Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed eCollection, eComments Requested; Revision of a Currently Approved Collection; the National Forensic Laboratory Information System Collection of Drug Analysis Data, 38324-38325 [2018-16740]

Agencies

• Department of Justice

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 151 (Monday, August 6, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38324-38325]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16740]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

[OMB Number 1117-0034]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed eCollection, 
eComments Requested; Revision of a Currently Approved Collection; the 
National Forensic Laboratory Information System Collection of Drug 
Analysis Data

AGENCY: Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice.

ACTION: 30-day Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Justice (DOJ), Drug Enforcement 
Administration (DEA), 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. The proposed information collection was previously published in 
the Federal Register, on June 11, 2018, allowing for a 60 day comment 
period.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for 30 days until 
September 5, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have comments 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 Thomas D. Sonnen, Diversion 
Control Division, Drug Enforcement Administration; Mailing Address: 
8701 Morrissette Drive, Springfield, Virginia 22152; Telephone: (202) 
598-6812 or sent to [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 agency, 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 proposed 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

[[Page 38325]]

appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other forms of 
information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of 
responses.

Overview of This Information Collection

    1. Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved 
collection.
    2. Title of the Form/Collection: The National Forensic Laboratory 
Information System Collection of Drug Analysis Data.
    3. The agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of 
the Department sponsoring the collection: Medical Examiner/Coroner 
Office Survey; National Forensic Laboratory Information System Drug 
Survey of Drug Laboratories; and Toxicology Laboratory Survey for the 
component within the Department of Justice is the Drug Enforcement 
Administration, Diversion Control Division.
    4. Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as 
well as a brief abstract:
    Affected public (Primary): Forensic Science Laboratory Management.
    Abstract: The National Forensic Laboratory Information System 
(NFLIS) collections provide the DEA with national databases on analyzed 
drug samples from law enforcement activities, antemortem toxicology 
samples (toxiciology laboratories), and post-mortem toxicology samples 
(medical examiner/coroner offices (MECs) from federal, state, and local 
laboratories. Specifically, NFLIS-Drug data provide DEA current, 
precise, and representative estimates of drugs seized by law 
enforcement and analyzed by forensic laboratories. Since 2001, DEA has 
had case and drug report estimates for all drugs reported in NFLIS that 
are statistically representative of the nation and of census regions. 
The estimates, which are made possible by updating the laboratory 
profiles through the survey effort (see draft survey in Appendix), have 
given DEA the ability to track national and regional drug trends; a 
clearer national picture of illicit or diverted drug availability; 
additional information about the temporal changes in drug availability 
by geographic region; and the ability to detect new or emerging drugs. 
Information from NFLIS is combined with other existing databases to 
develop more accurate, up-to-date information on abused drugs. This 
database represents a voluntary, cooperative effort on the part of 
participating laboratories and MECs to provide a centralized source of 
analyzed drug data. Existing federal drug abuse databases do not 
provide the type, scope, timeliness, or quality of information 
necessary to effectively estimate the actual or relative abuse 
potential of drugs as required under the Controlled Substances Act (21 
U.S.C. 811(b)) and international treaties in a timely and efficient 
manner. For example, much of the trafficking data for federal drug 
scheduling actions is presently obtained on a case-by-case basis from 
state and local laboratories. Occasionally scientific personnel from 
the DEA's Diversion Control Division, Drug and Chemical Evaluation 
Section, have contacted specific laboratories and requested files. In 
addition, some DEA field offices routinely subpoena MEC records for use 
in case work. The development of the National Forensic Laboratory 
Information System (NFLIS) greatly enhances the collection of such 
data. Submission of information for this collection is voluntary. DEA 
is not mandating this information collection.
    5. An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of 
time estimated for an average respondent to respond: The DEA estimates 
that 140 persons annually for this collection at 1.6 hour per 
respondent, for an annual burden of 218 hours.
    6. An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated 
with the proposed collection: The DEA estimates that this collection 
takes 218 annual burden hours.
    If additional information is required please contact: Melody 
Braswell, Department Clearance Officer, United States Department of 
Justice, Justice Management Division, Policy and Planning Staff, Two 
Constitution Square, 145 N Street NE, Suite 3E.405B, Washington, DC 
20530.

    Dated: August 1, 2018.
Melody Braswell,
Department Clearance Officer for PRA, U.S. Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 2018-16740 Filed 8-3-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4410-09-P