Office of the Secretary August 6, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Transportation is directing all interested persons to show cause why it should not issue an order finding Maine Aviation Aircraft Charter, LLC., fit, willing, and able, and awarding it commuter air carrier authority to conduct scheduled passenger and cargo commuter service.

This document is a new System of Records Notice (SORN) for the Automated Targeting System (ATS) and is subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. ATS is an enforcement screening tool consisting of six separate components, all of which rely substantially on information in the Treasury Enforcement Communications System (TECS). ATS historically was covered by the SORN for TECS. The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published a separate SORN for ATS in the Federal Register on November 2, 2006. This SORN did not describe any new collection of information and was intended solely to provide increased notice and transparency to the public about ATS. Based on comments received in response to the November 2, 2006 notice, CBP issues this revised SORN, which responds to those comments, makes certain amendments with regard to the retention period and access provisions of the prior notice, and provides further notice and transparency to the public about the functionality of ATS. TECS is an overarching law enforcement information collection, risk assessment, and information sharing environment. It is also a repository for law enforcement and investigative information. TECS is comprised of several modules that collect, maintain, and evaluate screening data, conduct targeting, and make information available to appropriate officers of the U.S. government. ATS is one of those modules. It is a decision support tool that compares traveler, cargo, and conveyance information against intelligence and other enforcement data by incorporating risk-based targeting scenarios and assessments. As such, ATS allows DHS officers charged with enforcing U.S. law and preventing terrorism and other crimes to effectively and efficiently manage information collected when travelers or goods seek to enter, exit, or transit through the United States. Within ATS there are six separate and distinct components that perform screening of inbound and outbound cargo, conveyances, or travelers. These modules compare information received against CBP's law enforcement databases, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Terrorist Screening Center's Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB), information on outstanding wants or warrants, information from other government agencies regarding high-risk parties, and risk-based rules developed by analysts using law enforcement data, intelligence, and past case experience. The modules also facilitate analysis of the screening results of these comparisons. In the case of cargo and conveyances, this screening results in a risk assessment score. In the case of travelers, however, it does not result in a risk assessment score.