Intent To Request a Revision From OMB of One Current Public Collection of Information: Cybersecurity Measures for Surface Modes

[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 73 (Thursday, April 16, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20475-20477]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-07364]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Transportation Security Administration


Intent To Request a Revision From OMB of One Current Public 
Collection of Information: Cybersecurity Measures for Surface Modes

AGENCY: Transportation Security Administration, DHS.

ACTION: 60-Day notice.

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SUMMARY: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) invites 
public comment on one currently-approved Information Collection Request 
(ICR), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 1652-0074, 
abstracted below, that we will submit to OMB for a revision in 
compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The ICR describes 
the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The 
collection concerns data concerning the designation of a Cybersecurity 
Coordinator; the reporting of cybersecurity incidents to the 
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; the development of a 
cybersecurity contingency/recovery plan to address cybersecurity gaps; 
and the completion of a cybersecurity assessment.

DATES: Send your comments by June 15, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be emailed to TSAPRA@tsa.dhs.gov or delivered 
to the TSA PRA Officer, Information Technology, TSA-11, Transportation 
Security Administration, 6595 Springfield Center Drive, Springfield, VA 
20598-6011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christina A. Walsh at the above 
address, or by telephone (571) 227-2062.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq.), an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is 
not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it 
displays a valid OMB control number. The ICR documentation will be 
available at https://www.reginfo.gov upon its submission to OMB. 
Therefore, in preparation for OMB review and approval of the following 
information collection, TSA is soliciting comments to--
    (1) Evaluate whether the proposed information requirement 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;
    (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 using appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological

[[Page 20476]]

collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Information Collection Requirement

    OMB Control Number 1652-0074; Cybersecurity Measures for Surface 
Modes. TSA is specifically empowered to assess threats to 
transportation; \1\ develop policies, strategies, and plans for dealing 
with threats to transportation; \2\ oversee the implementation and 
adequacy of security measures at transportation facilities; \3\ and 
carry out other appropriate duties relating to transportation 
security.\4\ Additionally, under 49 U.S.C. Sec.  114(l)(2),\5\ TSA has 
the authority to issue Security Directives (SDs) if the Administrator 
of TSA determines that a regulation or SD must be issued immediately in 
order to protect transportation security.
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    \1\ 49 U.S.C. 114(f)(2).
    \2\ 49 U.S.C. 114(f)(3).
    \3\ 49 U.S.C. 114(f)(11).
    \4\ 49 U.S.C. 114(f)(15).
    \5\ Notwithstanding any other provision of law or executive 
order (including an executive order requiring a cost-benefit 
analysis), if the Administrator determines that a regulation or SD 
must be issued immediately in order to protect transportation 
security, the Administrator shall issue the regulation or SD without 
providing notice or an opportunity for comment and without prior 
approval of the Secretary.
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    On December 17, 2021, TSA issued the SD 1580-21-01 series, 
Enhancing Rail Cybersecurity, and the SD 1582-21-01 series, Enhancing 
Public Transportation and Passenger Railroad Cybersecurity, mandating 
TSA-specified Owner/Operators of ``higher risk'' railroads and rail 
transit systems, respectively, to implement an array of cybersecurity 
measures to prevent disruption and degradation to their infrastructure; 
these SDs became effective December 31, 2021. In addition, on October 
18, 2022, TSA issued the SD 1580/82-2022-01 series, Rail Cybersecurity 
Mitigation Actions and Testing, which applies to Owner/Operators of the 
``Higher Risk'' freight railroads identified in 49 CFR 1580.101 and 
additional TSA-designated freight and passenger railroads. This SD, 
which is complementary to the requirements in the previous directives, 
took effect on October 24, 2022. On December 17, 2021, TSA also issued 
Information Circular (IC) 2021-01, Enhancing Surface Transportation 
Cybersecurity, which recommended voluntary implementation of actions 
and reporting by Owner/Operators not covered by the SDs. The provisions 
in the directives are reviewed and reissued on an annual basis.
    On January 15, 2026, TSA revised the SD 1580-21-01 series and the 
SD 1582-21-01 series, requiring that any non-U.S. citizen serving as a 
primary or alternate Cybersecurity Coordinator must be a current member 
of NEXUS, Global Entry, or another program determined by TSA to include 
a comparable security threat assessment (STA). TSA is revising the 
collection to include this new requirement.
    The information collected pursuant to the requirements in the SDs 
and the recommendations in the IC allow TSA to execute its security 
responsibilities within the surface transportation industry, through 
awareness of potential security incidents and suspicious activities. 
TSA collects the following information:

A. SD 1580/82-2022-01 Series

    This SD series includes the following information collection:
    1. Submission of a Cybersecurity Implementation Plan to TSA for 
approval that identifies how the Owner/Operator will meet the required 
security outcomes in the SD;
    2. Submission of a Cybersecurity Assessment Plan that describes how 
the Owner/Operator will assess the effectiveness of their cybersecurity 
measures and an annual report that provides the results of assessments 
from the previous year;
    3. Documentation provided to TSA upon request as necessary to 
establish compliance.

B. SD 1580-21-01, SD 1582-21-01, Surface Transportation IC-2021-01, and 
IC Surface-2025-01 Series

    The SDs and ICs include the following information collection 
requirements for the SDs and voluntary collection under the ICs:
    1. Provide contact information for a primary and at least one 
alternate Cybersecurity Coordinator to TSA.
    2. Designate any non-U.S. citizen serving as a primary or alternate 
Cybersecurity Coordinator who is a current member of NEXUS, Global 
Entry, or another program determined by TSA to include a comparable 
STA, and submit documentation of such membership to TSA. This 
requirement is a revision to the collection as discussed above, 
stemming from the revision of this surface transportation SD series.
    3. Report cybersecurity incidents to the Cybersecurity and 
Infrastructure Security Agency. Under 49 CFR 1570.203, Owner/Operators 
must report the incidents required by directives, as soon as 
practicable, but no later than 72 hours after the Owner/Operator 
identifies a cybersecurity incident.
    4. Develop a Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan to reduce the 
risk of operational disruption should their Information and/or 
Operational Technology systems be affected by a cybersecurity incident; 
and
    5. Conduct a cybersecurity vulnerability assessment using the TSA-
issued form and submit the completed assessment to TSA.
    The IC also includes the following recommendation but is not a 
requirement in the SDs: Owner/Operators should notify TSA's 
Transportation Security Operations Center via telephone (1-866-655-
7023) as soon as possible, and no more than 12 hours after discovery of 
an actual or potential significant cybersecurity incident.
    TSA uses the collection of information to ensure compliance with 
TSA's cybersecurity measures required by the SDs and the 
recommendations under the ICs.
    Owner/Operators can complete and submit the required Cybersecurity 
Implementation Plans (including any amendments or revisions) and 
documents incorporated by reference into Cybersecurity Implementation 
Plans, Cybersecurity Assessment Plans, and related annual reports, 
using the TSA Secure Regulatory Portal or they may opt to retain 
documents locally for either in-person or other review pursuant to TSA-
approved methods, which may include virtual review. Documentation of 
compliance must be provided upon request. As the measures in the ICs 
are voluntary, the ICs do not require Owner/Operators to report on 
their compliance.
    TSA, in conjunction with federal partners such as the Cybersecurity 
and Infrastructure Security Agency, uses the reports of cybersecurity 
incidents to evaluate and respond to imminent and evolving 
cybersecurity incidents and threats as they occur, and as a basis for 
creating new cybersecurity policy moving forward. This monitoring will 
allow TSA and federal partners to take action to contain threats, take 
mitigating action, and issue timely warnings to similarly situated 
entities against further spread of the threat. TSA and its federal 
partners also use the information to inform timely modifications to 
cybersecurity requirements to improve transportation security and 
national economic security. TSA uses the collection of information to 
ensure compliance with TSA's cybersecurity measures required by the SDs 
and the recommendations under the ICs.
    Portions of the responses that are deemed Sensitive Security 
Information (SSI) are protected in accordance with

[[Page 20477]]

procedures meeting the transmission, handling, and storage requirements 
of SSI set forth in 49 CFR part 1520.\6\
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    \6\ In addition, all data in TSA systems are statutorily 
required to comply with the Federal Information Security 
Modernization Act 2014 following the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology Special Publication 800.37 REV2 or Risk Management 
Framework, and other federal information security requirements 
including Federal Information Processing Standards 199 and Executive 
Order 14028. All systems, networks, servers, clouds and endpoints 
under the Federal Information Security Modernization Act 2014 
boundary are hardened to meet the Department of Defense Security 
Technical Implementation Guidelines, as well as DHS Policy (4300.A) 
and TSA policy (TSA IA Handbook).
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    TSA estimates SD 1580/82-2022-01 applies to a total of 73 Owner/
Operators; and SD 1580-21-01, SD 1582-21-01, and Surface Transportation 
IC-2021-01 apply to 449 railroad Owner/Operators, 242 public 
transportation agencies and rail transit system Owner/Operators, and 72 
over-the-road bus Owner/Operators, for a total of 836 respondents. TSA 
estimates the annual hour burden to be 210,661.
    In terms of the revision to include the STA requirement, TSA 
anticipates that only nine or fewer Owner/Operators will need to 
respond annually to the STA requirement for a non-U.S. citizen to be 
designated as Cybersecurity Coordinator. However, the burden scope 
estimates presume that 10 or more Owner/Operators could respond. TSA 
estimates that if there are 10 non-U.S. citizen respondents, based on 
other information collection STA burdens, they will spend approximately 
0.25 hours to compile and submit the information, a total of 2.5 burden 
hours. Should TSA require a fingerprint based criminal history records 
check, there would be an additional time burden of approximately 2 
hours per respondent, a total of 20 burden hours.
    For this collection, TSA estimates the total annual respondents to 
be 846 and the total annual hour burden to be 210,684 hours.

    Dated: April 13, 2026.
Christina A. Walsh,
Paperwork Reduction Act Officer, Information Technology, Transportation 
Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2026-07364 Filed 4-15-26; 8:45 am]
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