Supporting Statment 1-791

Supporting Statement for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions

Revision of a currently approved collection for the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division Biographic Verification Form previously named CJIS Name Check Request Form

(1-791)

OMB Control # 1110-0060

The most recent version of this form is dated October 28, 2017. The Next Generation Identification (NGI) system was upgraded to recognize and accept the seven best fingerprints out of a ten-print submission.  This greatly decreased quality rejects, and also decreased the volume of Name Check receipts.  Additionally, because the NGI system is identity based, the addition of height, weight, eye and hair color fields were included. Finally, the option to have responses sent via mail and email was added to the Name Check Request Form.

Part A. Justification

1.  Necessity of Information: 

Title 28, Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.), Section 0.85 (j) sets forth the Attorney General's delegation to the FBI to implement the exchange of identity history information for noncriminal justice purposes. Additionally, 28 C.F.R. § 20.33 (a)(3) and 50.12 both further explain the dissemination of identity history information for noncriminal justice purposes. The FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division currently offers a Biographic Verification Service (also referred to as a Name Check Service) to noncriminal justice agencies as a way to obtain adjudicated criminal history information in cases where the required fingerprint image quality could not be achieved after two attempts for a fingerprint based search. The service was implemented to ensure that individuals with poor quality fingerprints not be denied benefits, licensing, or employment opportunities due to non-discernible fingerprints. The information collected on the CJIS Biographic Verification Request form is required to complete a Biographic Verification (Name Check) request to ensure the agency requesting the service has the authority to request and obtain the results and to verify fingerprints were submitted and rejected twice for the individual of the request.

2.  Needs and Uses:  

Without the Biographic Verification (Name Check) Service and the form utilized to obtain the information necessary to conduct the search, many individuals could be denied benefits, licensing, or employment opportunities.  If an identification can be determined, contributing agencies receive a copy of the processed form with the response.  The form is maintained for 90 days prior to being destroyed.  If the request is rejected due to illegible prints which will not allow for an identification (or non-identification), the form is destroyed.

3.  Use of Technology:  

The Biographic Verification Request Form is available to contributors at the following address https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/fingerprints-and-other-biometrics. Over 99% of all Biographic Verification (Name Check) requests are submitted via email. Any faxes received are routed through the fax server. The process will soon be updated to require all requests be submitted via email. Staff processing these requests utilize soft copy forms to perform the function. In addition, responses are returned via email. Therefore, there is a minimal amount of paper utilized in the processing of a Biographic Verification (Name Check) request.  

4.  Efforts to Identify Duplication:

The CJIS Division is the only federal agency utilizing the data from this information collection.

 

5.   Methods to Minimize Burden on Small Businesses: 

Small businesses will not be affected by this collection.

 

6.  Consequences of Less Frequent Collection:  

The form is used when a noncriminal justice agency requests that the CJIS Division complete a Biographic Verification (Name Check). It is strictly voluntary, and the frequency of submissions is not mandated.  

 

7.  Special Circumstances Influencing Collection:  

The collection is submitted by authorized agencies to obtain a Biographic Verification (Name Check) for an individual whose fingerprints are too poor to conduct fingerprint comparisons in an attempt to ascertain if the subject is eligible for benefits, licensing, or employment.

  

8.  Public Comments and Consultations:  

The CJIS Name Check Request form is currently being used by contributors. In May 2019, the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact Council (Council) voted to expand the existing policy for the Biographic Verification (Name Check) Service for individuals who are permanently physically incapable of providing fingerprints which meet the necessary quality standards. In accordance with this, a revision to the existing form was required. The form was updated and renamed—CJIS Biographic Verification Request. Prior to submittal for OMB approval, the Council’s Policy and Outreach (P&O) Committee had the opportunity to provide input and subsequently approved the updated form. In addition, the FBI consults with contributors on an individual basis as needed.

 

9.  Payment of Gift to Claimants:  

The FBI does not provide any payment or gift to respondents.

  

10.  Assurance of Confidentiality:  

Information requested in this collection may be considered confidential business information.

11.  Justification for Sensitive Questions:  

The biographic information requested on the form does not include questions of a sensitive nature. The information that is requested is needed to conduct the Biographic Verification and to ensure the most accurate results possible for those we serve.

12.  Estimate of Hour Burden: 

The Biographic Verification (Name Check) requests are primarily handled by a small group of Biometric Image Examiners (BIE). While there are about ten BIE’s trained to perform this function, the bulk of the requests are primarily handled by four of the ten BIE’s.

Number of respondents:  50,000

Frequency of responses:  as needed

Total annual responses:  50,000

Minutes per response:  8

Annual hour burden:    6,700

13. Estimate of Cost Burden

Respondents will not incur any costs other than their time to respond. Respondents will not incur any capital, start up, or system maintenance costs associated with this information collection.

14. Estimated Annualized Costs to Federal Government: 

Personnel Salaries: $ 256,000 Analysis of incoming information $ 0 Conversion to electronic format $ 0 Total Cost $ 256,000

15. Reasons for Change in Burden: 

In May 2019, the Council approved Compact Topic Paper #6—Consideration to Address Illegible Prints, authorizing a policy modification to enable applicants who are permanently physically incapable of providing legible fingerprints to receive a name check.  The CJIS Division worked with the Council’s P&O Committee to develop the updated form that will be used by noncriminal justice agencies requesting that a Biographic Verification (Name Check) be conducted.

16. Plans for Publication:

There are no plans to publish the information collected.

17. Expiration Date Approval:

Due to the administrative burdens related to replacing expired forms when no information on those forms has been changed, the FBI is requesting approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collected.

18. Exceptions to the Certification Statement:

There are no exceptions to the certification statement.

Part B. Statistical Methods

The Federal Bureau of Investigation does not employ statistical methods in this information collection.

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