Intent To Request Revision From OMB of One Current Public Collection of Information: TSA Pre✓® Application Program

AGENCY:

Transportation Security Administration, DHS.

ACTION:

60-day notice.

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 1652-0059, abstracted below, that we will submit to OMB for a revision in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The ICR, which will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review following the required public comment periods, describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The collection involves the voluntary submission of biographic and biometric information that TSA uses to verify identity and conduct a security threat assessment for the TSA Pre✓® Application Program. The security threat assessment compares an applicant's information against criminal history, immigration, intelligence, and regulatory violations databases to determine if the person poses a low risk to transportation or national security and should be eligible for expedited screening through TSA Pre✓® lanes at airports.

DATES:

Send your comments by July 3, 2017.

ADDRESSES:

Comments may be emailed to TSAPRA@tsa.dhs.gov or delivered to the TSA PRA Officer, Office of Information Technology (OIT), TSA-11, Transportation Security Administration, 601 South 12th Street, Arlington, 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 is available at http://www.reginfo.gov. 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

Pursuant to the statutory authorities explained below, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has implemented a voluntary enrollment program for individuals to apply for the TSA Pre✓® Application Program. Section 109(a)(3) of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA), Public Law 107-71 (115 Stat. 597, 613, Nov. 19, 2001), codified at 49 U.S.C. 114 note) provides TSA with the authority to “establish requirements to implement trusted passenger programs and use available technologies to expedite security screening of passengers who participate in such programs, thereby allowing security screening personnel to focus on those passengers who should be subject to more extensive screening.” In addition, TSA has express, unlimited statutory authority to establish and collect a fee for any registered traveler program by publication of a notice in the Federal Register, as outlined in the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2006, Public Law 109-90 (119 Stat. 2064, 2088-89, Oct. 18, 2005).

Under the TSA Pre✓® Application Program, individuals may submit biographic and biometric information directly to TSA that TSA uses to conduct a security threat assessment (STA) of criminal, immigration, intelligence, and regulatory violation databases. TSA uses the STA results to decide if an individual poses a low risk to transportation or national security. TSA issues approved applicants a known traveler number (KTN) that they may use when making travel reservations. Airline passengers who submit a KTN when making airline reservations are eligible for expedited screening on flights originating from U.S. airports with TSA Pre✓® lanes. TSA uses the traveler's KTN and other information during passenger prescreening to verify that the individual traveling matches the information on TSA's list of known travelers and to confirm TSA Pre✓® expedited screening eligibility.

Interested applicants must provide certain minimum required data elements, including, but not limited to, name, date of birth, gender, address, contact information, country of birth, images of identity documents, proof of citizenship or immigration status, and biometrics via a secure interface. TSA uses this information to conduct a STA, make a final eligibility determination for the TSA Pre✓® Application Program, and verify the identities of TSA Pre✓® enrolled and approved individuals when they are traveling.

TSA sends the applicants' fingerprints and associated information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for the purpose of comparing their fingerprints to other fingerprints in the FBI's Next Generation Identification (NGI) system or its successor systems including civil, criminal, and latent fingerprint repositories. The FBI may retain applicants' fingerprints and associated information in NGI after the completion of their application and, while retained, their fingerprints may continue to be compared against other fingerprints submitted to or retained by NGI. TSA will also transmit applicants' biometrics for enrollment into the Department of Homeland Security Automated Biometrics Identification System (IDENT).

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 facilitate use of the STA for comparability determinations, such as allowing a TSA Pre✓® Application Program applicant to participate in programs with a comparable STA, such as the Hazardous Materials Endorsement Threat Assessment Program, or obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) without requiring an additional STA. Also, TSA may use applicants' biometric information in TSA's Biometric Authentication Technology (BAT) effort, which will use biometrics in place of credentials and boarding passes to authenticate the identity of TSA Pre✓® Application Program applicants at airport checkpoints.

When the STA is complete, TSA makes a final determination on eligibility for the TSA Pre✓® Application Program and notifies applicants of its decision. Most applicants generally should expect to receive notification from TSA within two to three weeks of the submission of their completed applications. If initially deemed ineligible by TSA, applicants will have an opportunity to correct cases of misidentification or inaccurate criminal records. Applicants must submit a correction of any information they believe to be inaccurate within 60 days of issuance of TSA's letter. If a corrected record is not received by TSA within the specified amount of time, the agency may make a final determination to deny eligibility. Individuals who TSA determines are ineligible for the TSA Pre✓® Application Program will be screened at airport security checkpoints pursuant to standard screening protocols.

The TSA Pre✓® Application Program enhances aviation security by permitting TSA to better focus its limited security resources on passengers who are more likely to pose a threat to aviation, while also facilitating and improving the commercial aviation travel experience for the public. Travelers who choose not to enroll in this initiative are not subject to any limitations on their travel because of their choice; they will be processed through normal TSA screening before entering the sterile areas of airports. TSA also retains the authority to perform standard or other screening on a random basis on TSA Pre✓® Application Program participants and any other travelers authorized to receive expedited physical screening.

TSA estimates that there will be 2,497,903 annualized enrollments over a three-year period. This estimate is based on current and projected enrollment with TSA's existing program. TSA estimates that there will be 4,717,423 annualized hours based on a three-year projection. TSA estimates an average of 1.8885533 hours per applicant to complete the enrollment process, which includes providing biographic and biometric information to TSA (via an enrollment center or pre-enrollment options) and the burden for any records correction for the applicant, if applicable. TSA estimates the annualized cost burden will be $160,628,269 based on a three-year projection. The applicant fee remains $85, which covers TSA's program costs, TSA's enrollment vendor's costs, and the FBI fee for the criminal history records check.