[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 28 (Friday, February 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9178-9179]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02632]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

[OMB Number 1125-0018]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed eCollection 
eComments Requested; Revision of a Previously Approved Collection; 
FOIAXpress/FOIA Public Access Link

AGENCY: Executive Office for Immigration Review, Department of Justice.

ACTION: 60-Day notice.

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SUMMARY: The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), Department 
of Justice (DOJ), 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.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for 60 days until 
April 9, 2024.

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 
Raechel Horowitz, Chief, Immigration Law Division, Office of Policy, 
Executive Office for Immigration Review, 5107 Leesburg Pike, Suite 
2500, Falls Church, VA 22041, telephone: (703) 305-0473, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Written comments and suggestions from the 
public and affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of 
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 Bureau of Justice 
Statistics, 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.

    Abstract: This information collection is optional and voluntary. 
FOIAXpress is a software program that provides the EOIR Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA) Program with a single, unified application for 
managing the entire lifecycle of FOIA requests and appeals. The Public 
Access Link (PAL) is a secure web-based application that provides an 
online platform for the public to file a FOIA request with EOIR. The 
PAL is integrated directly with FOIAXpress and offers a centralized 
location for EOIR to receive online FOIA requests, deliver responsive 
records, communicate with requesters, collect fees, if applicable, and 
provide access to released documents in a public reading room in 
accordance with agency proactive disclosure guidelines.
    EOIR has developed several changes to the PAL platform to improve 
the Agency's FOIA request and response process and to reduce the burden 
on members of the public that submit FOIA requests to EOIR. These 
developments include the following substantive changes: modifying the 
request form to display only those data fields relevant to the type of 
FOIA request selected by the requestor; changing the date range field 
from voluntary to mandatory; prompting an individual that requests a 
Record of Proceeding (ROP) to provide on a voluntary basis the charging 
document date and a record subject's alias, parents' names, port and 
date of entry, and place and date of proceeding; and removing data 
fields that EOIR determined were no longer necessary for the Agency to 
fulfill a FOIA request. In addition, EOIR has identified the following 
non-substantive changes: modifying the appearance and formatting of the 
PAL request form; updating links to web pages and resources embedded 
throughout the form; revising existing form instructions for clarity; 
and reorganizing some data fields under different sections of the PAL 
form. EOIR intends these developments to reduce the public's burden in 
completing the PAL form and to improve the Agency's FOIA request and 
response process, and the public's experience with that process. These 
enhancements include: assisting requestors in making the most 
appropriate selection for the type of FOIA request; enhancing the 
logical direction with which a requestor completes the form; and 
tailoring the information solicited from the requestor to generate more 
precise requests, thereby reducing processing time.

Overview of This Information Collection

    1. Type of Information Collection: Revision of a previously 
approved collection.
    2. The Title of the Form/Collection: FOIAXpress/FOIA Public Access 
Link.
    3. The agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of 
the Department sponsoring the collection: None.
    4. Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as 
well as the obligation to respond: Individuals and households. The 
obligation to respond is voluntary.
    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 24,804 respondents will complete each form within approximately 3 
minutes each.
    6. An estimate of the total annual burden (in hours) associated 
with the collection: The estimated total annual burden hours for this 
collection is 1,240 annual burden hours.
    7. An estimate of the total annual cost burden associated with the 
collection, if applicable: $0.

[[Page 9179]]



                                               Total Burden Hours
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                                   Number of                       Total annual      Time per      Total annual
           Activity               respondents       Frequency        responses    response (min)  burden (hours)
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Completing the form                     24,804  1/annually......          24,804               3           1,240
 (individuals).
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    If additional information is required contact: Darwin Arceo, 
Department Clearance Officer, United States Department of Justice, 
Justice Management Division, Policy and Planning Staff, Two 
Constitution Square, 145 N Street NE, 4W-218, Washington, DC.

    Dated: February 5, 2024.
Darwin Arceo,
Department Clearance Officer for PRA, U.S. Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 2024-02632 Filed 2-8-24; 8:45 am]
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