[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 3, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 386-387]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28884]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-LE-2023-N095; FXLE12200900000-245-FF09L01300; OMB Control 
Number 1018-0180]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Law 
Enforcement Training System

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to revise a 
currently approved information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
February 2, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be submitted within 30 days of 
publication of this notice at https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting 
``Currently under Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the 
search function. Please provide a copy of your comments to the Service 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-
3803 (mail); or by email to [email protected]. Please reference ``1018- 
0180'' in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Madonna Baucum, Service Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, by email at [email protected], or by 
telephone at (703) 358-2503. Individuals in the United States who are 
deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 
711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay 
services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay 
services offered within their country to make international calls to 
the point-of-contact in the United States. You may also view the 
information collection request (ICR) at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we 
provide the general public and other Federal agencies with an 
opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing 
collections of information. This helps us assess the impact of our 
information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting 
burden. It also helps the public understand our information collection 
requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format.
    On August 17, 2023, we published in the Federal Register (88 FR 
56046) a notice of our intent to request that OMB approve this 
information collection. In that notice, we solicited comments for 60 
days, ending on October 16, 2023. In an effort to increase public 
awareness of, and participation in, our public commenting processes 
associated with information collection requests, the Service also 
published the Federal Register notice on Regulations.gov (Docket No. 
FWS-HQ-LE-2023-0105) to provide the public with an additional method to 
submit comments (in addition to the typical [email protected] email and 
U.S. mail submission methods). We received one comment which did not 
address the information collection requirements; therefore, no response 
is required.
    As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burdens, we are again soliciting comments from the public and other 
Federal agencies on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are 
especially interested in public comment addressing the following:
    (1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether or not the information will have practical utility;
    (2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection 
of information, including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
    (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (4) How might the agency 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 response.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. Before including your address, phone number, email 
address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you 
should be aware that your entire comment--including your personal 
identifying information--may be made publicly available at any time. 
While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.
    Abstract: The Service's Office of Law Enforcement at the Federal 
Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) coordinates and conducts 
training for Service special agents, wildlife inspectors, and 
administrative staff, as well as for State, Tribal, and foreign 
individuals responsible for wildlife and habitat protection. Over the 
past decade, there have been substantial increases in the numbers of 
programs and individuals trained, hours of training provided, and 
numbers of training sites.
    The Training and Development Unit (TDU) at FLETC collects the 
required information necessary to administer training programs as 
authorized by the following:
     Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 668-668c);
     Lacey Act (18 U.S.C. 42-43; 16 U.S.C. 3371-3378);
     National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act (16 
U.S.C 668dd-668ee);
     Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act (16 U.S.C. 718-718h);
     Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703-712);
     Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543);
     Marine Mammal Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1361-1407);
     Refuge Recreation Act (16 U.S.C. 460k-460k-4);
     Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1202-1527);
     Uniform Federal Crime Reporting Act (28 U.S.C. 534);
     USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 (Pub. L. 107-56);
     USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 
(Pub. L. 109-177);
     Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 
(Pub. L. 108-458);

[[Page 387]]

     Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-296);
     Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12--Policy for a 
Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors; 
and
     Criminal Intelligence Systems Operating Policies, 28 CFR 
part 23.
    The TDU collects the below listed information from prospective 
domestic trainees requesting attendance in a training program:
     Applicant's full legal name, contact, and identifying 
information;
     Emergency contact name and phone number;
     Photograph;
     Biography;
     Highest education level; and
     Law enforcement affiliation information, to include title/
rank, experience, and agency contacts.
    Course participants automatically receive the post-course 
evaluation form soliciting provide feedback on the following:
     Length of experience;
     Program length;
     Overall ratings;
     Content, presentation, and course materials;
     Labs, practical exercises, and written exams;
     Program outcomes; and
     General comments.
    We use the information collected to administratively record, track, 
and manage training records of domestic and foreign students affiliated 
with law enforcement agencies who attend training offered by the 
Service. The information also allows us to verify the records of 
previous attendees (upon official inquiry only) by name, country of 
origin, or specific identifying number.

Proposed Revisions

    The Service is proposing to revise this information collection as 
follows:
    1. (Discontinue) Account Registration (Foreign Students): We will 
request OMB approval to discontinue the previously approved information 
collection associated with the registration of international students 
attending TDU training. The State Department coordinates the vetting 
process for all prospective students. The State Department relies on 
the host country to vet the prospective students and uses a 
certification process for final selections which is exempt from the 
requirements of the PRA. Therefore, they do not have a control number 
for their selection/registration process.
    The Service does not collect registration information for 
international students; therefore, we will request OMB approve our 
request to discontinue this specific information collection within OMB 
Control No. 1018-0180. Approval of this request to discontinue the 
information collection associated with registration of international 
students will result in an annual burden decrease of 1,000 responses 
and 250 burden hours. We will continue to request OMB approval of the 
burden associated with international students completing the course 
evaluations.
    2. (New) Pre-Course Evaluation: We also propose to request OMB 
approval of the pre-test administered prior to the start of training. 
The pre-test gauges the participant's knowledge on topics such as 
adaptive leadership, adaptive challenges, use of intervention 
techniques, how to manage disequilibrium while exercising leadership, 
the use of interpretation during the diagnostic process, and systems 
thinking. At this time, we use Microsoft Office to deliver the pre-
test. A link is sent to the participants, and they click on the link, 
take the test, and submit. This is an anonymous test, as we do not ask 
their name and it is used to show that knowledge of the curriculum has 
been gained during the program.
    Title of Collection: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Law Enforcement 
Training System.
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0180.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Domestic and international students 
who attend the law enforcement/conservation training offered by the 
TDU.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 164.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 164.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: Completion times vary from 
10 minutes to 20 minutes, depending on activity.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 29.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: One time for the initial registration, and 
on occasion for pre- and post-course evaluations.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required 
to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number.
    The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Madonna Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-28884 Filed 1-2-24; 8:45 am]
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