[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 29, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31632-31633]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-12957]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Transportation Security Administration
Intent To Request Approval From OMB of One New Public Collection
of Information: Highway Baseline Assessment for Security Enhancement
(BASE) Program
AGENCY: Transportation Security Administration, DHS.
ACTION: 60-day notice.
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SUMMARY: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) invites
public comment on a new Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted
below that we will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
for approval in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The
ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected
burden. The ICR will assess the current security practices in the
highway and motor carrier industry by way of its Highway Baseline
Assessment for Security Enhancement (BASE) program, which encompasses
site visits and interviews, and is part of the larger domain awareness,
prevention, and protection program supporting TSA's and the Department
of Homeland Security's (DHS) missions. This voluntary collection allows
TSA to conduct transportation security-related assessments during site
visits with security and operating officials of surface transportation
entities.
DATES: Send your comments by July 30, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be emailed to [email protected] 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: Susan Perkins at the above address, or
by telephone (571) 227-3398.
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 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
Purpose of Data Collection
Under the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA) and
delegated authority from the Secretary of Homeland Security, TSA has
broad responsibility and authority for ``security in all modes of
transportation including security responsibilities over modes of
transportation that are exercised by the Department of
Transportation.'' \1\ TSA is also specifically empowered to develop
policies, strategies, and plans for dealing with threats to
transportation,\2\ ensure the adequacy of security measures for the
transportation of cargo,\3\ oversee the implementation and ensure the
adequacy of security measures at transportation facilities,\4\ and
carry out other appropriate duties relating to transportation
security.\5\
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\1\ See Pub. L. 107-71, 115 Stat. 597 (Nov. 19, 2001), codified
at 49 U.S.C. 114(d). The TSA Assistant Secretary's current
authorities under ATSA have been delegated to him by the Secretary
of Homeland Security. Section 403(2) of the Homeland Security Act
(HSA) of 2002, Pub. L. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2315 (2002), transferred
all functions of TSA, including those of the Secretary of
Transportation and the Under Secretary of Transportation of Security
related to TSA, to the Secretary of Homeland Security. Pursuant to
DHS Delegation Number 7060.2, the Secretary delegated to the
Assistant Secretary (now referred to as the Administrator of TSA),
subject to the Secretary's guidance and control, the authority
vested in the Secretary with respect to TSA, including that in sec.
403(2) of the HSA.
\2\ 49 U.S.C. 114(f)(3).
\3\ 49 U.S.C. 114(f)(10).
\4\ 49 U.S.C. 114(f)(11).
\5\ 49 U.S.C. 114(f)(15).
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In the past, TSA has conducted Corporate Security Reviews (CSRs)
with organizations engaged in transportation
[[Page 31633]]
by motor vehicle and those that maintain or operate key physical assets
within the highway transportation community. These CSRs have served to
evaluate and collect physical and operational preparedness information,
critical assets and key point-of-contact lists, review emergency
procedures and domain awareness training, and provide an opportunity to
share industry best practices.\6\
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\6\ See 74 FR 28264 (June 15, 2009) for the most recent
reinstatement of the PRA for this program.
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At this time, TSA is consolidating some assessment programs within
surface modes of transportation. As part of this effort, the Highway
CSR will become a Baseline Assessment for Security Enhancement (BASE).
This will provide for greater consistency as TSA also has a BASE
program to evaluate the status of security and emergency response
programs on transit systems throughout the nation; this program
operates similarly to the CSRs.
Highway BASE program will continue to be a voluntary, instructive,
and interactive review used by TSA to assess the adequacy of security
measures related to highway transportation--such as trucking, school
bus, and motorcoach industries, privately-owned highway assets that may
include bridges and tunnels, and other related systems and assets owned
and operated by state departments of education and transportation. The
Highway BASE program encompasses site visits and interviews, and is one
piece of a much larger domain awareness, prevention, and protection
program in support of the TSA and DHS missions. TSA is seeking to
obtain OMB approval for this information collection so that TSA can
ascertain minimum security standards and identify coverage gaps,
activities critical to carrying out its transportation security
mission.
Description of Data Collection
In carrying out BASE, Transportation Security Specialists (TSS)
from TSA's Highway and Motor Carrier Division (HMC) and Transportation
Security Inspectors-Surface (TSI-S) conduct site visits of trucking
(excluding hazardous materials shippers and carriers as per agreement
with U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration (FMCSA), school bus, motorcoach companies, bridge
and tunnel owners, State DOTs, and State Departments of Energy (DOEs)
throughout the Nation. The TSA representatives analyze the owner's/
operator's security plan, if the owner/operator has adopted one, and
determines if the mitigation measures included in the plan are being
properly implemented. In addition to examining the security plan
document, TSA reviews one or more assets of the private and/or public
owner/operator. During the site visits, TSA completes a BASE checklist
form, which contains four (4) topic areas: Management and
accountability, personnel security, facility security, and vehicle
security. Within these four topics are twenty-three recommended
measures, also referred to as Security Action Items (SAIs). TSA
conducts this collection through voluntary face-to-face visits at the
headquarters and site facilities of the surface transportation owners/
operators. All BASE reviews are done on a voluntary basis.
Typically, TSA sends one to two employees to conduct a two to three
hour discussion/interview with representatives from the owner/operator.
TSA collects information from businesses of all sizes in the course of
conducting these surface mode BASEs. TSA conducts these interviews to
ascertain information on security measures and to identify security
gaps. The interviews also provide TSA with a method to encourage the
surface transportation owners/operators affected by the BASE to be
diligent in effecting and maintaining security-related improvements.
This program provides TSA with real-time information on current
security practices within the infrastructure, trucking, school bus, and
motorcoach modes of the surface transportation sector. This information
allows TSA to adapt programs to the changing threat dynamically, while
incorporating an understanding of the improvements owners/operators
make in their security posture. Without this information, the ability
of TSA to perform its security mission would be severely hindered.
Additionally, the relationships these face-to-face contacts foster are
critical to TSA's ability to reach out to the surface transportation
stakeholders affected by the BASEs. TSA assures respondents the portion
of their responses deemed Sensitive Security Information (SSI) will be
handled consistent with 49 CFR parts 15 and 1520.
Use of Results
The Highway BASE process will align highway and motor carrier
security efforts with other TSA risk reduction efforts and provide
industry partners corrective action options to consider by identifying
security smart practices to share with others.
A BASE review evaluates a highway modal entity's security program
components using a two-phased approach: (1) Field collection of
information and (2) analysis/evaluation of collected information. The
information collected by TSA through BASE reviews strengthens the
security of highway systems by supporting security program development
(including grant programs) and the analysis/evaluation provides a
consistent road map for highway systems to address security and
emergency program vulnerabilities. In addition, each highway entity
that undergoes a BASE assessment is provided with a report of results
that is used in security enhancement activities.
Specifically, the information collected will be used:
1. To develop a baseline understanding of a highway entity's
security and emergency management processes, procedures, policies,
programs, and activities against security requirements and recommended
security practices published by TSA.
2. To enhance a highway entity's overall security posture through
collaborative review and discussion of existing security activities,
identification of areas of potential weakness or vulnerability, and
development of remedial recommendations and courses of action.
3. To identify programs and protocols implemented by a highway
entity that represent an ``effective'' or ``smart'' security practice
warranting sharing with the highway community as a whole to foster
general enhancement of security in the highway surface mode.
4. To inform TSA's development of security strategies, priorities,
and programs for the most effective application of available resources,
including funds distributed under the Intercity Bus Security Grant
Program (IBSGP) and Trucking Security Program (TSP), to enhance
security in the Nation's highway modal system.
While TSA has not set a limit on the number of BASE reviews to
conduct, TSA estimates approximately 750 visits per year. The annual
hour burden for this information collection is estimated to be 3,000
hours. This estimate is based on TSA conducting 750 visits per year,
each visit lasting two to three hours. TSA estimates no annual cost
burden to respondents.
Issued in Arlington, Virginia, on May 22, 2012.
Susan Perkins,
TSA Paperwork Reduction Act Officer, Office of Information Technology.
[FR Doc. 2012-12957 Filed 5-25-12; 8:45 am]
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