser, 
Department Clearance Officer, Policy and Planning Staff, Justice 
Management Division, United States Department of Justice, Two 
Constitution Square, 145 N Street NE, 3E.206, Washington, DC 20530.

    Dated: September 16, 2022.
Robert Houser,
Department Clearance Officer, Policy and Planning Staff, Office of the 
Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 2022-20507 Filed 9-21-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-14-P