83 FR 14550 - Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB Agency Request for Renewal of a Previously Approved Collection: On-Line Complaint/Comment Form for Service-Related Issues in Air Transportation

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 65 (April 4, 2018)

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the request for reinstatement of an OMB Control Number for the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below is being forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comments. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following information collection was published on October 31, 2017 (82 FR 50483).

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 4, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14550-14551]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-06858]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

[OST Docket No. DOT-OST-2011-0022]


Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB 
Agency Request for Renewal of a Previously Approved Collection: On-Line 
Complaint/Comment Form for Service-Related Issues in Air Transportation

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the request for 
reinstatement of an OMB Control Number for the Information Collection 
Request (ICR) abstracted below is being forwarded to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comments. A Federal Register 
Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the 
following information collection was published on October 31, 2017 (82 
FR 50483).

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by May 4, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding the burden estimate, including 
suggestions for reducing the burden, to the Office of Management and 
Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for the Office of the Secretary of 
Transportation, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503. Comments may 
also be sent via email to OMB at the following address: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daeleen Chesley, Office of the 
Secretary, Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Aviation 
Enforcement and Proceedings (C-70), Department of Transportation, 1200 
New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20590, 202-366-6792 (voice) or at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 2105-0568.
    Title: Reinstatement of Aviation Consumer Protection Division Web 
Page On-Line Complaint/Comment Form.
    Abstract: The Department of Transportation's (Department) Office of 
the Assistant General Counsel for Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings 
(Enforcement Office) has broad authority under 49 U.S.C., Subtitle VII, 
to investigate and enforce consumer protection and civil rights laws 
and regulations related to air transportation.
    Among other things, the Enforcement Office, including its Aviation 
Consumer

[[Page 14551]]

Protection Division (ACPD), is responsible for receiving and 
investigating service-related consumer complaints filed against 
airlines and other travel-related companies. Once received, the 
complaints are reviewed by the office to determine the extent to which 
these entities are in compliance with federal aviation consumer 
protection and civil rights laws and what, if any, action should be 
taken. Consumer complaints and comments are also used by the office to 
help improve airline consumer satisfaction. The information submitted 
via the on-line form can also serve as a basis for rulemaking, 
legislation and research.
    The key reason for this request is to enable consumers to continue 
to file their complaints and comments to the Department using an on-
line form, whether via their personal computer or on a mobile/
electronic device. If the online complaint form is not available, the 
Department may receive fewer complaints, comments and inquiries from 
consumers. The lack of consumer input could inhibit the office's 
ability to effectively investigate both individual complaints against 
airlines and other air travel-related companies. It would also impact 
the Enforcement Office's ability to become aware of patterns and 
practices that may develop in violation of our rules. The information 
collection continues to further the objective of 49 U.S.C. 41712 to 
protect consumers from unfair or deceptive practices, the objective of 
Sec.  41705 and Sec.  40127 to ensure the civil rights of air travelers 
are respected, and the objective of Sec.  41702 to ensure safe and 
adequate service in air transportation.
    Filing a complaint or comment using a web-based form is voluntary 
and minimizes the burden on respondents. Based on CY17 information,\1\, 
17,844 of the 21,153 total cases (includes complaints and comments) 
received by the Enforcement Office were submitted using the electronic 
on-line form (84.3%). The vast majority of the submissions are 
complaints, in which 16,095 of the 18,188 total complaints received by 
ACPD were filed using the electronic web-based form (88.5%). At times, 
consumers may also choose to file a complaint with the Department using 
regular mail or by phone message. The type of information requested on 
the form includes complainant's name, address, phone number (including 
area code), email address, and name of the airline or company about 
which she/he is complaining, as well as the flight date and flight 
itinerary (where applicable) of a complainant's trip. On some 
occasions, a consumer may also use the form to give a description of a 
specific air-travel related problem or to ask for air-travel related 
information from the ACPD. The Department has limited its informational 
request to that necessary to meet its program and administrative 
monitoring and enforcement activities.
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    \1\ The 60-Day FR notice reflected CY16 data. This 30-Day OMB FR 
notice has been updated to reflect CY17 data, which is the most 
current calendar year data available.
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    The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing 
regulations, 5 CFR part 1320, require Federal agencies to issue two 
notices seeking public comment on information collection activities 
before OMB may approve paperwork packages. 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 
1320.5, 1320.8(d)(1), 1320.12. On October 31, 2017, OST published a 60-
day notice in the Federal Register soliciting comment on the ICR for 
which the agency is seeking reinstatement from OMB. See 82 FR 209 at 
50483. OST received no comments after issuing this notice. Accordingly, 
the Department announces that this information collection activity has 
been re-evaluated and certified under 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and forwarded to 
OMB for review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12(c).
    Before OMB decides whether to reinstate this proposed collection of 
information, it must provide 30 days for public comment. 44 U.S.C. 
3507(b); 5 CFR 1320.12(d). Federal law requires OMB to approve or 
disapprove paperwork packages between 30 and 60 days after the 30-day 
notice is published. 44 U.S.C. 3507(b)-(c); 5 CFR 1320.12(d); see also 
60 FR 44978, 44983 (Aug. 29, 1995). The 30-day notice informs the 
regulated community to file relevant comments to OMB and affords the 
agency adequate time to digest public comments before it renders a 
decision. 60 FR 44983 (Aug. 29, 1995). Therefore, respondents should 
submit their respective comments to OMB within 30 days of publication 
to best ensure their full consideration. 5 CFR 1320.12(c); see also 60 
FR 44983 (Aug. 29, 1995).
    Respondents: Consumers that Choose to File an On-Line Complaint/
Comment with the Aviation Consumer Protection Division.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 17,844 (based on CY 2017 data).
    Estimated Total Burden on Respondents: 4,461 hours (267,600 
minutes). The estimate was calculated by multiplying the total number 
of complaints and comments filed using the on-line form in CY17 
(17,844) by the estimated time needed to fill out the on-line form (15 
minutes).
    The information collection is available for inspection in 
regulations.gov, as noted in the Addresses section of his document.
    Comments Are Invited on: (a) Whether the collection of information 
is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the 
Department, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed information collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record on the docket.


    Authority:  The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. 
Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1:48.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 27, 2018.
Claire Barret,
DOT Chief Privacy & Information Governance Officer, Office of the 
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-06858 Filed 4-3-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P