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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 222 (Friday, November 16, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68795-68796]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-27966]

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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[Docket No. DHS-2012-0046]

Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) Office Self-
Assessment Questionnaire

AGENCY: National Protection and Programs Directorate, DHS.

ACTION: 60-day notice and request for comments; New Information 
Collection Request: 1670--NEW.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), National Protection 
and Programs Directorate (NPPD), Office of Infrastructure Protection 
(IP), Infrastructure Information Collection Division (IICD), Protected 
Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) Program will submit the 
following Information Collection Request to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until January 15, 
2013. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.10.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and questions about this Information 
Collection Request should be forwarded to DHS/NPPD/IP/IICD, 245 Murray 
Lane, SW., Mail Stop 0602, Arlington,VA 20598-0602. Emailed requests 
should go to Joseph Maltby, joseph.maltby@dhs.gov. Written comments 
should reach the contact person listed no later than January 15, 2013. 
Comments must be identified by ``DHS-2012-0046''and may be submitted by 
one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
     Email: Include the docket number in the subject line of 
the message.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the words 
``Department of Homeland Security'' and the docket number for this 
action. Comments received will be posted without alteration at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Congress created the PCII Program under the 
Critical Infrastructure Information Act of 2002 for DHS to encourage 
voluntary information sharing by owners and operators of critical 
infrastructure and protected systems. IICD administers the PCII 
Program. The PCII Program is implemented by 6 CFR part 29, Procedures 
for Handling Critical Infrastructure Information; Final Rule (the 
Regulation), issued in 2006. PCII refers to critical infrastructure 
information not customarily in the public domain and related to the 
security of critical infrastructure or protected systems, which is 
voluntarily submitted to DHS for homeland security purposes and 
validated under the authority of the PCII Program Manager. The PCII 
Program provides a statutory exemption from release of information 
under the Freedom of Information Act and state and local sunshine laws, 
and prohibits the use of the information in civil litigation.
    The PCII Program is responsible for ensuring compliance with the 
regulation's uniform procedures for the handling, use, dissemination, 
and safeguarding of PCII. In this capacity, the PCII Program oversees a 
community of stakeholders, including submitters of critical 
infrastructure information, authorized users of PCII and accredited 
Federal, state and local entities with homeland security duties. The 
PCII Program is required by its authorizing regulation to assist the 
PCII Officers in overseeing their own accredited PCII programs at the 
state and local level. See 6 CFR 29.4(d). This questionnaire is 
designed to gather information from PCII Officers that will be used by 
the NPPD/IP PCII Program to assess state and local programs, their 
compliance with PCII rules and requirements, and the specific needs of 
their accredited programs. These assessments are designed to help the 
DHS PCII Program and Officers to ensure that PCII is being properly 
protected and to limit the potential for mishandling and improper 
disclosures. OMB is particularly interested in comments that:
    1. 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;
    2. 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;
    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 through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses.

Analysis

    Agency: Department of Homeland Security, National Protection and 
Programs Directorate, Office of Infrastructure Protection, 
Infrastructure Information Collection Division, Protected Critical 
Infrastructure Information Program.
    Title: Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) Office 
Self-Assessment Questionnaire.
    OMB Number: 1670-NEW.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Affected Public: PCII Officers.
    Number of Respondents: 80 (estimate).
    Estimated Time per Respondent: 1 hour.
    Total Burden Hours: 80 annual burden hours.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.
    Total Recordkeeping Burden: $0 (This assessment will reside on 
existing PCII information storage systems).
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $8,316.

[[Page 68796]]

    Dated: November 8, 2012.
Scott Libby,
Acting Chief Information Officer, National Protection and Programs 
Directorate, Department of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2012-27966 Filed 11-15-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-9P-P
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