[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 139 (Friday, July 19, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43261-43262]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-17406]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary of Transportation


Transportation Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act 
(TIFIA) Program; Agency Information Collection Activities and Request 
for Comments

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST).

SUMMARY: The Department of Transportation (DOT) invites public comments 
on a request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve an 
Emergency Information Collection Request in accordance with the 
requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 
USC 3501 et seq). This request is being submitted to OMB via an 
Emergency Information Collection Request.
    On July 6, 2012, the President of the United States signed the 
Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act of 2012 (MAP-21). 
MAP-21 authorized $750 million in FY 2013 and $1 billion in FY 2014 for 
the Transportation Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act (TIFIA) 
program to pay the subsidy cost of supporting Federal credit. The TIFIA 
program will provide Federal credit assistance in the form of direct 
loans, loan guarantees, and standby lines of credit to eligible surface 
transportation projects. This information collection relates to the 
collection of information from entities interested in TIFIA credit 
assistance and assists the DOT in evaluating projects and project 
sponsors for program eligibility and creditworthiness.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by August 5, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: (a) The need for the proposed 
collection of information for the proper performance of the functions 
of the agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) 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; (c) Ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) Ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who 
are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques. You may 
submit comments identified by Docket No. DOT-OST-2013-0138 through one 
of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket Management Facility, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West 
Building, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The TIFIA program manager via email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Transportation Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act 
program or TIFIA program.
    OMB Control Number: 2105-New.
    Affected Public: State and local governments, transit agencies, 
railroad companies, special authorities, special districts, and private 
entities.
    Estimated Total Annual Number of Responses: 50 letters of interest 
and 50 applications.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 6,000 hours. Based on the 
number and type of interested stakeholders that have contacted the 
Department about this program, OST estimates that it will receive 50 
applications and letters of interest and that it will generally not 
take applicants more than 100 person-hours to assemble individual 
applications and 20 person-hours to assemble individual letters of 
interest. Therefore, the total annual hour burden of this collection of 
applications is 6,000 hours.
    Frequency of Collection: The Department expects that this 
information collection will occur on a rolling basis as interested 
entities seek TIFIA credit assistance.
    Background: This is an existing information collection without an 
OMB Control Number. DOT has published a notice in the Federal Register 
(also available at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/pdfs/tifia/fy2013_tifia_nofa_073112.pdf) to give project sponsors an opportunity to 
submit Letters of Interest and applications for the newly authorized 
funding as soon as possible. However, in addition to authorizing more 
funding for TIFIA credit assistance, MAP-21 made some significant 
changes to the TIFIA program's structure, including the terms and 
conditions pursuant to which DOT can provide TIFIA credit assistance. 
DOT is required to solicit letters of interest and applications for 
TIFIA credit assistance from interested applicants. DOT has developed 
forms that provide a way for interested applicants to submit 
information required by DOT in order for DOT to evaluate that 
interested applicant's application for TIFIA credit assistance. The 
forms for the letter of interest and application are available for 
review at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/tifia/guidance_applications/tifia_applications.htm. The DOT will use the collected information to 
evaluate and select recipients for credit assistance as authorized 
under MAP-21. Applicants may be asked to provide additional supporting 
evidence or to quantify details during the review and negotiation 
process on a case-by-case basis, but completion of the letter of 
interest and application.
    MAP-21 establishes a multi-step application process for TIFIA 
credit assistance. This process begins with the submission of a Letter 
of Interest and determination of eligibility. Only after a project 
sponsor has submitted a Letter of Interest and met all statutory 
eligibility requirements will the project sponsor be invited to submit 
an application.

[[Page 43262]]

    The Letter of Interest must (i) describe the project and the 
location, purpose, and cost of the project, (ii) outline the proposed 
financial plan, including the requested credit assistance and the 
proposed obligor, (iii) provide a status of environmental review, and 
(iv) provide information regarding satisfaction of other eligibility 
requirements of the TIFIA credit program. Letters of Interest will be 
submitted using the form on the TIFIA Web site: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/tifia/guidance_applications/index.htm. DOT has 
revised the form for the Letter of Interest to reflect changes made to 
the TIFIA program by MAP-21. The Letter of Interest form requires 
project sponsors to provide information demonstrating satisfaction (or 
expected satisfaction if permitted by the statute) of each of the 
eligibility requirements included in MAP-21. DOT estimates that the 
letter of interest would require approximately 20 hours in each 
instance to complete.
    If a project sponsor is invited to submit an application, DOT 
estimates that each application will require approximately 100 hours to 
complete. The information that DOT seeks through the application 
includes: Contact information for the applicant entity; project 
information including name, location, description, rural project 
description (if applicable), purpose (quantitative/qualitative 
details), cost and TIFIA credit assistance request, project management 
and compliance monitoring plan, maintenance and operations plan, 
satisfaction of eligibility requirements including creditworthiness 
(rate covenant, coverage requirements, investment grade rating(s)), 
fostering partnerships that attract public and private investment, how 
TIFIA assistance would enable the project to proceed at an earlier date 
or with reduced lifecycle costs, how TIFIA assistance would reduce the 
contribution of federal grant assistance, environmental review (NEPA), 
permits and approvals, transportation planning and programming process 
approvals (STIP and TIP), construction contracting process readiness, 
project schedule, a financial plan including estimated capital project 
cost, amount and type of credit assistance requested, amount of TIFIA 
assistance requested, a summary table: Detailing sources and uses of 
funds, cash flow pro forma, a supplementary narrative detailing other 
borrowed funds and revenue sources (including pledged repayment 
source), proposed terms for the requested TIFIA credit instrument, 
reasons for selecting the proposed type(s) of credit instrument, 
flexibility in financial plan to support a reduced percentage-share of 
TIFIA credit assistance, risks and mitigation strategies, details on 
the applicant's organizational structure, including background 
information and legal authority, organization and management, identity 
of the entity that will serve as applicant (public-sector agency or 
private-sector firm), whether the applicant the same entity as the 
borrower (detail project team members), prior experience, financial 
condition, and litigation and/or conflicts.

    Issued in Washington, DC on July 16, 2013.
Patricia Lawton,
Departmental PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-17406 Filed 7-18-13; 8:45 am]
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