[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 104 (Tuesday, June 2, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26409-26410]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-12681]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY


Policy Directorate/Office of Strategic Plans; Quadrennial 
Homeland Security Report

AGENCY: Policy Directorate/Office of Strategic Plans, DHS.

ACTION: 30-Day Notice and request for comments; Emergency Submission to 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

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SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security, Policy Directorate/Office 
of Strategic Plans, submits this for the following information 
collection request (ICR) 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). The Policy Directorate/
Office of Strategic Plans is soliciting comments concerning the 
Quadrennial Homeland Security Report. The purpose of this notice is to 
allow additional 30-days for public comments.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until July 2, 2009. 
This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.10.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on 
the proposed information collection to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget. Comments should be 
addressed to OMB Desk Officer, Department of Homeland Security, Office 
of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and sent via electronic mail to 
[email protected] or faxed to (202) 395-6974.
    The Office of Management and Budget is particularly interested in 
comments which:
    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;

[[Page 26410]]

    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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If additional information is required 
contact: the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Policy Directorate/
Office of Strategic Plans, Michael Galang, (202) 282-9118.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 
Commission Act of 2007 mandated the QHSR and included the following 
consultation requirement: ``The Secretary shall conduct each 
quadrennial homeland security review under this subsection in 
consultation with--(A) The heads of other Federal agencies, including 
the Attorney General, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of the 
Treasury, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Director of National 
Intelligence; (B) key officials of the Department; and (C) other 
relevant governmental and nongovernmental entities, including State, 
local, and tribal government officials, members of Congress, private 
sector representatives, academics, and other policy experts.''
    The homeland security community is so vast that physically 
convening representative and inclusive study groups that are also able 
to work efficiently and effectively is virtually impossible. Therefore, 
DHS will fulfill QHSR consultation requirements through a number of 
mechanisms, including collaborative web-based engagement tools. In 
doing so, DHS intends to create a true national dialogue on homeland 
security. A national dialogue platform will be created and hosted to 
engage homeland security stakeholders around the compelling questions, 
ideas, or concepts that emerge through the QHSR process. The dialogue 
platform is based on the principle of radical scalability: The more 
feedback that is received, the more clearly sorted participants' 
preferences and priorities become. In a national dialogue, users can 
submit their best ideas, refine them in open discussion, and use simple 
rating and tagging features to identify the most popular ideas and 
important overarching themes. The platform can host multiple 
simultaneous dialogues, and dynamically pose new questions, so that DHS 
can repeatedly ``pulse'' participants over a three-month timeframe.
    Ideas, comments, or position papers will also be solicited at the 
outset of the review and accepted via electronic means. All submitted 
position papers will inform the QHSR Study Groups as they initiate 
their analyses. All homeland security stakeholders are eligible and are 
invited to provide input. A letter from Secretary Napolitano will be 
sent to each stakeholder association inviting their input.

Analysis

    Agency: Department of Homeland Security, Policy Directorate/Office 
of Strategic Plans.
    Title: Quadrennial Homeland Security Report.
    OMB Number: 1601-NEW.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Affected Public: Federal Government, State, Local or Tribal 
Government.
    Number of Respondents: 50,000 respondents.
    Estimated Time per Respondent: 8 hours per respondent.
    Total Burden Hours: 400,000 annual burden hours.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): None.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): None.

    Dated: May 14, 2009.
Margaret H. Graves,
Acting Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-12681 Filed 6-1-09; 8:45 am]
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