[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 139 (Friday, July 19, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34993-34994]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-15364]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

[FTA Docket No. FTA 2019-0015]


Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces that the Information Collection Requirements (ICRs) 
abstracted below have been forwarded to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describe the nature of the 
information collection and their expected burdens.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before August 19, 2019.

ADDRESSES: All written comments must refer to the docket number that 
appears at the top of this document and be submitted to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 
725-17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503, Attention: FTA Desk Officer. 
Alternatively, comments may be sent via email to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of Management and 
Budget, at the following address: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tia Swain, Office of Administration, 
Management Planning Division, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Mail Stop TAD-
10, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-0354 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
Public Law 104-13, Section 2, 109 Stat. 163 (1995) (codified as revised 
at 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), and its implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 
1320, require Federal agencies to issue two notices seeking public 
comment on information collection activities before OMB may approve 
paperwork packages. 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.5, 1320.8(d)(1), 
1320.12. On May 14, 2019, FTA published a 60-day notice (84 FR 21404) 
in the Federal Register soliciting comments on the ICR that the agency 
was seeking OMB approval. FTA received no comments after issuing this 
60-day notice. Accordingly, DOT announces that these information 
collection activities have been re-evaluated and certified under 5 CFR 
1320.5(a) and forwarded to OMB for review and approval pursuant to 5 
CFR 1320.12(c).
    Before OMB decides whether to approve these proposed collections of 
information, it must provide 30 days for public comment. 44 U.S.C. 
3507(b); 5 CFR 1320.12(d). Federal law requires OMB to approve or 
disapprove paperwork packages between 30 and 60 days after the 30-day 
notice is published. 44 U.S.C. 3507(b)-(c); 5 CFR 1320.12(d); see also 
60 FR 44978, 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. OMB believes that the 30-day notice 
informs the regulated community to file relevant comments and affords 
the agency adequate time to digest public comments before it renders a 
decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. Therefore, respondents should 
submit their respective comments to OMB within 30 days of publication 
to best ensure having their full effect. 5 CFR 1320.12(c); see also 60 
FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995.
    The summaries below describe the nature of the information 
collection requirements (ICRs) and the expected burden. The 
requirements are being submitted for clearance by OMB as required by 
the PRA.
    Title: Rail Fixed Guideway Systems; State Safety Oversight.
    OMB Control Number: 2132-0558.
    Type of Request: Renewal of a previously approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: FTA administers a national program for public 
transportation safety under 49 U.S.C. Section 5329. One element of this 
program, at 49 U.S.C. 5329(e), requires States to oversee the safety of 
the rail transit agencies (RTAs) in their jurisdictions, including 
heavy and light rail systems, streetcars, inclined planes, cable cars, 
monorail/automated guideways and hybrid rail. Through this program, 
State Safety Oversight Agencies (SSOAs) ensure that RTAs identify and 
address safety risks, follow their safety rules and procedures, and 
take corrective action to address safety deficiencies. This program, 
which only applies to RTAs, enhances and replaces the State Safety 
Oversight (SSO) program previously authorized at 49 U.S.C. 5330.
    The previously authorized program required SSOAs to perform 
oversight without Federal grant funding available. As a result, the 
approved information collection included burden hours associated with 
activities administered by SSO agencies to collect information from 
RTAs and activities performed by RTAs to provide information to SSOAs. 
FTA decided to include these burden hours to address concerns raised by 
SSOAs and RTAs regarding unfunded Federal requirements.
    With the expiration of the previously authorized program, and the 
new

[[Page 34994]]

Federal grant program for States, authorized at 49 U.S.C. 5329(e)(6), 
FTA proposes to amend the information collection activities to focus 
only on the activities of SSOAs and RTAs to report information to FTA. 
Activities included in the previous information collection request that 
are not specifically related to FTA information collection are removed 
from this information collection request and are addressed in the 
Regulatory Impact Assessment developed for the final rule implementing 
49 U.S.C. 5329(e). This proposed change aligns with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, United States Office of Personnel 
Management, Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) Guide, Version 2.0, 2011.
    The revised information collection request includes the annual 
report FTA requires from SSOAs, the burden of which has been reduced 
substantially through the development of a web-based system that 
replaces the existing spreadsheet-based process and provides direct 
interface with the National Transit Database. It also includes the 
FTA's grant management reporting requirement and the triennial audit 
program, which requires information from both SSOAs and RTAs. Further, 
the information collection reflects requirements for SSOAs and RTAs to 
respond to FTA directives and advisories, and SSOAs participation in 
monthly teleconference calls with FTA. Finally, the information 
collection request includes RTA event notifications to FTA.
    With these changes, the total burden hours have decreased from 
586,443 hours for the previous information collection request to 16,365 
representing an overall decrease of 570,078 hours.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 96 respondents.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 16,365 hours.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Comments are Invited On: 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; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize 
the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including 
the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology. A comment to OMB is best assured of having its 
full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication of this 
notice in the Federal Register.

Nadine Pembleton,
Director Office of Management Planning.
[FR Doc. 2019-15364 Filed 7-18-19; 8:45 am]
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