[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 161 (Tuesday, August 22, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 57044-57045]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-18080]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Transportation Security Administration
[Docket No. TSA-2023-0001]
RIN 1652-AA69
49 CFR Parts 1500, 1530, 1570, 1572, 1580, 1582, 1584
Vetting of Certain Surface Transportation Employees
AGENCY: Transportation Security Administration, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM); Extension of comment
period.
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SUMMARY: On May 23, 2023, the Transportation Security Administration
(TSA) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) proposing
security vetting of certain public transportation, railroad, and over-
the-road-bus (OTRB) employees. Through this notice, TSA is extending
the comment period to October 1, 2023, to provide additional time for
the public to submit comments.
DATES: The comment period for the NPRM published at 88 FR 33472 (May
23, 2023), is extended from August 21, 2023, to October 1, 2023.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by the TSA docket number
to this rulemaking, to the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS), a
government-wide, electronic docket management system. To avoid
duplication, please use only one of the following methods:
Electronic Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
Mail: Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S. Department
of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground
Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001. The Department of
Transportation (DOT), which maintains and processes TSA's official
regulatory dockets, will scan the submission and post it to FDMS.
Comments must be postmarked by the date indicated above.
Fax: (202) 493-2251.
See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for format and other
information about comment submissions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
[[Page 57045]]
For program questions: Victor Parker, Surface Division, Policy,
Plans, and Engagement, TSA-28, Transportation Security Administration,
6595 Springfield Center Drive, Springfield, VA 20598-6002; telephone
(571) 227-1039; email [email protected].
For legal questions: Christine Beyer, Chief Counsel's office, TSA-
2, Transportation Security Administration, 6595 Springfield Center
Drive, Springfield, VA 20598--6002; telephone (571) 227-2484; facsimile
(571) 227-1380; email [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comment Period Extension
On May 23, 2023, TSA issued its NPRM entitled Vetting of Certain
Surface Transportation Employees (88 FR 33472), and provided the public
90 days to submit comments on the proposal, or until August 21, 2023.
Interested parties have requested an extension of the public comment
period to give them additional time to respond to the NPRM. While TSA
believes that the current 90-day comment period is sufficient for full
and meaningful public participation, TSA agrees to extend the comment
period to October 1, 2023, to allow the public an additional period to
prepare and file comments.
Request for Comment
TSA invites interested persons to participate in this rulemaking by
submitting written comments, data, or views. We also invite comments
relating to the economic, environmental, energy, or federalism impacts
that might result from this rulemaking action, as well as on TSA's
collections of information under the Paperwork Reduction Act as
described further below. See the ADDRESSES section above for
information on where to submit comments.
Submitting Comments
With each comment, please identify the docket number at the
beginning of your comments, reference a specific portion or section of
the rulemaking, explain the reason for any recommended change, and
include supporting data. We recommend that you include your name and a
mailing address, an email address, or a telephone number in the body of
your document so that we can contact you if we have questions regarding
your submission.
You may submit comments and material electronically, by mail, or
fax as provided under the ADDRESSES section, but please submit your
comments and material by only one means. If you submit comments by mail
or delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no larger than 8.5 by 11
inches, suitable for copying and electronic filing.
If you would like TSA to acknowledge receipt of comments submitted
by mail, include with your comments a self-addressed, stamped postcard
or envelope on which the docket number appears and we will mail it to
you.
All comments, except those that include confidential or sensitive
security information (SSI) \1\ will be posted to https://www.regulations.gov, and will include any personal information you have
provided. Should you wish your personally identifiable information
redacted prior to filing in the docket, please clearly indicate this
request in your submission to TSA. TSA will consider all comments that
are in the docket on or before the closing date for comments and will
consider comments filed late to the extent practicable. The docket is
available for public inspection before and after the comment closing
date.
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\1\ ``Sensitive Security Information'' or ``SSI'' is information
obtained or developed in the conduct of security activities, the
disclosure of which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of
privacy, reveal trade secrets or privileged or confidential
information, or be detrimental to the security of transportation.
The protection of SSI is governed by 49 CFR part 1520.
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Handling of Certain Sensitive Information Submitted in Public Comments
Do not submit comments that include trade secrets, confidential
commercial or financial information, SSI, or protected critical
infrastructure information to the public regulatory docket. Comments
containing this type of information should be submitted separately from
other comments, appropriately marked as containing such information,
and submitted by mail to the addresses listed in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section. TSA will take the following actions for
all submissions containing SSI:
TSA will not place comments containing SSI in the public
docket and will handle them in accordance with applicable safeguards
and restrictions on access.
TSA will hold documents containing SSI, confidential
business information, or trade secrets in a separate file to which the
public does not have access, and place a note in the public docket
explaining that commenters have submitted such documents.
TSA may include a redacted version of the comment in the
public docket.
TSA will treat requests to examine or copy information
that is not in the public docket as any other request under the Freedom
of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and the Department of Homeland
Security's (DHS) Freedom of Information Act regulation found in 6 CFR
part 5.
Reviewing Docket Comments and Documents
Please be aware that anyone is able to search the electronic form
of all comments in any of our dockets by the name of the individual,
association, business entity, labor union, etc., who submitted the
comment. For more about privacy and the docket, review the Privacy and
Security Notice for the Federal Docket Management System at https://www.regulations.gov/privacyNotice, as well as the System of Records
Notice DOT/ALL 14--Federal Docket Management System (73 FR 3316,
January 17, 2008) and the System of Records Notice DHS/ALL 044--
eRulemaking (85 FR 14226, March 11, 2020).
You may review TSA's electronic public docket at https://www.regulations.gov. In addition, DOT's Docket Management Facility
provides a physical facility, staff, equipment, and assistance to the
public. To obtain assistance or to review items in TSA's public docket,
you may visit this facility between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, excluding legal holidays, or call (202) 366-9826. This DOT
facility is located in the West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140 at
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
Availability of Published Rulemaking Documents
You can find an electronic copy of this rulemaking using the
internet by accessing the Government Publishing Office's web page at
https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/FR/to view the daily published
Federal Register edition or accessing the Office of the Federal
Register's web page at https://www.federalregister.gov. Copies are also
available by contacting the individual identified for ``General
Questions'' in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
Stacey Fitzmaurice,
Executive Assistant Administrator, Operations Support.
[FR Doc. 2023-18080 Filed 8-18-23; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-05-P