[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]
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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.
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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]
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