Revision of Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review: Security Threat Assessment for Individuals Applying for a Hazardous Materials Endorsement for a Commercial Driver's License, 73311-73313 [2021-28041]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
• Transportation Security Administration

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 245 (Monday, December 27, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73311-73313]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-28041]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Transportation Security Administration

[Docket No. TSA-2003-14610]


Revision of Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB 
Review: Security Threat Assessment for Individuals Applying for a 
Hazardous Materials Endorsement for a Commercial Driver's License

AGENCY: Transportation Security Administration, DHS.

ACTION: 30-Day notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the Transportation Security 
Administration (TSA) has forwarded the Information Collection Request 
(ICR), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 1652-0027, 
abstracted below to OMB for review and approval of revision of the 
currently approved collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). 
The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its 
expected burden. The collection involves the submission of biometric 
and biographic information that TSA uses to verify identity and conduct 
a security threat assessment (STA) required before

[[Page 73312]]

obtaining the hazardous materials endorsement (HME) on a commercial 
driver's license (CDL) issued by States and the District of Columbia, 
and a customer satisfaction survey.

DATES: Send your comments by January 26, 2022. A comment to OMB is most 
effective if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the find function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christina A. Walsh, TSA PRA Officer, 
Information Technology (IT), TSA-11, Transportation Security 
Administration, 6595 Springfield Center Drive, Springfield, VA 20598-
6011; telephone (571) 227-2062; email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: TSA published a Federal Register notice 
soliciting comments for a 60-day period on April 8, 2021, 86 FR 18293.

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

    Title: Security Threat Assessment for Individuals Applying for a 
Hazardous Materials Endorsement for a Commercial Driver's License.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    OMB Control Number: 1652-0027.
    Forms(s): HME Threat Assessment Program (HTAP) Disclosure and 
Certification Form, HME Pre-Enrollment Application, HME Enrollment 
Application, and HME Customer Satisfaction Survey.
    Affected Public: Drivers seeking an HME on their state-issued CDL.
    Abstract: This collection supports the implementation of sec. 1012 
of the USA PATRIOT Act,\1\ which mandates that no State or the District 
of Columbia may issue an HME on a CDL unless TSA has first determined 
the driver is not a threat to transportation security. TSA's 
implementing regulations (codified at 49 CFR part 1572) describe the 
procedures, standards, and eligibility criteria for STAs on individuals 
seeking to obtain, renew, or transfer an HME on a state-issued CDL. To 
conduct the STA for the HME, States (or a TSA-designated agent in 
States that elect to have TSA perform the collection of information) 
must collect additional information beyond that already collected for 
the purpose of HME applications (which occur approximately once every 
five years). The driver is required to submit an application that 
includes personal information including driver's legal name; current 
and previous mailing addresses; date of birth; gender; height, weight, 
eye, and hair color; city, state, and country of birth; social security 
number (optional); immigration status; mental incapacity; criminal 
history; and biometrics, such as fingerprints.
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    \1\ Public Law 107-56 (115 Stat. 272, 396; Oct. 26, 2001) as 
codified at 49 U.S.C. 5103a.
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    States or the TSA agent must also submit whether the driver is a 
new applicant or applying to renew or transfer the HME. This 
information is necessary for TSA to forecast driver retention, transfer 
rate, and drop rate to help improve customer service and reduce program 
costs. This information also may be necessary to provide comparability 
with other Federal background checks, including the Transportation 
Worker Identification Credential.
    When the STA is complete, TSA makes a final determination on 
eligibility for the HME and notifies States of its decision and may 
provide notifications to the HME applicants of its decision. Most 
States and applicants will receive notification from TSA within two to 
three weeks of the submission of their completed applications. If TSA 
identifies potentially disqualifying information, it will send a letter 
to the HME applicants with instructions on how to proceed. If initially 
deemed ineligible by TSA, applicants will have an opportunity to apply 
for an appeal or waiver. Applicants must submit an application for 
appeal or waiver within 60 days of issuance of TSA's notification of 
ineligibility. If an application for appeal or waiver is not received 
by TSA within the specified amount of time, the agency may make a final 
determination to deny eligibility.
    TSA is revising the collection to reflect three changes to the 
program: (1) Online renewal capability; (2) enrollment in Rap Back; and 
(3) expanding enrollment options. First, the implementation of an 
online renewal capability for both active HME holders whose STA has not 
yet expired as well as HME holders who have a recently expired STA. 
Approximately 60 percent of active HME holders enroll to renew their 
HME when it expires every five years. Online HME renewals will reduce 
the applicant's cost and hour burden by avoiding visiting a TSA 
enrollment center for the renewal of a STA.
    Second, TSA is revising the collection of biometric fingerprints in 
States serviced by TSA's enrollment contractor to enroll HME holders in 
Rap Back, a service provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation 
(FBI). Once an individual is enrolled in Rap Back, TSA will not be 
required to collect new biometric fingerprints from the individual 
every five years or collect a fee from the individual for the 
submission of fingerprints to the FBI. The implementation of Rap Back 
recurrent criminal history vetting for HME holders will mitigate 
certain security risks posed by individuals who commit a disqualifying 
offense after their STA is completed and the HME is issued. These 
changes implementing online renewals and the use of Rap Back will 
result in lower costs to TSA, which in turn reduces the STA fee 
applicants must pay.
    Third, TSA is revising the collection of information to expand 
enrollment options and the potential use of biographic and biometric 
(e.g., fingerprints, iris scans, and/or photo) information. This 
revision would allow for facilitation of the security threat assessment 
and future use of the information collected for additional 
comparability determinations, such as allowing the HME applicant to 
obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC[supreg]) 
without requiring an additional background check.

[[Page 73313]]

    Finally, TSA invites all HME applicants who enroll using TSA's 
enrollment provider to complete an optional survey to gather 
information on the applicant's overall customer satisfaction with the 
enrollment process. This optional survey is administered at the 
conclusion of the enrollment process, including the new online 
renewals, where applicable. The results from these surveys are compiled 
to produce reports that are reviewed by the enrollment services 
provider and TSA.
    Number of Annual Respondents: 247,952.
    Estimated Annual Burden Hours: An estimated 332,978 hours annually.
    Estimated Annual Cost: $19.80 million.

    Dated: December 21, 2021.
Christina A. Walsh,
TSA Paperwork Reduction Act Officer, Information Technology.
[FR Doc. 2021-28041 Filed 12-23-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-05-P