83 FR 27022 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed eCollection, eComments Requested; Revision of a Currently Approved Collection; The National Forensic Laboratory Information System Collection of Drug Analysis Data

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 112 (June 11, 2018)

The Department of Justice (DOJ), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 112 (Monday, June 11, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27022-27023]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-12444]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

[OMB Number 1117-0034]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed eCollection, 
eComments Requested; Revision of a Currently Approved Collection; The 
National Forensic Laboratory Information System Collection of Drug 
Analysis Data

AGENCY: Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice.

ACTION: 60-Day notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Justice (DOJ), Drug Enforcement 
Administration (DEA), will be submitting the following information 
collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for 60 days until 
August 10, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have comments on the estimated 
public burden or associated response time, suggestions, or need a copy 
of the proposed information collection instrument with instructions or 
additional information, please contact Michael J. Lewis, Diversion 
Control Division, Drug Enforcement Administration; Mailing Address: 
8701 Morrissette Drive, Springfield, Virginia 22152; Telephone: (202) 
598-6812.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Written comments and suggestions from the 
public and affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of 
information are encouraged. Your comments should address one or more of 
the following four points:

--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;
--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;
--Evaluate whether and if so how the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information proposed to be collected can be enhanced; and
--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 forms of information technology, e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of responses.

Overview of This Information Collection

    1. Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved 
collection.
    2. Title of the Form/Collection: The National Forensic Laboratory 
Information System Collection of Drug Analysis Data.
    3. The agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of 
the Department sponsoring the collection: Medical Examiner/Coroner 
Office Survey; National Forensic Laboratory Information System Drug 
Survey of Drug Laboratories; and Toxicology Laboratory Survey for the 
component within the Department of Justice is the Drug Enforcement 
Administration, Diversion Control Division.
    4. Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as 
well as a brief abstract: Affected public (Primary): Forensic Science 
Laboratory Management.
    Abstract: The National Forensic Laboratory Information System 
(NFLIS) collections provide the DEA with national databases on analyzed 
drug samples from law enforcement activities, antemortem toxicology 
samples (toxicology laboratories), and post-mortem toxicology samples 
(medical examiner/coroner offices (MECs) from federal, state, and local 
laboratories. Specifically, NFLIS-Drug data provide DEA current, 
precise, and representative estimates of drugs seized by law 
enforcement and analyzed by forensic laboratories. Since 2001, DEA has 
had case and drug report estimates for all drugs reported in NFLIS that 
are statistically representative of the nation and of census regions. 
The estimates, which are made possible by updating the laboratory 
profiles through the survey effort (see draft survey in Appendix), have 
given DEA the ability

[[Page 27023]]

to track national and regional drug trends; a clearer national picture 
of illicit or diverted drug availability; additional information about 
the temporal changes in drug availability by geographic region; and the 
ability to detect new or emerging drugs. Information from NFLIS is 
combined with other existing databases to develop more accurate, up-to-
date information on abused drugs. This database represents a voluntary, 
cooperative effort on the part of participating laboratories and MECs 
to provide a centralized source of analyzed drug data. Existing federal 
drug abuse databases do not provide the type, scope, timeliness, or 
quality of information necessary to effectively estimate the actual or 
relative abuse potential of drugs as required under the Controlled 
Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 811(b)) and international treaties in a 
timely and efficient manner. For example, much of the trafficking data 
for federal drug scheduling actions is presently obtained on a case-by-
case basis from state and local laboratories. Occasionally scientific 
personnel from the DEA's Diversion Control Division, Drug and Chemical 
Evaluation Section, have contacted specific laboratories and requested 
files. In addition, some DEA field offices routinely subpoena MEC 
records for use in case work. The development of the National Forensic 
Laboratory Information System (NFLIS) greatly enhances the collection 
of such data. Submission of information for this collection is 
voluntary. DEA is not mandating this information collection.
    5. An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of 
time estimated for an average respondent to respond: The DEA estimates 
that 140 persons annually for this collection at 1.6 hour per 
respondent, for an annual burden of 218 hours.
    6. An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated 
with the proposed collection: The DEA estimates that this collection 
takes 218 annual burden hours.
    If additional information is required please contact: Melody 
Braswell, Department Clearance Officer, United States Department of 
Justice, Justice Management Division, Policy and Planning Staff, Two 
Constitution Square, 145 N Street NE, Suite 3E.405B, Washington, DC 
20530.

    Dated: June 6, 2018.
Melody Braswell,
Department Clearance Officer for PRA, U.S. Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 2018-12444 Filed 6-8-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4410-09-P