[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 236 (Monday, December 8, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74557-74559]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-28919]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Docket: OST-2008-0244]


Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU): 
Notice of Request for Renewal of Short Term Lending Program--
Application for New Loan Guarantee and Application for Loan Guarantee 
Renewal

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public 
Law 104-13, (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) this notice announces that the 
Information Collection Request, abstracted below, is being forwarded to 
the Office of Management and Budget for Short Term Lending Program--
Application for Loan Guarantee of currently approved. Earlier, a 
Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was published 
October 10, 2008, (DOT-OST 2008-0244). The agency did not receive any 
comments to its previous notice.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by January 7, 2009, and 
sent to OMB: Attention DOT/OST Desk Officer, Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of

[[Page 74558]]

Management and Budget, Docket Library, Room 10102, 725 17th Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20503 or [email protected] (e-mail).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nancy Strine, Manager Financial 
Assistance Division, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business 
Utilization, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Room W56-497, Washington, 
DC 20590. Phone number (202) 366-1930, fax number (202) 366-7228. 
Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.
    Comments: Comments should be sent to OMB at the address that 
appears below and should identify the associated OMB Approval Number 
2105-0555 and Docket OST-2008-0244.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Number of Respondents: 100.
    Number of Responses: Once.
    Total Annual Burden: 4525 hours.
    Respondents: Certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) 
and other Certified Small Businesses (8a, women-owned, small 
disadvantaged, HubZone, veteran owned, and service disabled veteran 
owned) interested in financing their transportation-related contracts.
    Form: Short-Term Lending Program Application for New Loan Guarantee 
DOT 2301-1(REV.1): A potential STLP participant must submit a 
guaranteed loan application package, comprised of a loan application, 
with supporting documentation. The application may be obtained directly 
from OSDBU, from a current PL, or online from the agency's Web site 
currently at http://osdbu.dot.gov/documents/pdf/stlp/stlpapp.pdf.
    Respondents: 100.
    Frequency: Once.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: 2 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 200 hours.
    New loan application supporting documentation may include, but is 
not limited to, the following items:
    a. Business, trade or job performance reference letters;
    b. DBE or other eligible certification letters;
    c. Signed and dated borrower certification that all federal, state 
and local taxes are current;
    d. Business tax returns;
    e. Business financial statements;
    f. Personal income tax returns;
    g. Personal financial statements;
    h. Schedule of work in progress;
    i. Signed and dated copy of transportation-related contracts to be 
used as collateral;
    j. Business debt schedule;
    k. Cash flow projections;
    l. Evidence of bonding and insurance.
    Respondents: 100.
    Frequency: Once.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: 12 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1200 hours.
    Form: Short-Term Lending Program Application for Loan Guarantee 
Renewal DOT 2302-1. A current STLP participant may submit a guaranteed 
loan renewal application package, comprised of an updated loan 
application, with supporting documentation. The application may be 
obtained directly from OSDBU, from a current PL, or online from the 
agency's Web site currently at http://osdbu.dot.gov/documents/pdf/stlp/stlpapp.pdf.
    Respondents: 100.
    Frequency: Annually, up to five years.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: 1 hour.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 100 hours.
    Application supporting documentation. Supporting documentation may 
include, but is not limited to, the following items:
    a. Current job performance reference letter (within the past 12 
months);
    b. Evidence of current DBE and/or other eligible certification;
    c. Business tax returns for the most recent fiscal year;
    d. Business financial statements for the most recent fiscal year;
    e. If the business' last fiscal year has ended longer than 90 days 
at the time of application, then applicant must submit interim business 
financial statements to include balance sheet, P&L and updated aging 
reports of both receivables and payables;
    f. Current work in progress schedule or statement;
    g. Personal income tax returns;
    h. Personal financial statements;
    i. Signed and dated copy of transportation-related contracts to be 
used as collateral;
    j. Updated cash flow projections;
    Respondents: 100.
    Frequency: Annually, up to five years.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: 4 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 400 hours.
    Respondents: Participating Lenders that are in the process or have 
entered into cooperative agreements with DOT's OSDBU under the STLP's 
governing policies and procedures and Proposed Short Term Lending 
Program Regulations.
    Form: Short-term Lending Program Bank Verification Loan Activation 
Form DOT F 2303-1. The PL Respondent must submit to OSDBU a Loan 
Activation Form that indicates the date in which the loan has been 
activated/funded.
    Respondents: 100.
    Frequency: Annually, up to five years.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: \1/2\ hour.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 50 hours.
    Form: Short-Term Lending Program Bank Verification Extension 
Request Form DOT 2310-1. An extension of the original loan guarantee 
for a maximum period of ninety (90) days may be requested, in writing, 
by the PL Respondent using the STLP Extension Request Form.
    Respondents: 100.
    Frequency: Annually, up to five years.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: \1/2\ hour.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 50 hours.
    Form: Short-Term Lending Program Bank Acknowledgement Loan Close-
Out Form DOT F 2304-1. The PL Respondent must submit to OSDBU a Loan 
Close-out Form upon full repayment of the STLP loan, or upon expiration 
of the loan guarantee.
    Respondents: 100.
    Frequency: Annually, up to five years.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: \1/2\ hour.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 50 hours.
    Form: Guarantee Pending Loan Status Report Form DOT F 2306-1. PL 
Respondent must submit each month to OSDBU a status report of pending 
loans and guaranteed loans including the previous month's activity for 
these loans.
    Respondents: 100.
    Frequency: Monthly.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: 1 hour.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1200 hours.
    Form: Guarantee Loan Status Report DOT F 2305-1. PL Respondent must 
submit each month to OSDBU a status report of pending loans and 
guaranteed loans including the previous month's activity for these 
loans.
    Respondents: 100.
    Frequency: Monthly.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: 1 hour.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1200 hours.
    Form: Drug-Free Workplace Act Certification for a Grantee Other 
than an Individual Form DOT F 2307-1, to certify that the PL Respondent 
is a drug-free workplace by executing a Certification of Compliance 
concerning a drug-free workplace.

[[Page 74559]]

    Respondents: 100.
    Frequency: Once.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 25 hours.
    Form: Certification Regarding Lobbying for Contracts Grants, Loans, 
and Cooperative Agreement Form DOT F 2308-1. PL Respondent must certify 
that no Federal funds will be utilized for lobbying by executing a 
Certificate Regarding Lobbying in compliance with Section 1352, Title 
21, of the U.S. Code.
    Respondents: 100.
    Frequency: Once.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 25 hours.
    Form: Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension Form F 2309-1. 
The PL Respondent must not currently be debarred or suspended from 
participation in a government contract or delinquent on a government 
debt by submitting a current SBA Form 1624 or its equivalent.
    Respondents: 100.
    Frequency: Once.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 25 hours.
    OMB Approval No. 2105-0555.
    Title: Short Term Lending Program Application.
    Form No. Short Term Lending Program.
    Type Of Review: Renewal.
    Abstract: The collection involves the use of the ``Short-term 
Lending Program Application for a New Loan Guarantee'' and the 
``Application for Loan Guarantee Renewal''. The information to be 
collected will be used to determine the applicant's eligibility and is 
necessary to approve or deny a loan. We are required to publish this 
notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 
OSDBU's Short-term Lending Program (STLP) offers certified 
Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) and other Certified Small 
Businesses (8a, women-owned, small disadvantaged, HubZone, veteran 
owned, and service disabled veteran owned) the opportunity to obtain 
short-term working capital at variable interest rates for 
transportation-related projects. The STLP provides up to a 75% 
guaranteed revolving line of credit for a maximum of $750,000 to 
finance accounts receivable arising from transportation-related 
contracts. These loans are provided through banks that serve as STLP 
Participating Lenders (PL). The term of the line of credit is for one 
(1) year, which may be renewed up to a total of five (5) years. A 
potential STLP participant must submit a guaranteed loan application 
package, comprised of a loan application, with supporting documentation 
collected from the checklist on page seven (7) of the application. A 
current STLP participant may submit a guaranteed loan renewal 
application package, comprised of an updated loan application, with 
supporting documentation collected from the checklist on page seven (7) 
of the application. The Short-term Lending Program-Bank Verification 
Loan Activation Form; Bank Verification Extension Request Form; Bank 
Acknowledgement Loan Close-Out Form; Guarantee Loan Status Report; 
Pending Loan Status Report; Drug-Free Workplace Act Certification for a 
Grantee Other than an Individual; Certification Regarding Lobbying for 
Contracts Grants, Loans, and Cooperative Agreements; and Certification 
Regarding Debarment, Suspension are all documents used and required by 
our Participating Lenders. All the bank documentation is performed by 
the PLs. As part of the requirements for approval as a PL, banks must 
submit documentation that demonstrates it is a drug-free workplace by 
executing a Certification of Compliance concerning a drug-free 
workplace; that no Federal funds will be utilized for lobbying by 
executing a Certificate Regarding Lobbying in compliance with Section 
1352, Title 21, of the U.S. Code; that it is not currently debarred or 
suspended from participation in a government contract or delinquent on 
a government debt by submitting a current SBA Form 1624 or its 
equivalent. The STLP is subject to the requirements of the Federal 
Credit Reform Act of 1990 (FCRA) that includes certain budgeting and 
accounting requirements for Federal credit programs. The PL must 
undertake processes to activate, monitor, service and close-out STLP 
loans. To fulfill the requirements of FCRA, the PL shall retain all 
documents, files, books, and records relevant to the administration of 
an STLP loan and must submit regular reports and required documentation 
to OSDBU on these processes. All information collected from the 
respondents on the Short-Term Lending Online Program Application for a 
New Loan Guarantee and the Application for Loan Guarantee Renewal is 
covered under the privacy act.
    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 December 1, 2008.
Tracey M. Jackson,
Office of the Chief Information Officer.
 [FR Doc. E8-28919 Filed 12-5-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P