SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

We encourage written comments and suggestions from the public and affected agencies concerning the proposed information collection. Your comments should address one or more of the following four points:

—Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is necessary to properly perform ATF's functions, including whether the information will have practical utility;

—Evaluate the agency's estimate of the proposed information collection's burden for accuracy, including validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

—Evaluate whether the quality, utility, and clarity of the collected information can be enhanced, and if so, how; and

—Minimize the information collection's burden on those who are to respond, including using appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting people to submit electronic responses.

Overview of This Information Collection

Abstract: Persons who wish to ship, transport, receive, or possess explosive materials, but are prohibited from doing so, must complete this form to request relief from such prohibition, along with supporting documents. The regulations at 27 CFR 555.142 state that the Director may grant relief to an applicant if (1) the applicant establishes to the Director's satisfaction that the circumstances regarding the disability and the applicant's record and reputation are such that the applicant will not be likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety; and (2) that granting relief is not contrary to public interest. ATF uses the collected information to determine whether the person who provided the information is likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety and whether granting relief is contrary to the public interest, in order to determine whether to grant the person relief from the prohibition. This process involves interviewing a supervisor or coworker in approximately half the cases.

Type of information collection: revising a previously approved collection.

Title of the form/collection: Request for Relief from Explosives Disability.

Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the Department sponsoring the collection: Form number: ATF Form 5400.31. Component: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Department of Justice.

Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as well as the obligation to respond: Affected public: individuals or households, private sector for- or not-for-profit institutions. Obligation to respond: voluntary or required to obtain or retain benefits.

Estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: An estimated 250 direct respondents will provide information to complete this information collection once annually, and it will take each respondent an average of approximately 30 minutes to complete their responses. In addition, approximately 125 of those responses would involve investigative activities, to include interviewing a supervisor and coworker, who would each incur approximately 30 minutes of time for that purpose.

Estimate of the total annual burden (in hours) associated with the collection: The estimated annual public burden associated with this collection is 250 total hours, which is equal to 250 (total direct respondents) * 1 (# of responses per respondent) * 0.5 (30 minutes) plus 250 (total indirect respondents) * 1 (# of responses per respondent) * 0.5 (30 minutes).

Estimate of the total annual other cost burden associated with the collection, if applicable: 0.

Revisions to This Information Collection

The total time burden has increased since the last renewal in 2023, from 150 hours to 250. This is a net increase resulting from a combined decrease in the number of annual respondents (from 300 in 2023 to 250 now, causing a corresponding decrease in direct respondent hours from 150 to 125 hours) and an increase in the time burden from including the time indirect respondents expend (an additional 125 hours). Although the indirect respondents were previously included in the monetized value calculations, they were inadvertently not included in the hourly burden calculations. This renewal corrects that error.

As part of this ICR renewal, ATF is also changing the form number from ATF Form 5400.29 to ATF Form 5400.31 to align with changes to ATF's numbering structure, and is revising the title of the ICR and the form for plain writing purposes, from “Relief of Disabilities and Application for Restoration of Explosives Privileges” to “Request for Relief from Explosives Disability.” In addition, ATF is making minor technical edits to the form: plain writing edits to text on the form; updating the race and ethnicity options to conform with Census Bureau changes since the last renewal; and adding Space Force to the Armed Forces section.

91 FR 44875