[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 210 (Wednesday, November 1, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74986-74987]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-24103]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Docket ID: DoD-2023-OS-0106]


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and 
Security, (OUSD(I&S)), Department of Defense, (DoD).

ACTION: 60-Day information collection notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office, (AARO) announces a proposed 
public information collection and seeks public comment on the 
provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall 
have practical utility; the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on 
respondents, including through the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by January 
2, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and 
title, by any of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Mail: Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant to the 
Secretary of Defense for Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Transparency, 
4800 Mark Center Drive, Mailbox #24, Suite 08D09, Alexandria, VA 22350-
1700.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency 
name, docket number and title for this Federal Register document. The 
general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the 
public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the 
internet at https://www.regulations.gov as they are received without 
change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this 
proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and 
associated collection instruments, please write to Angela Duncan, 
[email protected] or call 
571-372-7574.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The AARO Contact Form for Authorized 
Reporting information collection will be used to gather contact 
information, to include Personally Identifiable Information (PII), from 
members of the public. The collection is necessary to enable the All-
domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), Office of the Secretary of 
Defense, Department of Defense, to meet its statutory requirements. 
FY23 NDAA, Section 1673, ``Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Reporting 
Procedures'' requires that the Secretary of Defense ``issue clear 
public guidance for how to securely access the mechanism for authorized 
reporting'' no later than 180 days from enactment, which was June 2023. 
Furthermore, Section 1683 of the FY23 NDAA requires AARO to produce a 
Historical Record Report detailing the historical record of the United 
States government relating to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). 
To meet this requirement, AARO relies on the ``AARO Contact Form'' to 
receive reports from individuals with knowledge of potential UAP 
programs.
    Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: AARO Contact Form for 
Authorized Reporting; OMB Control Number 0704-0674.
    Needs and Uses: The AARO Contact Form for Authorized Reporting 
information collection will be used to gather contact information, to 
include Personally Identifiable Information (PII) from members of the 
public. The collection is necessary to enable the All-domain Anomaly 
Resolution Office (AARO), Office of the Secretary of Defense, 
Department of Defense, to meet its statutory requirements.
    The proposed information collection, AARO Contact Form for 
Authorized Reporting, enables AARO to comply with Section 1673 of the 
James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 
(FY23 NDAA), which directs AARO to establish a secure mechanism for 
authorized reporting of U.S. Government programs and activities related 
unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). The form will collect contact 
information from current and former U.S. Government employees, service 
members, and contractors who wish to make an authorized report to AARO. 
The collection is necessary to enable persons wanting to make a report 
to contact AARO directly.
    The AARO Contact Form for Authorized Reporting also supports

[[Page 74987]]

Section 1683 of the FY23 NDAA, which directs AARO to produce a 
Historical Record Report (HRR) on U.S. Government activities and events 
related to UAP from 1945 to present. Oral history interviews, records 
of the National Archive, open source research, and all records and 
documents from U.S. Government agencies are the foundational pillars of 
information supporting the HRR. The AARO Contact Form for Authorized 
Reporting enables AARO to contact individuals to schedule oral history 
interviews.
    The respondents are current and former U.S. Government employees, 
service members, and contractors who want to contact AARO in 
furtherance of providing authorized reporting regarding potential U.S. 
Governments activities and events related to UAP. The respondents will 
be asked to voluntarily provide their contact information by completing 
fields and using drop down menus on a page within AARO's website 
(www.aaro.mil). This form is the only collection instrument, is 100 
percent electronic, and is accessible by any web browser, via both 
desktop and mobile device. The collection is sent to AARO once the 
respondent clicks the ``Submit'' button on the website. No other 
communications are sent to the respondents that solicit responses. The 
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs will notify the 
public when AARO's contact form is available for use.
    Information, including PII, collected from the public will be 
processed and stored in an electronic environment accredited to handle 
and secure PII. AARO will then review submitted information to 
prioritize potential oral history interviews of persons so that they 
might make an authorized report. The end result of the information 
collection is the successful ability of individuals to contact AARO, 
provide a report, and contribute to the HRR, and for AARO to meet its 
statutory requirements.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Annual Burden Hours: 208.
    Number of Respondents: 2,500.
    Responses Per Respondent: 1.
    Annual Responses: 2,500.
    Average Burden per Response: 5 minutes.
    Frequency: On occasion.

    Dated: October 24, 2023.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2023-24103 Filed 10-31-23; 8:45 am]
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