Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 67 / Wednesday, April 8, 2015 / Notices 18923 

laws of a given State, the maximum 

interest rate will be the rate permitted 

by the constitution or laws of the given 

State. 

Linda S. Rusche, 

Director, Office of Financial Assistance. 

[FR Doc. 2015–08039 Filed 4–7–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice: 9087] 

60-Day Notice of Proposed Information 

Collection: Affidavit of Relationship 

ACTION: Notice of request for public 

comment. 

SUMMARY: The Department of State is 

seeking Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) approval for the 

information collection described below. 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, we are 

requesting comments on this collection 

from all interested individuals and 

organizations. The purpose of this 

notice is to allow 60 days for public 

comment preceding submission of the 

collection to OMB. 

DATES: The Department will accept 

comments from the public up to June 8, 

2015. 

ADDRESSES: Direct any comments on 

this request to Sumitra Siram, Program 

Officer, Department of State, Bureau of 

Population, Refugees and Migration, 

Office of Admissions, 2025 E Street 

NW., Washington DC, 20522. 

You may submit comments by any of 

the following methods: 

• Web: Persons with access to the 

Internet may comment on this notice by 

going to www.Regulations.gov. You can 

search for the document by entering 

‘‘Docket Number: DOS–2015–0015’’ in 

the Search field. Then click the 

‘‘Comment Now’’ button and complete 

the comment form. 

• Email: SiramS@state.gov. 

• Regular Mail: Send written 

comments to: PRM/Office of 

Admissions, 2025 E Street NW., 8th 

Floor, Washington, DC 20255–0908. 

• Fax: (202) 453–9393, Attention: 

Sumitra Siram. 

You must include the DS form 

number (if applicable), information 

collection title, and the OMB control 

number in any correspondence. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Direct requests for additional 

information regarding the collection 

listed in this notice, including requests 

for copies of the proposed collection 

instrument and supporting documents, 

to Sumitra Siram, Program Officer, 

PRM/Office of Admissions, 2025 E 

Street NW., Washington DC, 20522– 

0908, who may be reached on 202–453– 

9250 or at SiramS@state.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

• Title of Information Collection: 

Affidavit of Relationship. 

• OMB Control Number: 1405–0206. 

• Type of Request: Extension of a 

Currently Approved Collection. 

• Originating Office: Office of 

Admissions, Bureau of Population, 

Refugees and Migration (PRM/A). 

• Form Number: DS–7656. 

• Respondents: Persons admitted to 

the United States as refugees or granted 

asylum in the United States who are 

claiming a relationship with family 

members overseas (spouse, unmarried 

children under age 21, and/or parents) 

in order to assist the U.S. Government 

in determining whether those family 

members are qualified to apply for 

admission to the United States via the 

U.S. Refugee Admissions Program under 

the family reunification access priority. 

• Estimated Number of Respondents: 

2,500. 

• Estimated Number of Responses: 

2,500. 

• Average Time per Response: 60 

Minutes. 

• Total Estimated Burden Time: 

2,500.00 Hours. 

• Frequency: On occasion. 

• Obligation to Respond: Required to 

Obtain or Retain a Benefit. 

We are soliciting public comments to 

permit the Department to: 

• Evaluate whether the proposed 

information collection is necessary for 

the proper functions of the Department. 

• Evaluate the accuracy of our 

estimate of the time and cost burden for 

this proposed collection, including the 

validity of the methodology and 

assumptions used. 

• Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected. 

• Minimize the reporting burden on 

those who are to respond, including the 

use of automated collection techniques 

or other forms of information 

technology. 

Please note that comments submitted 

in response to this Notice are public 

record. Before including any detailed 

personal information, you should be 

aware that your comments as submitted, 

including your personal information, 

will be available for public review. 

Abstract of proposed collection: The 

Affidavit of Relationship (AOR) will be 

required by the Department of State to 

establish qualifications for access to the 

Priority-3 (P–3) Family Reunification 

category of the United States Refugee 

Admissions Program (USRAP) by 

persons of certain nationalities who are 

family members of qualifying ‘‘anchors’’ 

(persons already admitted to the U.S. as 

refugees or who were granted asylum in 

the United States., including persons 

who may now be lawful permanent 

residents or U.S. citizens). Qualifying 

family members of U.S.-based anchors 

include spouse, unmarried children 

under age 21, and parents. Eligible 

nationalities are determined on an 

annual basis following careful review of 

several factors, including the United 

Nations High Commissioner for 

Refugees’ annual assessment of refugees 

in need of resettlement, prospective or 

ongoing repatriation efforts, and U.S. 

foreign policy interests. The P–3 

category, along with the other categories 

of cases that have access to USRAP, is 

outlined in the annual Proposed 

Refugee Admissions—Report to 

Congress, which is submitted on behalf 

of the President in fulfillment of the 

requirements of section 207(d) of the 

Immigration and Nationality Act (8 

U.S.C. 1157), and authorized by the 

annual Presidential Determination for 

Refugee Admissions. Having an AOR 

filed on a potential applicant’s behalf by 

an eligible anchor relative will be one of 

the criteria for access to this program. 

The AOR also informs the anchor 

relative that DNA evidence of all 

claimed parent-child relationships 

between the anchor relative and parents 

and/or unmarried children under 21 

will be required as a condition of access 

to P–3 processing and that the costs will 

be borne by the anchor relative or his/ 

her family members who may apply for 

access to refugee processing, or their 

derivative beneficiaries, as the case may 

be. Successful applicants may be 

eligible for reimbursement of DNA test 

costs. 

Methodology: This information 

collection currently involves the limited 

use of electronic techniques. Anchors in 

the United States may visit any 

resettlement agency throughout the 

United States to complete the AOR. 

Resettlement agencies are organizations 

that work under a cooperative 

agreement with the Department of State. 

In order to file an AOR, an individual 

must be at least 18 years of age and have 

been admitted to the United States as a 

refugee or granted asylum in the United 

States no more than five years prior to 

the filing of the AOR. The DS–7656 

form will be available electronically and 

responses will be completed 

electronically with the aid of 

resettlement agency staff. Completed 

AORs will be printed out for ink 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
18924 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 67 / Wednesday, April 8, 2015 / Notices 

1Commercial Driver License Information System 

(CDLIS) is an information system that allows the 

exchange of commercial driver licensing 

information among all the States. CDLIS includes 

the databases of 51 licensing jurisdictions and the 

CDLIS Central Site, all connected by a 

telecommunications network. 

2 Motor Carrier Management Information System 

(MCMIS) is an information system that captures 

data from field offices through SAFETYNET, 

CAPRI, and other sources. It is a source for FMCSA 

inspection, crash, compliance review, safety audit, 

and registration data. 

signature by the respondents and will be 

scanned and submitted electronically to 

the Refugee Processing Center (RPC) by 

the resettlement agencies for 

downloading into the Worldwide 

Refugee Admissions Processing System 

(WRAPS) for data entry and case 

processing. A signed paper copy of the 

AOR will remain with resettlement 

agencies. 

Dated: April 2, 2015. 

Simon Henshaw, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau 

of Population, Refugees and Migration, 

Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2015–08127 Filed 4–7–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–33–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration 

[Docket No. FMCSA–2013–0124] 

Qualification of Drivers; Application for 

Exemptions; Hearing 

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration (FMCSA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of final disposition. 

SUMMARY: FMCSA announces its 

decision to grant requests from 51 

individuals for exemptions from the 

Agency’s physical qualifications 

standard concerning hearing for 

interstate drivers. The current regulation 

prohibits hearing impaired individuals 

from operating CMVs in interstate 

commerce. After notice and opportunity 

for public comment, the Agency 

concluded that granting exemptions for 

these drivers to operate propertycarrying CMVs will provide a level of 

safety that is equivalent to or greater 

than the level of safety maintained 

without the exemptions. The 

exemptions are valid for a 2-year period 

and may be renewed, and the 

exemptions preempt State laws and 

regulations. 

DATES: The exemptions are effective 

April 8, 2015. The exemptions expire on 

April 10, 2017. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Charles A. Horan, III, Director, Office of 

Carrier, Driver and Vehicle Safety, (202) 

366–4001, fmcsamedical@dot.gov, 

FMCSA, Department of Transportation, 

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room 

W64–224, Washington, DC 20590–0001. 

Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., e.t., 

Monday through Friday, except Federal 

holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

A. Electronic Access 

You may see all the comments online 

through the Federal Document 

Management System (FDMS) at: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read background documents or 

comments, go to http://

www.regulations.gov and/or Room 

W12–140 on the ground level of the 

West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue 

SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. 

and 5 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. 

Privacy Act: In accordance with 5 

U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments 

from the public to better inform its 

rulemaking process. DOT posts these 

comments, without edit, including any 

personal information the commenter 

provides, to www.regulations.gov, as 

described in the system of records 

notice (DOT/ALL–14 FDMS), which can 

be reviewed at www.dot.gov/privacy. 

B. Background 

Under 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315, 

FMCSA may grant an exemption from 

the safety regulations for a 2-year period 

if it finds ‘‘such exemption would likely 

achieve a level of safety that is 

equivalent to or greater than the level 

that would be achieved absent such 

exemption.’’ The statute also allows the 

Agency to renew exemptions at the end 

of the 2-year period. The current 

provisions of the FMCSRs concerning 

hearing state that a person is physically 

qualified to drive a CMV if that person: 

First perceives a forced whispered voice in 

the better ear at not less than 5 feet with or 

without the use of a hearing aid or, if tested 

by use of an audiometric device, does not 

have an average hearing loss in the better ear 

greater than 40 decibels at 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, 

and 2,000 Hz with or without a hearing aid 

when the audiometric device is calibrated to 

American National Standard (formerly ASA 

Standard) Z24.5–1951. 

49 CFR 391.41(b)(11). This standard was 

adopted in 1970, with a revision in 1971 

to allow drivers to be qualified under 

this standard while wearing a hearing 

aid, 35 FR 6458, 6463 (April 22, 1970) 

and 36 FR 12857 (July 3, 1971). 

FMCSA grants 51 individuals an 

exemption from section 391.41(b)(11) 

concerning hearing to enable them to 

operate property-carrying CMVs in 

interstate commerce for a 2-year period. 

The Agency’s decision on these 

exemption applications is based on the 

current medical literature and 

information and the ‘‘Executive 

Summary on Hearing, Vestibular 

Function and Commercial Motor 

Driving Safety’’ (the 2008 Evidence 

Report) presented to FMCSA on August 

26, 2008. The evidence report reached 

two conclusions regarding the matter of 

hearing loss and CMV driver safety: (1) 

No studies that examined the 

relationship between hearing loss and 

crash risk exclusively among CMV 

drivers were identified; and (2) evidence 

from studies of the private driver license 

holder population does not support the 

contention that individuals with hearing 

impairment are at an increased risk for 

a crash. In addition, the Agency 

reviewed each applicant’s driving 

record found in the CDLIS,1 for CDL 

holders, and inspections recorded in 

MCMIS.2 For non-CDL holders, the 

Agency reviewed the driving records 

from the State licensing agency. Each 

applicant’s record demonstrated a safe 

driving history. The Agency believes the 

drivers covered by the exemptions do 

not pose a risk to public safety. 

C. Comments 

On February 14, 2014, FMCSA 

published a notice of receipt of 

exemption applications and requested 

public comment on 51 individuals. The 

comment period ended on March 17, 

2014. In response to the notice, FMCSA 

received one comment from Ann 

Sherman, who supports the idea of deaf 

drivers having the opportunity to get 

training and seek employment ‘‘like 

everyone else’’. FMCSA has determined 

that the following 51 applicants should 

be granted an exemption: 

D. Exemptions Granted 

Following individualized assessments 

of the exemption applications, FMCSA 

grants exemptions from 49 CFR 

391.41(b)(11) to 51 individuals. Under 

current FMCSA regulations, all of the 51 

drivers receiving exemptions from 49 

CFR 391.41(b)(11) would have been 

considered physically qualified to drive 

a CMV in interstate commerce except 

that they do not meet the hearing 

requirement. FMCSA has determined 

that the following 51 applicants should 

be granted an exemption: 

Brooks Andresen 

Mr. Andresen, 34, holds a driver’s 

license in Utah. 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES