Notice2023-10121
Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Data Security Requirements for Accessing Confidential Data
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
May 12, 2023
Issuing agencies
National Science Foundation
Abstract
The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF) has submitted the following information collection requirement to OMB for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This is the second notice for public comment; the first was published in the Federal Register and no comments were received. NCSES is forwarding the proposed Data Security Requirements for Accessing Confidential Data information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance simultaneously with the publication of this second notice. The full submission may be found at: http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/ PRAMain.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 92 (Friday, May 12, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 92 (Friday, May 12, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30799-30801]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-10121]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Data
Security Requirements for Accessing Confidential Data
AGENCY: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics,
National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Submission for OMB review; comment request.
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SUMMARY: The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
(NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF) has submitted the
following information collection requirement to OMB for review and
clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This is the second
notice for public comment; the first was published in the Federal
Register and no comments were received. NCSES is forwarding the
proposed Data Security Requirements for Accessing Confidential Data
information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for
clearance simultaneously with the publication of this second notice.
The full submission may be found at: <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
DATES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAmain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAmain</a>. Find this particular
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance
Officer, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue,
Alexandria, VA 22314, or send email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c7b4b7abaeaab7b3a887a9b4a1e9a0a8b1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="255655494c4855514a654b56430b424a53">[email protected]</span></a>. Individuals
who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the
Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339, which is
accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (including
federal holidays). Comments
[[Page 30800]]
regarding this information collection are best assured of having their
full effect if received within 30 days of this notification. Copies of
the submission(s) may be obtained by calling 703-292-7556.
Comments: Comments regarding (a) whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the NSF, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the NSF's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
use, and clarity of the information on respondents; and (d) ways to
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 should be addressed to the points
of contact in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NCSES may not conduct or sponsor a
collection of information unless the collection of information displays
a currently valid OMB control number and the agency informs potential
persons who are to respond to the collection of information that such
persons are not required to respond to the collection of information
unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Comments: Comments regarding (a) whether the collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the NSF, including whether the information will have practical utility;
(b) the accuracy of the NSF's estimate of the burden of the proposed
collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, use, and
clarity of the information to be collected, including through the use
of automated collection techniques or other forms of information
technology; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of
appropriate automated or other forms of information technology should
be addressed to the points of contact in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section.
Title of Collection: Data Security Requirements for Accessing
Confidential Data.
OMB Control Number: 3145-NEW.
Summary of Collection: Title III of the Foundations for Evidence-
Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (44 U.S.C. 3583; hereafter referred to
as the Evidence Act) mandates that OMB establish a Standard Application
Process (SAP) for requesting access to certain confidential data
assets. While the adoption of the SAP is required for statistical
agencies and units designated under the Confidential Information
Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2018 (CIPSEA), it is
recognized that other agencies and organizational units within the
Executive Branch may benefit from the adoption of the SAP to accept
applications for access to confidential data assets. The SAP is a
process through which agencies, the Congressional Budget Office, State,
local, and Tribal governments, researchers, and other individuals, as
appropriate, may apply to access confidential data assets held by a
federal statistical agency or unit for the purposes of developing
evidence. With the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy (ICSP) as
advisors, the entities upon whom this requirement is levied are working
with the SAP Project Management Office (PMO) and with OMB to implement
the SAP.
The SAP Portal is a single web-based common application designed to
collect information from individuals requesting access to confidential
data assets from federal statistical agencies and units. When an
application for confidential data is approved through the SAP Portal,
NCSES will collect information to fulfill its data security
requirements. This is a required step before providing the individual
with access to restricted use microdata for the purpose of evidence
building. NCSES's data security agreements and other paperwork, along
with the corresponding security protocols, allow NCSES to maintain
careful controls on confidentiality and privacy, as required by law.
NCSES' collection of data security information will occur outside of
the SAP Portal.
The following bullets outline the major components and processes in
and around the SAP Portal, leading up to NCSES' collection of security
requirements.
<bullet> SAP Policy: At the recommendation of the ICSP, the SAP
Policy establishes the SAP to be implemented by statistical agencies
and units and incorporates directives from the Evidence Act. The SAP
Policy was submitted to the public for comment in January 2022 (87 FR
2459) and has since been issued by OMB (M-23-04).
<bullet> The SAP Portal: The SAP Portal is an application interface
connecting applicants seeking data with a catalog of metadata for data
assets owned by the federal statistical agencies and units. The SAP
Portal is not a new data repository or warehouse; confidential data
assets will continue to be stored in secure data access facilities
owned and hosted by the federal statistical agencies and units. The
Portal will provide a streamlined application process across agencies,
reducing redundancies in the application process.
<bullet> Data Discovery: Individuals begin the process of accessing
restricted use data by discovering confidential data assets through the
SAP metadata catalog, maintained by federal statistical agencies at
<a href="http://www.researchdatagov.org">www.researchdatagov.org</a>.
<bullet> SAP Application: Individuals who have identified and wish
to access confidential data assets are able to apply for access through
the SAP Portal. Applicants must create an account and follow all steps
to complete the application. Applicants enter personal, contact, and
institutional information for the research team and provide summary
information about their proposed project.
<bullet> Submission for Review: Agencies approve or reject an
application within a prompt timeframe. Agencies may also request
applicants to revise and resubmit their application.
<bullet> Access to Confidential Data: Approved applicants are
notified through the SAP Portal that their proposal has been accepted.
This concludes the SAP Portal process. Agencies will contact approved
applicants to initiate completion of their security documents. The
completion and submission of the agency's security requirements will
take place outside of the SAP Portal.
<bullet> Collection of Information for Data Security Requirements:
In the instance of a positive determination for an application
requesting access to an NCSES-owned confidential data asset, NCSES will
contact the applicant(s) to initiate the process of collecting
information to fulfill its data security requirements. This process
allows NCSES to place the applicant(s) in a trusted access category.
Estimate of Burden: The amount of time to complete the agreements
and other paperwork that comprise NCSES's security requirements will
vary based on the confidential data assets requested. To obtain access
to NCSES confidential data assets, it is estimated that the average
time to complete and submit NCSES's data security agreements and other
paperwork is 60 minutes. This burden estimate has changed from the time
of the 60-day FRN submission to account for 30 minutes of CIPSEA
training required for each applicant. This estimate does not include
the time needed to complete and submit an application within the SAP
Portal. An additional burden
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estimate for application renewals has also been added to account for 35
minutes of annual burden when renewing an application. All efforts
related to SAP Portal applications occur prior to and separate from
NCSES's effort to collect information related to data security
requirements.
The expected number of applications in the SAP Portal that receive
a positive determination from NCSES in a given year may vary. Overall,
per year, NCSES estimates it will collect data security information for
20 application submissions, with two applicants per application, that
received a positive determination within the SAP Portal. NCSES
estimates that the total burden for the collection of information for
data security requirements over the course of the three-year OMB
clearance will be about 120 hours and, as a result, an average annual
burden of 40 hours.
In addition, individuals must renew applications annually and take
annual CIPSEA training. An average of 90 applicants per year renew
their applications, taking an average of 35 minutes for training and
completion of the amendment form for a total of 157.5 total burden
hours over the course of the three-year OMB clearance and an annual
burden of 52.5 hours.
Comments: As required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), comments on the
information collection activities as part of this study were solicited
through the publication of a 60-Day Notice in the Federal Register at
87 FR 65611. NCSES received no comments.
Updates: The 30-day FRN specified 30 minutes of burden per
applicant to complete security paperwork. This estimate has been
updated to reflect an additional 30 minutes of required CIPSEA
training, for a total of 60 minutes of burden per applicant. In
addition, the burden estimate has been updated to account for
application renewals, for a total of 35 minutes of burden per
applicant.
Dated: May 8, 2023.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2023-10121 Filed 5-11-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
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