[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 188 (Friday, September 27, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59751-59752]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-23512]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary


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 renew an 
Information Collection Request in accordance with the requirements of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 USC 3501 et 
seq).
    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 DOT in evaluating projects and project sponsors 
for program eligibility and creditworthiness.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by November 23, 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-2013-0173 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: 2105-0569.
    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 that was 
originally approved through the emergency approval process on August 7, 
2013. 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

[[Page 59752]]

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. 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.
    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.
    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. DOT uses the application to seek a project sponsor's 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. DOT also expects project sponsors to 
submit information confirming that the project satisfies eligibility 
requirements including creditworthiness (rate covenant, coverage 
requirements, investment grade rating(s)), fosters partnerships that 
attract public and private investment, demonstrates that TIFIA 
assistance would enable the project to proceed at an earlier date or 
with reduced lifecycle costs and that TIFIA assistance would reduce the 
contribution of Federal grant assistance.
    Sponsors also must report in the application the status of project 
environmental review (NEPA), permits and approvals, transportation 
planning and programming process approvals (STIP and TIP), construction 
contracting process readiness, and expected project schedule. Project 
sponsors are required to produce 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).
    Finally, a project sponsor must indicate in the application the 
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 the 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 September 23, 2013.
Sylvia I. Garcia,
Acting Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Budget and 
Programs.
[FR Doc. 2013-23512 Filed 9-26-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P