This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

8878 

Vol. 86, No. 26 

Wednesday, February 10, 2021 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

8 CFR Parts 215 and 235 

[Docket No. USCBP–2020–0062] 

RIN 1651–AB12 

Collection of Biometric Data From 

Aliens Upon Entry to and Departure 

From the United States; Re-Opening of 

Comment Period 

AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border 

Protection, Department of Homeland 

Security. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; 

re-opening of comment period. 

SUMMARY: U.S. Customs and Border 

Protection (CBP) published a notice of 

proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the 

Federal Register on November 19, 2020, 

concerning collection of facial images 

and other biometrics from aliens 

entering and departing the United 

States. Based on comments received on 

the NPRM, CBP has decided to re-open 

the comment period for an additional 30 

days. 

DATES: The comment period for the 

notice of proposed rulemaking 

published on November 19, 2020 at 85 

FR 74162, are reopened. Comments 

must be received on or before March 12, 

2021. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Ashley Ortiz, Management and Program 

Analyst, Office of Field Operations, 

ashley.ortiz@cbp.dhs.gov or (202) 412– 

7332. 

ADDRESSES: Comments may be 

submitted, identified by docket number 

USCBP–2020–0062, by the following 

method: 

D Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

Due to COVID–19-related restrictions, 

CBP has temporarily suspended its 

ability to receive public comments by 

mail. 

Instructions: All submissions received 

must include the agency name and 

docket title for this rulemaking, and 

must reference docket number USCBP– 

2020–0062. All comments received will 

be posted without change to http://

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information provided. For 

detailed instructions on submitting 

comments and additional information 

on the rulemaking process, see the 

‘‘Public Participation’’ heading of the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 

this document. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read background documents or 

comments received, go to: https://

www.regulations.gov. Due to relevant 

COVID–19-related restrictions, CBP has 

temporarily suspended on-site public 

inspection of submitted comments. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Public Participation 

Interested persons are invited to 

participate in this rulemaking by 

submitting written data, views, or 

arguments on the NPRM. Comments 

that will provide the most assistance to 

CBP will reference a specific portion of 

the NPRM, explain the reason for any 

recommended change, and include data, 

information, or authority that support 

such recommended change. 

Background 

The Department of Homeland 

Security (DHS) is required by statute to 

develop and implement an integrated, 

automated entry and exit data system to 

match records, including biographic 

data and biometrics, of aliens entering 

and departing the United States. 

Although the current regulations 

provide that DHS may require certain 

aliens to provide biometrics when 

entering and departing the United 

States, they only authorize DHS to 

require certain aliens to provide 

biometrics upon departure under pilot 

programs at land ports and at up to 15 

airports and seaports. To advance the 

legal framework for DHS to begin a 

comprehensive biometric entry-exit 

system, DHS is proposing to amend the 

regulations to remove the references to 

pilot programs and the port limitation to 

permit collection of biometrics from 

aliens departing from airports, land 

ports, seaports, or any other authorized 

point of departure. In addition, to 

enable U.S. Customs and Border 

Protection (CBP) to make the process for 

verifying the identity of aliens more 

efficient, accurate, and secure by using 

facial recognition technology, DHS is 

proposing to amend the regulations to 

provide that all aliens may be required 

to be photographed upon entry and/or 

departure. U.S. citizens may voluntarily 

opt out of participating in CBP’s 

biometric verification program. The 

NPRM also makes other minor 

conforming and editorial changes to the 

regulations. For more detailed 

information on all of the proposed 

changes, see the NPRM published on 

November 19, 2020 at 85 FR 74162. 

Based on the comments received, CBP 

is re-opening the comment period to 

allow for additional comments to be 

submitted on the NPRM. Comments 

must be received on or before March 12, 

2021. 

Dated: February 4, 2021. 

William A. Ferrara, 

Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of 

Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border 

Protection. 

[FR Doc. 2021–02699 Filed 2–9–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9111–14–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Safety and Environmental 

Enforcement 

30 CFR Part 250 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

30 CFR Part 550 

[Docket ID: BSEE–2019–0008, EEEE500000, 

21XE1700DX, EX1SF0000.EAQ000] 

RIN 1082–AA01 

Oil and Gas and Sulfur Operations in 

the Outer Continental Shelf—Revisions 

to the Requirements for Exploratory 

Drilling on the Arctic Outer Continental 

Shelf; Reopening of Comment Period 

AGENCY: Bureau of Safety and 

Environmental Enforcement (BSEE); 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

(BOEM), Department of the Interior. 

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of 

public comment period. 

SUMMARY: The Department of the 

Interior (DOI or Department), acting 

through BSEE and BOEM, is reopening 

the comment period for Proposed Rule: 

Oil and Gas and Sulfur Operations in 

the Outer Continental Shelf—Revisions