Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R); Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; Data Security Requirements for Accessing Confidential Data, 68794-68796 [2022-24899]
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 220 / Wednesday, November 16, 2022 / Notices
communications and comments
received into any of our dockets by the
name of the individual submitting the
comment (or signing the document, if
submitted on behalf of an association,
business, labor union, etc.). Under 5
U.S.C. 553(c), the U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT) solicits comments
from the public to better inform its
processes. DOT posts these comments,
without edit, including any personal
information the commenter provides, to
www.regulations.gov, as described in
the system of records notice (DOT/ALL–
14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at
https://www.transportation.gov/privacy.
See also https://www.regulations.gov/
privacy-notice for the privacy notice of
regulations.gov.
Issued in Washington, DC.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety,
Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2022–24962 Filed 11–15–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
[Docket No. DOT–OST–2022–0130]
Office of the Assistant Secretary for
Research and Technology (OST–R);
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Comment Request; Data
Security Requirements for Accessing
Confidential Data
Bureau of Transportation
Statistics (BTS) Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Research and Technology
(OST–R), DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Bureau of Transportation
Statistics (BTS) within the Department
of Transportation (DOT) invites the
general public and other Federal
agencies to comment on a proposed
information collection. BTS plans to
collect information from the public to
fulfill its data security requirements
when providing access to restricted use
microdata for the purpose of evidence
building. BTS’s data security
agreements and other paperwork along
with the corresponding security
protocols allow BTS to maintain careful
controls on confidentiality and privacy,
as required by law. The purpose of this
notice is to allow for 60 days of public
comment on the proposed data security
information collection, prior to
submission of the information collection
request (ICR) to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB).
DATES: Written comments on this notice
must be received by January 17, 2023 to
be assured of consideration. Comments
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SUMMARY:
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received after that date will be
considered to the extent practicable.
Send comments to the address below.
Comments: Comments are invited on
(a) whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of BTS,
including whether the information will
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of
BTS’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information; (c)
ways to enhance the quality, use, and
clarity of the information on
respondents, including through the use
of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology;
and (d) ways to 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Clara Reschovsky, BTS Confidentiality
Officer, BTS, OST–R, Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave.
SE, Room E36–324, Washington, DC
20590, (202) 768–4994, Office hours are
from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., E.T.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Foundations for Evidence-Based
Policymaking Act of 2018 mandates that
the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) establish a Standard Application
Process (SAP) for requesting access to
certain confidential data assets. While
the adoption of the SAP is required for
statistical agencies and units designated
under the Confidential Information
Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act
(CIPSEA), it is recognized that other
agencies and organizational units within
the Executive branch may benefit from
the adoption of the SAP to accept
applications for access to confidential
data assets. The SAP is to be a process
through which agencies, the
Congressional Budget Office, State,
local, and Tribal governments,
researchers, and other individuals, as
appropriate, may apply to access
confidential data assets held by a federal
statistical agency or unit for the
purposes of developing evidence. With
the Interagency Council on Statistical
Policy (ICSP) as advisors, the entities
upon whom this requirement is levied
are working with the SAP Project
Management Office (PMO) and with
OMB to implement the SAP. The SAP
Portal is to be a single web-based
common application for the public to
request access to confidential data assets
from federal statistical agencies and
units. The National Center for Science
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
and Engineering Statistics (NCSES),
within the National Science Foundation
(NSF), submitted a Federal Register
Notice in September 2022 announcing
plans to collect information through the
SAP Portal (87 FR 53793).
Once an application for confidential
data is approved through the SAP
Portal, BTS will collect information to
meet its data security requirements.
This collection will occur outside of the
SAP Portal.
Title of collection: Data Security
Requirements for Accessing
Confidential Data
OMB Control Number: DOT–OST–
2022–0130
Expiration Date of Current Approval:
Not Applicable.
Type of Request: Intent to seek
approval to collect information from the
public to fulfill BTS security
requirements allowing individuals to
access confidential data assets for the
purposes of building evidence.
Abstract: Title III of the Foundations
for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of
2018 (hereafter referred to as the
Evidence Act) mandates that OMB
establish a Standard Application
Process (SAP) for requesting access to
certain confidential data assets.
Specifically, the Evidence Act requires
OMB to establish a common application
process through which agencies, the
Congressional Budget Office, State,
local, and Tribal governments,
researchers, and other individuals, as
appropriate, may apply for access to
confidential data assets collected,
accessed, or acquired by a statistical
agency or unit. This new process will be
implemented while maintaining
stringent controls to protect
confidentiality and privacy, as required
by law.
Data collected, accessed, or acquired
by statistical agencies and units is vital
for developing evidence on conditions,
characteristics, and behaviors of the
public and on the operations and
outcomes of public programs and
policies. This evidence can benefit the
stakeholders in the programs, the
broader public, as well as policymakers
and program managers at the local,
State, Tribal, and National levels. The
many benefits of access to data for
evidence building notwithstanding, BTS
is required by law to maintain careful
controls that allow it to minimize
disclosure risk while protecting
confidentiality and privacy. The
fulfillment of BTS’s data security
requirements places a degree of burden
on the public, which is outlined below.
The SAP Portal is a web-based
application for the public to request
access to confidential data assets from
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 220 / Wednesday, November 16, 2022 / Notices
federal statistical agencies and units.
The objective of the SAP Portal is to
increase public access to confidential
data for the purposes of evidence
building and reduce the burden of
applying for confidential data. Once an
individual’s application in the SAP
Portal has received a positive
determination, the data-owning
agency(ies) or unit(s) will begin the
process of collecting information to
fulfill their data security requirements.
The paragraphs below outline the
SAP Policy, the steps to complete an
application through the SAP Portal, and
the process for agencies to collect
information fulfilling their data security
requirements.
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
The SAP Policy
At the recommendation of the ICSP,
the SAP Policy establishes the SAP to be
implemented by statistical agencies and
units and incorporates directives from
the Evidence Act. The policy is
intended to provide guidance as to the
application and review processes using
the SAP Portal, setting forth clear
standards that enable statistical agencies
and units to implement a common
application form and a uniform review
process. The SAP Policy was submitted
to the public for comment in January
2022 (87 FR 2459). The policy is
currently under review and has not yet
been finalized.
The SAP Portal
The SAP Portal is an application
interface connecting applicants seeking
data with a catalog of data assets owned
by the federal statistical agencies and
units. The SAP Portal is not a new data
repository or warehouse; confidential
data assets will continue to be stored in
secure data access facilities owned and
hosted by the federal statistical agencies
and units. The Portal will provide a
streamlined application process across
agencies, reducing redundancies in the
application process. This single SAP
Portal will improve the process for
applicants, tracking and communicating
the application process throughout its
lifecycle. This reduces redundancies
and burden on applicants that request
access to data from multiple agencies.
The SAP Portal will automate key tasks
to save resources and time and will
bring agencies into compliance with the
Evidence Act statutory requirements.
Data Discovery
Individuals begin the process of
accessing restricted use data by
discovering confidential data assets
through the SAP data catalog,
maintained by federal statistical
agencies at www.researchdatagov.org.
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Potential applicants can search by
agency, topic, or keyword to identify
data of interest or relevance. Once they
have identified data of interest,
applicants can view metadata outlining
the title, description or abstract, scope
and coverage, and detailed methodology
related to a specific data asset to
determine its relevance to their
research.
While statistical agencies and units
shall endeavor to include metadata in
the SAP data catalog on all confidential
data assets for which they accept
applications, it may not be feasible to
include metadata for some data assets
(e.g., potential curated versions of
administrative data). A statistical agency
or unit may still accept an application
through the SAP Portal even if the
requested data asset is not listed in the
SAP data catalog.
SAP Application Process
Individuals who have identified and
wish to access confidential data assets
will be able to apply for access through
the SAP Portal when it is released to the
public in late 2022. Applicants must
create an account and follow all steps to
complete the application. Applicants
begin by entering their personal,
contact, and institutional information,
as well as the personal, contact, and
institutional information of all
individuals on their research team.
Applicants proceed to provide summary
information about their proposed
project, to include project title,
duration, funding, timeline, and other
details including the data asset(s) they
are requesting and any proposed
linkages to data not listed in the SAP
data catalog, including non-federal data
sources. Applicants then proceed to
enter detailed information regarding
their proposed project, including a
project abstract, research question(s),
literature review, project scope, research
methodology, project products, and
anticipated output. Applicants must
demonstrate a need for confidential
data, outlining why their research
question cannot be answered using
publicly available information.
Submission for Review
Upon submission of their application,
applicants will receive a notification
that their application has been received
and is under review by the data owning
agency or agencies (in the event where
data assets are requested from multiple
agencies). At this point, applicants will
also be notified that application
approval does not alone grant access to
confidential data, and that, if approved,
applicants must comply with the dataowning agency’s security requirements
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68795
outside of the SAP Portal, which may
include a background check.
In accordance with the Evidence Act
and the direction of the ICSP, agencies
will approve or reject an application
within a prompt timeframe. In some
cases, agencies may determine that
additional clarity, information, or
modification is needed and request the
applicant to ‘‘revise and resubmit’’ their
application.
Data discovery, the SAP application
process, and the submission for review
are planned to take place within the
web-based SAP Portal. As noted above,
the notice announcing plans to collect
information through the SAP Portal has
been published separately (87 FR
53793).
Access to Restricted Use Data
In the event of a positive
determination, the applicant will be
notified that their proposal has been
accepted. The positive or final adverse
determination concludes the SAP Portal
process. In the instance of a positive
determination, the data-owning agency
(or agencies) will contact the applicant
to provide instructions on the agency’s
security requirements that must be
completed to gain access to the
confidential data. The completion and
submission of the agency’s security
requirements will take place outside of
the SAP Portal.
Collection of Information for Data
Security Requirements
In the instance of a positive
determination for an application
requesting access to a BTS confidential
data asset, BTS will contact the
applicant(s) to initiate the process of
collecting information to fulfill their
security requirements. These include
additional requirements necessary for
the statistical agency or unit to place the
applicant(s) in a trusted category that
may include the applicant’s successful
completion of a background
investigation, confidentiality training,
nondisclosure, and data use agreements.
Estimate of Burden: The amount of
time to complete the agreements and
other paperwork that comprise BTS’s
security requirements will vary based
on the confidential data assets requested
and the access modality. To obtain
access to BTS confidential data assets, it
is estimated that the average time to
complete and submit BTS’s data
security agreements and other
paperwork is 90 minutes. This estimate
does not include the time needed to
complete and submit an application
within the SAP Portal. All efforts related
to SAP Portal applications occur prior to
and separate from BTS’s effort to collect
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 220 / Wednesday, November 16, 2022 / Notices
information related to data security
requirements.
The expected number of applications
in the SAP Portal that receive a positive
determination from BTS in a given year
may vary. Overall, per year, BTS
estimates it will collect data security
information for five application
submissions that received a positive
determination within the SAP Portal.
BTS estimates that the total burden for
the collection of information for data
security requirements over the course of
the three-year OMB clearance will be
about 22.5 hours and, as a result, an
average annual burden of 7.5 hours.
Issued in Washington, DC on the 10th of
November 2022.
Cha-Chi Fan,
Director, Office of Data Development and
Standards, Bureau of Transportation
Statistics, Office of the Assistant Secretary
for Research and Technology.
[FR Doc. 2022–24899 Filed 11–15–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Internal Revenue Service
Proposed Collection; Comment
Request for Forms 14417 and
14417–A
Internal Revenue Service (IRS),
Treasury.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
The Internal Revenue Service
(IRS), as part of its continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent
burden, invites the general public and
other Federal agencies to take this
opportunity to comment on information
collections, as required by the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The
IRS is soliciting comments concerning
Reimbursable Agreement—Non-Federal
Entities and Statistics of Income—User
Fee.
DATES: Written comments should be
received on or before January 17, 2023
to be assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments
to Andres Garcia, Internal Revenue
Service, Room 6526, 1111 Constitution
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20224, or
by email to pra.comments@irs.gov.
Include ‘‘OMB Number 1545–2235—
Reimbursable Agreement—Non-Federal
Entities and Statistics of Income—User
Fee’’ in the subject line of the message.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
copies of this collection should be
directed to Martha R. Brinson, at (202)
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SUMMARY:
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317–5753, or at Internal Revenue
Service, Room 6526, 1111 Constitution
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20224, or
through the internet at
Martha.R.Brinson@irs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Reimbursable Agreement—NonFederal Entities and Statistics of
Income—User Fee.
OMB Number: 1545–2235.
Form Numbers: 14417 and 14417–A.
Abstract: Form 14417, Reimbursable
Agreement—Non-Federal Entities, was
developed for funds in reimbursable
agreements with non-federal entities
such as state, local, foreign governments
and non-federal public entities. Form
14417–A, Statistics of Income-User Fee,
was developed to be used after a
customer contacts the Statistics of
Income (SOI) Division requesting data
not already available on our TaxStats
IRS website.
Current Actions: There are no changes
in the paperwork burden previously
approved by OMB.
Type of Review: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
Affected Public: State, Local, and
Tribal Governments.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
310.
Estimated Time per Respondent: 31
mins.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 160.
The following paragraph applies to all
of the collections of information covered
by this notice:
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to, a collection of information
unless the collection of information
displays a valid OMB control number.
Books or records relating to a collection
of information must be retained as long
as their contents may become material
in the administration of any internal
revenue law. Generally, tax returns and
tax return information are confidential,
as required by 26 U.S.C. 6103.
Request for Comments: Comments
submitted in response to this notice will
be summarized and/or included in the
request for OMB approval. Comments
will be of public record. Comments are
invited on: (a) whether the collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
agency, including whether the
information has practical utility; (b) the
accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the
burden of the collection of information;
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility,
and clarity of the information to be
collected; (d) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on or other forms of information
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technology; and (e) estimates of capital
or start-up costs and costs of operation,
maintenance, and purchase of services
to provide information.
Approved: November 9, 2022.
Martha R. Brinson,
Tax Analyst.
[FR Doc. 2022–24922 Filed 11–15–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4830–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Internal Revenue Service
Proposed Extension of Information
Collection Request Submitted for
Public Comment; Comment Request
Concerning Information Reporting on
Required Returns in the Case of Real
Estate Transactions
Internal Revenue Service (IRS),
Treasury.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
The Internal Revenue Service,
as part of its continuing effort to reduce
paperwork and respondent burden,
invites the public and other Federal
agencies to take this opportunity to
comment on proposed and/or
continuing information collections, as
required by the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995. Currently, the IRS is
soliciting comments concerning the
burden related to Revenue Procedure
2007–12, Certification for Information
Reporting on Real Estate Transactions.
DATES: Written comments should be
received on or before January 17, 2023
to be assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments
to Andre´s Garcia, Internal Revenue
Service, Room 6526, 1111 Constitution
Avenue NW Washington, DC 20224, or
by email to pra.comments@irs.gov.
Please include, ‘‘OMB Number: 1545–
1592—Public Comment Request Notice’’
in the Subject line.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
copies of the form and instructions
should be directed to Ronald J. Durbala,
at (202) 317–5746, at Internal Revenue
Service, Room 6526, 1111 Constitution
Avenue NW Washington, DC 20224, or
through the internet at
RJoseph.Durbala@irs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Information reporting
requirements in section 6045(e).
OMB Number: 1545–1592.
Regulation Project Number: Rev. Proc.
2007–12.
Abstract: This revenue procedure sets
forth the acceptable form of the written
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\16NON1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 220 (Wednesday, November 16, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68794-68796]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-24899]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
[Docket No. DOT-OST-2022-0130]
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
(OST-R); Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request;
Data Security Requirements for Accessing Confidential Data
AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R), DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) within the
Department of Transportation (DOT) invites the general public and other
Federal agencies to comment on a proposed information collection. BTS
plans to collect information from the public to fulfill its data
security requirements when providing access to restricted use microdata
for the purpose of evidence building. BTS's data security agreements
and other paperwork along with the corresponding security protocols
allow BTS to maintain careful controls on confidentiality and privacy,
as required by law. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days
of public comment on the proposed data security information collection,
prior to submission of the information collection request (ICR) to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by January 17,
2023 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date
will be considered to the extent practicable. Send comments to the
address below.
Comments: Comments are invited on (a) whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of BTS, including whether the information will have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of BTS's estimate of the burden of
the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the
quality, use, and clarity of the information on respondents, including
through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of
information technology; and (d) ways to 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Clara Reschovsky, BTS Confidentiality
Officer, BTS, OST-R, Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave.
SE, Room E36-324, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 768-4994, Office hours
are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., E.T., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Foundations for Evidence-Based
Policymaking Act of 2018 mandates that the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) establish a Standard Application Process (SAP) for
requesting access to certain confidential data assets. While the
adoption of the SAP is required for statistical agencies and units
designated under the Confidential Information Protection and
Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA), it is recognized that other
agencies and organizational units within the Executive branch may
benefit from the adoption of the SAP to accept applications for access
to confidential data assets. The SAP is to be a process through which
agencies, the Congressional Budget Office, State, local, and Tribal
governments, researchers, and other individuals, as appropriate, may
apply to access confidential data assets held by a federal statistical
agency or unit for the purposes of developing evidence. With the
Interagency Council on Statistical Policy (ICSP) as advisors, the
entities upon whom this requirement is levied are working with the SAP
Project Management Office (PMO) and with OMB to implement the SAP. The
SAP Portal is to be a single web-based common application for the
public to request access to confidential data assets from federal
statistical agencies and units. The National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics (NCSES), within the National Science Foundation
(NSF), submitted a Federal Register Notice in September 2022 announcing
plans to collect information through the SAP Portal (87 FR 53793).
Once an application for confidential data is approved through the
SAP Portal, BTS will collect information to meet its data security
requirements. This collection will occur outside of the SAP Portal.
Title of collection: Data Security Requirements for Accessing
Confidential Data
OMB Control Number: DOT-OST-2022-0130
Expiration Date of Current Approval: Not Applicable.
Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to collect information
from the public to fulfill BTS security requirements allowing
individuals to access confidential data assets for the purposes of
building evidence.
Abstract: Title III of the Foundations for Evidence-Based
Policymaking Act of 2018 (hereafter referred to as the Evidence Act)
mandates that OMB establish a Standard Application Process (SAP) for
requesting access to certain confidential data assets. Specifically,
the Evidence Act requires OMB to establish a common application process
through which agencies, the Congressional Budget Office, State, local,
and Tribal governments, researchers, and other individuals, as
appropriate, may apply for access to confidential data assets
collected, accessed, or acquired by a statistical agency or unit. This
new process will be implemented while maintaining stringent controls to
protect confidentiality and privacy, as required by law.
Data collected, accessed, or acquired by statistical agencies and
units is vital for developing evidence on conditions, characteristics,
and behaviors of the public and on the operations and outcomes of
public programs and policies. This evidence can benefit the
stakeholders in the programs, the broader public, as well as
policymakers and program managers at the local, State, Tribal, and
National levels. The many benefits of access to data for evidence
building notwithstanding, BTS is required by law to maintain careful
controls that allow it to minimize disclosure risk while protecting
confidentiality and privacy. The fulfillment of BTS's data security
requirements places a degree of burden on the public, which is outlined
below.
The SAP Portal is a web-based application for the public to request
access to confidential data assets from
[[Page 68795]]
federal statistical agencies and units. The objective of the SAP Portal
is to increase public access to confidential data for the purposes of
evidence building and reduce the burden of applying for confidential
data. Once an individual's application in the SAP Portal has received a
positive determination, the data-owning agency(ies) or unit(s) will
begin the process of collecting information to fulfill their data
security requirements.
The paragraphs below outline the SAP Policy, the steps to complete
an application through the SAP Portal, and the process for agencies to
collect information fulfilling their data security requirements.
The SAP Policy
At the recommendation of the ICSP, the SAP Policy establishes the
SAP to be implemented by statistical agencies and units and
incorporates directives from the Evidence Act. The policy is intended
to provide guidance as to the application and review processes using
the SAP Portal, setting forth clear standards that enable statistical
agencies and units to implement a common application form and a uniform
review process. The SAP Policy was submitted to the public for comment
in January 2022 (87 FR 2459). The policy is currently under review and
has not yet been finalized.
The SAP Portal
The SAP Portal is an application interface connecting applicants
seeking data with a catalog of data assets owned by the federal
statistical agencies and units. The SAP Portal is not a new data
repository or warehouse; confidential data assets will continue to be
stored in secure data access facilities owned and hosted by the federal
statistical agencies and units. The Portal will provide a streamlined
application process across agencies, reducing redundancies in the
application process. This single SAP Portal will improve the process
for applicants, tracking and communicating the application process
throughout its lifecycle. This reduces redundancies and burden on
applicants that request access to data from multiple agencies. The SAP
Portal will automate key tasks to save resources and time and will
bring agencies into compliance with the Evidence Act statutory
requirements.
Data Discovery
Individuals begin the process of accessing restricted use data by
discovering confidential data assets through the SAP data catalog,
maintained by federal statistical agencies at www.researchdatagov.org.
Potential applicants can search by agency, topic, or keyword to
identify data of interest or relevance. Once they have identified data
of interest, applicants can view metadata outlining the title,
description or abstract, scope and coverage, and detailed methodology
related to a specific data asset to determine its relevance to their
research.
While statistical agencies and units shall endeavor to include
metadata in the SAP data catalog on all confidential data assets for
which they accept applications, it may not be feasible to include
metadata for some data assets (e.g., potential curated versions of
administrative data). A statistical agency or unit may still accept an
application through the SAP Portal even if the requested data asset is
not listed in the SAP data catalog.
SAP Application Process
Individuals who have identified and wish to access confidential
data assets will be able to apply for access through the SAP Portal
when it is released to the public in late 2022. Applicants must create
an account and follow all steps to complete the application. Applicants
begin by entering their personal, contact, and institutional
information, as well as the personal, contact, and institutional
information of all individuals on their research team. Applicants
proceed to provide summary information about their proposed project, to
include project title, duration, funding, timeline, and other details
including the data asset(s) they are requesting and any proposed
linkages to data not listed in the SAP data catalog, including non-
federal data sources. Applicants then proceed to enter detailed
information regarding their proposed project, including a project
abstract, research question(s), literature review, project scope,
research methodology, project products, and anticipated output.
Applicants must demonstrate a need for confidential data, outlining why
their research question cannot be answered using publicly available
information.
Submission for Review
Upon submission of their application, applicants will receive a
notification that their application has been received and is under
review by the data owning agency or agencies (in the event where data
assets are requested from multiple agencies). At this point, applicants
will also be notified that application approval does not alone grant
access to confidential data, and that, if approved, applicants must
comply with the data-owning agency's security requirements outside of
the SAP Portal, which may include a background check.
In accordance with the Evidence Act and the direction of the ICSP,
agencies will approve or reject an application within a prompt
timeframe. In some cases, agencies may determine that additional
clarity, information, or modification is needed and request the
applicant to ``revise and resubmit'' their application.
Data discovery, the SAP application process, and the submission for
review are planned to take place within the web-based SAP Portal. As
noted above, the notice announcing plans to collect information through
the SAP Portal has been published separately (87 FR 53793).
Access to Restricted Use Data
In the event of a positive determination, the applicant will be
notified that their proposal has been accepted. The positive or final
adverse determination concludes the SAP Portal process. In the instance
of a positive determination, the data-owning agency (or agencies) will
contact the applicant to provide instructions on the agency's security
requirements that must be completed to gain access to the confidential
data. The completion and submission of the agency's security
requirements will take place outside of the SAP Portal.
Collection of Information for Data Security Requirements
In the instance of a positive determination for an application
requesting access to a BTS confidential data asset, BTS will contact
the applicant(s) to initiate the process of collecting information to
fulfill their security requirements. These include additional
requirements necessary for the statistical agency or unit to place the
applicant(s) in a trusted category that may include the applicant's
successful completion of a background investigation, confidentiality
training, nondisclosure, and data use agreements.
Estimate of Burden: The amount of time to complete the agreements
and other paperwork that comprise BTS's security requirements will vary
based on the confidential data assets requested and the access
modality. To obtain access to BTS confidential data assets, it is
estimated that the average time to complete and submit BTS's data
security agreements and other paperwork is 90 minutes. This estimate
does not include the time needed to complete and submit an application
within the SAP Portal. All efforts related to SAP Portal applications
occur prior to and separate from BTS's effort to collect
[[Page 68796]]
information related to data security requirements.
The expected number of applications in the SAP Portal that receive
a positive determination from BTS in a given year may vary. Overall,
per year, BTS estimates it will collect data security information for
five application submissions that received a positive determination
within the SAP Portal. BTS estimates that the total burden for the
collection of information for data security requirements over the
course of the three-year OMB clearance will be about 22.5 hours and, as
a result, an average annual burden of 7.5 hours.
Issued in Washington, DC on the 10th of November 2022.
Cha-Chi Fan,
Director, Office of Data Development and Standards, Bureau of
Transportation Statistics, Office of the Assistant Secretary for
Research and Technology.
[FR Doc. 2022-24899 Filed 11-15-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P
