[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71918-71919]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19825]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Transportation Security Administration

[Docket No. TSA-2001-11120]


Intent To Request Extension From OMB of One Current Public 
Collection of Information: Imposition and Collection of Passenger Civil 
Aviation Security Service Fees

AGENCY: Transportation Security Administration, DHS.

ACTION: 60-Day notice.

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SUMMARY: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) invites 
public comment on one currently approved Information Collection Request 
(ICR), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 1652-0001, 
abstracted below that we will submit to OMB for an extension in 
compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The ICR describes 
the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The 
collection involves air carriers maintaining an accounting system for 
the passenger civil aviation security service fees collected and 
reporting this information to TSA on a quarterly basis, as well as 
retaining the data used for these reports for three fiscal years.

DATES: Send your comments by November 4, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be emailed to [email protected] or delivered 
to the TSA PRA Officer, Information Technology (IT), TSA-11, 
Transportation Security Administration, 6595 Springfield Center Drive, 
Springfield, VA 20598-6011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christina A. Walsh at the above 
address, or by telephone (571) 227-2062.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq.), an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is 
not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it 
displays a valid OMB control number. The ICR documentation will be 
available at https://www.reginfo.gov upon its submission to OMB. 
Therefore, in preparation for OMB review and approval of the following 
information collection, TSA is soliciting comments to--
    (1) Evaluate whether the proposed information requirement is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including using appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.

Information Collection Requirement

    OMB Control Number 1652-0001; Imposition and Collection of 
Passenger Civil Aviation Security Service Fees. In accordance with 49 
U.S.C. 44940 and relevant TSA Regulations, see 49 CFR part 1510, TSA 
imposes a Passenger Civil Aviation Security Service Fee (September 11th 
Security Fee) on passengers of both foreign and domestic air carriers 
(``air carriers'') on air transportation originating at airports in the 
United States.
    The September 11th Security Fee is collected by air carriers and 
remitted to TSA, which then transmits the fees to the U.S. Treasury 
Department to help offset the Federal Government's costs of providing 
civil aviation security services and other purposes designated by 49 
U.S.C. 44940. This information collection requires air carriers to 
submit to TSA information regarding the amount of September 11th 
Security Fees an air carrier has imposed, collected, refunded to 
passengers, and remitted to TSA. The retention of this data is 
necessary for TSA to ensure the proper imposition, collection, and 
regulation the September 11th Security Fee. Additionally, TSA collects 
the information to monitor carrier compliance with the fee requirements 
and for auditing purposes. Air carriers are required to retain this 
information for three years. Specifically, information collected during 
a given fiscal year (FY) (October 1 through September 30) must be 
retained through three subsequent fiscal years. For example, 
information collected during fiscal year 2020 must be retained through 
fiscal year 2023.
    TSA's regulations require air carriers to impose and collect the 
fee on passengers, and to remit the fee to TSA by the final day of the 
calendar month following the month in which the fee was collected. See 
49 CFR 1510.13. Air

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carriers are further required to submit quarterly reports to TSA, which 
indicate the amount of fees imposed, collected, and refunded to 
passengers, and remitted to TSA. See 49 CFR 1510.17.
    TSA has suspended a requirement for each air carrier that collects 
security service fees from more than 50,000 passengers annually to 
submit to TSA an annual independent audit, performed by an independent 
certified public accountant, of its security service fee activities and 
accounts. See 49 CFR 1510.15. Although the annual independent audit 
requirements were suspended on January 23, 2003 (see 68 FR 3192), TSA 
conducts its own audits of the air carriers. See 49 CFR 1510.11. 
Notwithstanding the suspension of the audit requirements, air carriers 
must establish and maintain an accounting system to account for the 
security service fees imposed, collected, refunded to passengers, and 
remitted to TSA. See 49 CFR 1510.15(a).
    TSA is seeking an extension of this collection to require air 
carriers to continue submitting the quarterly reports to TSA, and to 
require air carriers to retain the information for three fiscal years 
after the fiscal year in which the information was collected. This 
requirement includes retaining the source information for the quarterly 
reports remitted to TSA as well as the calculations performed to create 
the reports submitted to TSA. Should the annual audit requirement be 
reinstated, the requirement would include information and documents 
reviewed and prepared for the independent audit; the accountant's 
working papers, notes, worksheets, and other relevant documentation 
used in the audit; and, if applicable, the specific information leading 
to the accountant's opinion, including any determination that the 
accountant could not provide an audit opinion. Although TSA suspended 
the independent audit requirement, TSA conducts audits of the air 
carriers, and therefore, requires air carriers to retain and provide 
the same information as required for the quarterly reports and 
independent audits.
    TSA has incorporated minor adjustments to the figures used to 
estimate the costs of this ICR. The adjustments consider changes in the 
number of regulated air carriers and various administrative cost rates 
since the previous extension. TSA estimates that 188 total respondent 
air carriers will each spend approximately 1 hour to prepare and submit 
each quarterly report. TSA estimates that these respondents will incur 
a total of 752 hours (188 carriers x 4 quarterly reports x 1 hour per 
report) to satisfy the quarterly reporting requirements annually.
    TSA estimates 301 total responses from all respondent air carriers 
(188 plus 113, should the annual audit requirement be reinstated), with 
3,012 burden hours (752 hours for quarterly reports and 2,260 hours for 
audits) annually to satisfy the quarterly report and audit 
requirements.

    Dated: August 29, 2024.
Christina A. Walsh,
TSA Paperwork Reduction Act Officer, Information Technology.
[FR Doc. 2024-19825 Filed 9-3-24; 8:45 am]
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