ATF Extends Public Comment Period on Information Collection

The ATF has extended the public comment period an additional 30 days on the Form 4473 information collection (OMB Control Number 1140-0020).  The Office of Management and Budget estimates the total number of annual responses to the collection at just under 14.5 million with a total burden on the public of 7.2 million hours.  This is the recently updated form that is filled out every time a firearm is purchased from a licensed dealer.

If you have comments on the process of collecting information via form 4473, you have until September 24, 2012 to submit them.  Comments may be emailed to oira_submission@omb.eop.gov or faxed to 202-395-7285.

The Federal Register entry for this extension reads as follows:

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comments Request: Firearms Transaction Record, Part 1, Over-the-Counter

The Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The proposed information collection is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register, Volume 77, Number 122, page 37920 on June 25, 2012, allowing for a 60 day comment period.

The purpose of this notice is to allow for an additional 30 days for public comment until September 24, 2012. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.10.

Written comments concerning this information collection should be sent to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attn: DOJ Desk Officer. The best way to ensure your comments are received is to email them to oira_submission@omb.eop.gov or fax them to 202-395-7285. All comments should reference the eight digit OMB number or the title of the collection.

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

• 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;
• 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;
• Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
• 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 submission of responses.

Summary of Information Collection

(1) Type of Information Collection: Extension without change of a currently approved collection.

(2) Title of the Form/Collection: Firearms Transaction Record, Part 1, Over-the-Counter.

(3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the Department of Justice sponsoring the collection: Form Number: ATF F 4473 (5300.9) Part 1, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

(4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as well as a brief abstract: Primary: Individuals or households. Other: Business or other for-profit.

Need for Collection

The form is used to determine the eligibility, under the Gun Control Act (GCA), of a person to receive a firearm from a Federal firearms licensee and to establish the identity of the buyer/transferee. It is also used in law enforcement investigations/inspections to trace firearms and confirm that licensees are complying with their recordkeeping obligations under the GCA.

(5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: It is estimated that 14,409,616 respondents will respond to the collection each year and that the total amount of time to read the instructions and complete the form on average is 30 minutes.

(6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated with the collection: ATF estimates 7,204,808 annual total burden hours associated with this collection.

If additional information is required contact: Jerri Murray, Department Clearance Officer, Policy and Planning Staff, Justice Management Division, United States Department of Justice, Two Constitution Square, 145 N Street NE., Room 2E-508, Washington, DC 20530.