Overview
Title
Extension of Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review: Security Programs for Foreign Air Carriers
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The government's travel safety helpers are checking to make sure airline companies from other countries follow the same rules as those in the U.S. This is to keep everyone safe, but it takes a lot of time each year, and they're asking people to say what they think about this before January 6, 2025.
Summary AI
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is extending its information collection regarding security programs for foreign air carriers entering the United States. This mandatory information collection aims to ensure these carriers meet safety standards comparable to those of U.S. operators by monitoring their compliance with specific security procedures. The TSA is seeking public comments by January 6, 2025, about the necessity and impact of this data collection. The estimated annual burden for foreign air carriers is 241,485 hours, involving around 180 respondents.
Abstract
This notice announces that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has forwarded the Information Collection Request (ICR), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 1652-0005, abstracted below to OMB for review and approval of an extension of the currently approved collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. This information collection is mandatory for foreign air carriers and must be submitted prior to entry into the United States.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The document in question is a notice from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), part of the Department of Homeland Security, detailing an extension of a mandatory security information collection. This extension concerns foreign air carriers that operate flights into the United States. The notice indicates that these carriers must adhere to specific security protocols to ensure safety standards align with those of U.S. carriers. This involves a substantial amount of paperwork and compliance, as showcased by the estimated annual burden of 241,485 hours for around 180 foreign air carriers.
General Summary
The TSA has forwarded an Information Collection Request (ICR) for an extension, seeking approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Foreign air carriers must submit this information collection as part of their security program before entering the United States. The purpose is to ensure that these carriers meet strict security procedures similar to those required of U.S. airlines. The collected information spans maintaining records, reporting suspicious incidents, and submitting identifying data on flight crews, passengers, and cargo. TSA invites public comments on this data collection, which could be submitted through a designated governmental website.
Significant Issues and Concerns
A major concern is the significant amount of time needed for compliance, with an estimated burden of 241,485 hours annually. However, the document does not provide a detailed breakdown of this time commitment by task. This lack of detailed information makes it difficult to identify potential areas for efficiency improvements or necessary technological enhancements.
The document also mentions the concept of "suspicious incident reporting" without defining what constitutes a suspicious incident, which might lead to varied interpretations by the air carriers involved. Moreover, there is no discussion on the potential financial implications of compliance, which could be critical for foreign carriers given the significant regulatory burden. Additionally, instructions for submitting comments to the website are not adequately detailed, potentially causing confusion.
Impact on the Public and Stakeholders
For the general public, this document signifies TSA's strong focus on maintaining stringent security measures for flights entering the U.S. Ensuring these measures are adhered to is in the interest of public safety and national security, which the public broadly supports.
However, for foreign air carriers, the document outlines considerable compliance requirements, reflective in the substantial time burden estimated. This could lead to increased operational costs or resource allocations for these carriers, which might indirectly impact consumers, possibly in the form of higher ticket prices or limited flight availability.
In addition, the language used in the notice is somewhat formal and legalistic. While this is standard in regulatory documents, it might pose comprehension challenges to international carriers unfamiliar with U.S. regulatory nuances.
Conclusion
Overall, the TSA's notice is aimed at reinforcing security protocols for foreign air carriers entering the United States, which is paramount for ensuring the safety of both passengers and cargo. Nonetheless, the notice could benefit from greater clarity and transparency concerning the regulatory burden it imposes and how specific tasks contribute to this burden. Clearer instructions and explanations could minimize confusion, especially for foreign stakeholders navigating U.S. regulatory frameworks. The invitation for public comments is a critical opportunity for affected carriers to express their concerns or suggest improvements.
Issues
• The document does not specify the specific details about the nature and extent of the burden on the 180 respondents, beyond listing an estimated annual burden of 241,485 hours. More detailed information could provide better clarity for evaluation.
• There is a potential opportunity for reducing the burden through the use of more advanced or automated collection techniques, but the document does not specify which technologies could be employed.
• The phrase 'proper performance of the functions of the agency' is somewhat broad and could be better defined to describe what specific functions are impacted by this information collection.
• The document highlights an estimated burden of 241,485 hours per year but does not break this down to explain which specific tasks contribute to this burden, which could help in identifying potential areas for efficiency improvements.
• The term 'suspicious incident reporting' is used but not specifically defined in terms of what qualifies as a suspicious incident, which may lead to varied interpretations by foreign air carriers.
• The document does not discuss any potential financial implications or costs associated with compliance for the foreign air carriers, which could be significant given the burden hours.
• The instructions for submitting comments to https://www.reginfo.gov are not detailed, potentially causing confusion on how to navigate the site and correctly submit feedback.
• Some parts of the notice are somewhat legalistic and could benefit from clearer language for broader comprehension, especially for non-U.S. foreign carriers not accustomed to U.S. regulatory documentation.