[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 188 (Friday, September 26, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55892-55893]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-22633]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Docket No. DOT-OST-2008-0182]


Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU); 
Regional Small Business Transportation Resource Centers (SBTRCs); 
Notice of Request for Comments on Renewal of Information Collection: 
Regional Center Intake Form (DOT F 4500) and Regional Resource Center 
Monthly Report Form (DOT F 4502) (Formerly, Counseling Information 
Form; Regional Center Intake Form and Monthly Report of Operations 
Form)

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization 
(OSDBU) invites the public to comment about our intention to request 
the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval to renew 
information collection forms, associated with OSDBU.
    We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. On June 26, 2008, OSDBU published 
a 60-day notice in the Federal Register (73 FR 36368), Docket 
OST-2008-0182, informing the public of OSDBU's intention to 
extend this previously approved information collection.
    The collection involves the use of the Regional Center Intake Form 
(DOT F 4500), which documents the type of assistance provided to each 
small business that is enrolled in the program.
    The use of the Regional Resource Center Monthly Report Form (DOT F 
4502) will highlight activities, such as counseling, marketing, 
meetings/conferences, and services to businesses as completed during 
the month. The information will be used to ascertain whether the 
program is providing services to its constituency, the small business 
community, in a fair and equitable manner. The information collected is 
necessary to determine whether small businesses are participating in 
DOT funded and DOT assisted opportunities with the DOT.
    The Counseling Information Form (DOT F 4640.1) has been eliminated 
and the information contained in that form is now consolidated into the 
Regional Resource Center Monthly Report Form (formerly titled Monthly 
Report of Operations Form) in effort to eliminate duplication and to 
streamline the data collection process.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by: October 27, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments to the attention of the DOT/OST Desk 
Officer, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of 
Management and Budget, Docket library, Room 10102, 725 17th Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20503, or [email protected] (e-
mail).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Arthur D. Jackson, 202-366-5344, 
Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Office of the 
Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, 
SE., Room W56-462, Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 9 a.m. 
to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Regional Center Intake Form (DOT F 4500) and Regional 
Resource Center Monthly Report Form (DOT F 4502) (Formerly, Counseling 
Information Form; Regional Center Intake Form and Monthly Report of 
Operations Form).
    OMB Control No: 2105-0554.
    Affected Public: Representatives of DOT Regional Small Business 
Transportation Resource Centers and the Small Businesses community on a 
national basis.
    Type of Request: Renewal of information collection.
    Abstract: In accordance with Public Law 95-507, an amendment to the 
Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1953, OSDBU 
is responsible for the implementation and execution of the Department 
of Transportation (DOT) activities on behalf of small businesses, in 
accordance with Section 8, 15 and 31 of the Small Business Act (SBA), 
as amended. The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization 
also administers the provisions of Title 49, of the United States Code, 
Section 332, the Minority Resource Center (MRC), which includes the 
duties of advocacy, outreach and financial services on behalf of small 
and disadvantaged businesses and those certified under CFR 49 Parts 23 
and or 26 as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE).
    The Small Business Transportation Resource Regional Centers 
(SBTRCs) will collect information on small businesses, which includes 
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), Women-Owned Small Businesses 
(WOB), Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB), 8(a), Service Disabled 
Veteran Owned Businesses (SDVOB), Veteran Owned Small Businesses 
(VOSB), HubZone, and types of services they seek from the SBTRCs. 
Services and responsibilities of the SBTRCs include business analysis, 
general management and technical assistance and training, business 
counseling, outreach services/conference participation, and short-term 
loan assistance. The cumulative data collected will be analyzed by the 
OSDBU to determine the effectiveness of services provided, including 
counseling, outreach, and financial services. Such data will also be 
analyzed by the OSDBU to determine agency effectiveness in assisting 
small businesses to enhance their opportunities to participate in 
government contracts and subcontracts.
    The Regional Center Intake Form (DOT F 4500) is used by the 
Regional SBTRC staff to enroll small business clients into the program 
in order to create a viable database of firms that can participate in 
government contracts and subcontracts, especially those projects that 
are transportation related. In addition, each enrolled small business 
will be assigned a client number that can track the firm's involvement 
in the services offered by the SBTRCs. Each area on the form must be 
filled in electronically by the SBTRCs and retained in secured files of 
the client. The completion of the form is used as a tool for making 
decisions about the needs of the business, such as referral to 
technical assistance agencies for help, identifying the type of 
profession or trade of the business, the type of certification that the 
business holds, length of time in business, and location of the firm.
    The SBTRCs must complete an Intake Form and retain copies in 
secured files in their offices. A limited amount of privacy information 
is requested on this form. We have included a Privacy Act Notice on the 
forms, informing individuals who are asked to supply information on the 
form that Public Law 95-507 and provisions of Title 49, of the U.S. 
Code, Section 332, the Minority Resource Center authorizes solicitation 
of the information; that provision of the information is voluntary; 
that the principal purpose for which the

[[Page 55893]]

information is intended to be used is to assist the SBTRCs in 
developing a business plan or adjusting a business plan for small 
businesses, in order to increase their ability to market goods and 
services to buyers and potential users, interested in small business 
services; that routine uses which DOT may make of the information 
include analyzing the data collected to determine the effectiveness of 
services to small businesses, provided by the SBTRCs, including 
counseling, outreach, and financial services. Also, the data collection 
will be used by OSDBU to document the type of assistance provided to 
each small business that uses the services of the SBTRCs; and that the 
effect on the individual of not providing all or any part of the 
requested information will not be a condition to deny services to the 
small business firm. Request for information about another party may be 
denied unless DOT has the written permission of the individual to 
release the information to the requestor or unless the information is 
subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. This will 
assist the SBTRCs in developing a business plan or adjusting their 
business plan to increase its ability to market its goods and services 
to buyers and potential users of their services.
    Respondents: Small Business Transportation Resource Centers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 100.
    Frequency: The information will be collected monthly.
    Estimated Total Burden on Respondents: 600 hours.
    The Regional Resource Center Monthly Report Form (DOT F 4502) for 
each SBTRC must submit a monthly status report of business activities 
conducted during the 30-day timeframe. The form is used to capture 
activities and accomplishments that were made by the Regional SBTRCs 
during the course of the month. In addition, the form includes a data 
collection section where numbers and hours are reported and a section 
that is assigned for a written narrative that provides back up that 
supports the data. Activities to be reported are (1) Counseling 
activity which identifies the counseling hours provided to businesses, 
number of new appointments, and follow-up on counseled clients. (2) 
Activity for businesses served identifies the type of small business 
that is helped, such as a DBE, 8(a), WOB, HubZone, SDB, SDVOB, or VOSB. 
(3) Marketing activity includes the name of an event attended by the 
SBTRC and the role played when participating in a conference, workshop 
or any other venue that relates to small businesses. (4) Meetings that 
are held with government representatives in the region, or at the state 
level, or an activity that is reported. (5) Events hosted by the 
SBTRCs, such as small business workshops, financial assistance 
workshops, matchmaking events, and activities that are reported on a 
monthly basis.
    Respondents: Small Business Transportation Resource Centers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 100.
    Frequency: The information will be collected monthly.
    Estimated Total Burden on Respondents: 1,200 hours.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Department, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the Departments estimate of the burden of 
the proposed information collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information collection; and (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, by 
the use of electronic means, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 19, 2008.
Patricia Lawton,
DOT Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. E8-22633 Filed 9-25-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P