Notice2026-18143
Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments; Clearance of a New Approval of Information Collection: Safety Management System Voluntary Program
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
September 4, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for an information collection. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on July 19, 2023. Two comments were received (one comment was submitted twice with an editorial correction) and responded to in the supporting statement accessible following the instructions outlined in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. The collection involves collecting safety data from FAA Flight Standards Service, Safety Management System Voluntary Program participants. The collection is necessary to evaluate participating certificate holders and their compliance with voluntary program requirements.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 171 (Friday, September 4, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 171 (Friday, September 4, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56940-56941]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-18143]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
[Docket No. FAA-2023-0944]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments;
Clearance of a New Approval of Information Collection: Safety
Management System Voluntary Program
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA
invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) approval for an information collection. The
Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting
comments on the following collection of information was published on
July 19, 2023. Two comments were received (one comment was submitted
twice with an editorial correction) and responded to in the supporting
statement accessible following the instructions outlined in the
ADDRESSES section of this notice. The collection involves collecting
safety data from FAA Flight Standards Service, Safety Management System
Voluntary Program participants. The collection is necessary to evaluate
participating certificate holders and their compliance with voluntary
program requirements.
DATES: Written comments should be submitted by October 5, 2026.
ADDRESSES: 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: Sean C. Denniston, Flight Standards
Service, Safety Management Branch (AFS-940) by email at:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c6b5a3a7a8e8a2a3a8a8afb5b2a9a886a0a7a7e8a1a9b0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9deef8fcf3b3f9f8f3f3f4eee9f2f3ddfbfcfcb3faf2eb">[email protected]</span></a>; phone 202-267-1493.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of
this information collection, including (a) Whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary for FAA's performance; (b) the
accuracy of the estimated burden; (c) ways for FAA to enhance the
quality, utility and clarity of the information collection; and (d)
ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of
the collected information.
OMB Control Number: 2120-XXXX.
Title: Safety Management System Voluntary Program.
Form Numbers: None.
Type of Review: New Information Collection.
Background: The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment
period soliciting comments on the following collection of information
was published on July 19, 2023 (88 FR 46364) and closed on September
18, 2023. A Safety Management System (SMS) provides an organization-
wide approach to identifying safety hazards, assessing and managing
safety risk, and assuring the effectiveness of safety risk controls. An
SMS provides a set of decision-making processes and procedures that can
improve safety by assisting an organization in planning, organizing,
directing, and controlling its aviation-related business activities. In
2018, the Flight Standards Safety Management System Voluntary Program
(SMSVP) was created allowing those not required by regulation to
develop and implement an SMS to do so voluntarily.
Since the Federal Register 60-day notice, there have been major
changes in SMS rulemaking and the voluntary program. On April 26. 2024,
14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 5 (Safety Management Systems)
was published in the Federal Register (89 FR 33068). Part 5 added
requirements for certain holders of 14 CFR part 21 type certificates,
all 14 CFR part 135 aviation organizations, and section 91.147 Letter
of Authorization (LOA) holders to develop and implement an SMS. The FAA
also updated certain 14 CFR part 121 SMS requirements. Part 135
aviation organizations were exempt from certain part 5 requirements if
operating as a single pilot or sole operator.
The FAA also clarified the Title 14 CFR aviation organizations
eligible for the SMSVP as Part 91 (Living History Flying Experience),
Part 91 subpart K (part 91K), Part 125, Part 133, Part 137, Part 141,
Part 142, Part 145, and Part 147.<SUP>1 2</SUP> Aviation organizations
required by regulation to develop and implement
[[Page 56941]]
an SMS cannot participate in the SMSVP.
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\1\ Operators of LHFE flights are eligible to participate in the
SMSVP. LHFE operators are also required to have an SMS detailed in
its manual system and subject to FAA evaluation. Whether to also
participate in the SMSVP is a decision for the individual LHFE
operator. See, 80 FR 43012 (July 21, 2015).
\2\ Other aviation organizations are encouraged to develop an
SMS using guidance in Advisory Circular (AC) 120-92, Safety
Management Systems for Aviation Service Providers.
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Aviation organizations requesting entry into the SMSVP must develop
an SMS that meets the requirements of 14 CFR part 5. After an aviation
organization voluntarily implements its SMS, it will request entry into
the SMSVP and submit a declaration of compliance to the responsible
Flight Standards office. A declaration of compliance is a legal
document submitted to the FAA declaring that the aviation organization
has voluntarily developed and implemented an SMS that meets 14 CFR part
5 requirements.
Respondents: As of December 2025, there are 159 participants in the
Safety Management System Voluntary Program.
Estimated Average Burden per Response
The proposed FAA information collections will require 795 annual
responses from 159 voluntary program participants. The burden hours
were calculated by using the total hours required by the voluntary
program participants to respond to the information collection over the
three-year period. The annual burden hours were determined by dividing
the three-year total, equaling 11,258 hours.
Labor Costs
Other than the average hours burden to comply with the information
collection activities, the SMSVP respondents will have no additional
capital, start-up, or maintenance cost associated with this collection
of information.
Web-Based Application Tool
The FAA and Universal Technical Resources Services (UTRS) entered
into a public-private partnership to offer the Web-Based Application
Tool (WBAT) to aviation organizations for SMS development and related
services. WBAT is one of several companies and services that can be
used to develop an SMS. WBAT offers three categories of service: WBAT,
Fuzion Safety, and Fuzion Safety Services.
The cost burden of implementing an SMS in the SMSVP depends on the
organization's operating certificate, number of aircraft, and number of
aviation related employees. The FAA estimates only minor costs for
entities that have already voluntarily implemented an SMS. For aviation
organizations initially developing an SMS, the FAA estimates a cost
range from $6,052 to $10,912.
Issued in Washington, DC.
Hugh J. Thomas,
Deputy Executive Director, Flight Standards Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-18143 Filed 9-3-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 4, 2026.
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