[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 141 (Wednesday, July 22, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44359-44361]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-15839]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2020-0027-N-16]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S. Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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

SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its 
implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information 
Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below. Before

[[Page 44360]]

submitting this ICR to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
approval, FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the 
activities identified in the ICR.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
September 21, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR to 
Ms. Hodan Wells, Information Collection Clearance Officer at email: 
[email protected] or telephone: (202) 493-0440. Please refer to the 
assigned OMB control number in any correspondence submitted. FRA will 
summarize comments received in response to this notice in a subsequent 
notice and include them in its information collection submission to OMB 
for approval.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, and its 
implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 1320, require Federal agencies to 
provide 60-days' notice to the public to allow comment on information 
collection activities before seeking OMB approval of the activities. 
See 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 through 1320.12. Specifically, 
FRA invites interested parties to comment on the following ICR 
regarding: (1) Whether the information collection activities are 
necessary for FRA to properly execute its functions, including whether 
the activities will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of FRA's 
estimates of the burden of the information collection activities, 
including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used to 
determine the estimates; (3) ways for FRA to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information being collected; and (4) ways 
for FRA to minimize the burden of information collection activities on 
the public, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology. See 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 
CFR 1320.8(d)(1).
    FRA believes that soliciting public comment may reduce the 
administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the collection of 
information that Federal regulations mandate. In summary, FRA reasons 
that comments received will advance three objectives: (1) Reduce 
reporting burdens; (2) organize information collection requirements in 
a ``user-friendly'' format to improve the use of such information; and 
(3) accurately assess the resources expended to retrieve and produce 
information requested. See 44 U.S.C. 3501.
    The summary below describes the ICR that FRA will submit for OMB 
clearance as the PRA requires:
    Title: Safety Appliance Standards Guidance Checklist Forms.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0565.
    Abstract: Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 231, 
Railroad Safety Appliance Standards, was supplemented and expanded in 
2013 to include the industry standard established by the Association of 
American Railroads (AAR), Standard 2044 or S-2044, which prescribed 
safety appliance arrangements for 11 new types of cars. As a result of 
the inclusion, FRA developed Forms FRA F6180.161(a)-(k) as guidance 
checklist forms to facilitate railroad, rail car owner, and rail 
equipment manufacturer compliance with S-2044 and 49 CFR part 231.
    AAR has since updated S-2044 to include seven new types of cars. In 
response, FRA is proposing adding seven new forms, Forms FRA 
F6180.161(l)-(r), to the safety appliance standards guidance checklists 
to cover these new types of cars.
    Additionally, FRA is updating the existing 11 forms to reflect 
editorial changes that were made to S-2044.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Form(s): 11 forms (FRA F6180.161(a)-(k)), plus seven new forms (FRA 
F 6180.161(l)-(r)).
    Respondent Universe: Car manufacturers/state inspectors.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
    Reporting Burden:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                           Average time
               CFR section                       Respondent universe           Total annual  responses     per responses   Total annual     Total cost
                                                                                                             (minutes)     burden hours   equivalent \1\
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Form FRA F 6180.161a.....................  Car manufacturers/State          20 forms....................              60              20          $1,224
                                            Inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161b.....................  Car manufacturers/State          7 forms.....................              60               7             428
                                            Inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161c.....................  Car manufacturers/State          15 forms....................              60              15             918
                                            Inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161d.....................  Car manufacturers/State          15 forms....................              60              15             918
                                            Inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161e.....................  Car manufacturers/State          15 forms....................              60              15             918
                                            Inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161f.....................  Car manufacturers/State          10 forms....................              60              10             612
                                            Inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161g.....................  Car manufacturers/State          3 forms.....................              60               3             184
                                            Inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161h.....................  Car manufacturers/State          3 forms.....................              60               3             184
                                            Inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161i.....................  Car manufacturers/State          20 forms....................              60              20           1,224
                                            Inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161j.....................  Car manufacturers/State          3 forms.....................              60               3             184
                                            Inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161k.....................  Car manufacturers/State          10 forms....................              60              10             612
                                            Inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161l (new form)..........  Car manufacturers/State          3 forms.....................              60               3             184
                                            Inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161m (new form)..........  Car manufacturers/State          3 forms.....................              60               3             184
                                            Inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161n (new form)..........  Car manufacturers/State          3 forms.....................              60               3             184
                                            Inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161o (new form)..........  Car manufacturers/State          3 forms.....................              60               3             184
                                            Inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161p (new form)..........  Car manufacturers/State          3 forms.....................              60               3             184
                                            Inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161q (new form)..........  Car manufacturers/State          3 forms.....................              60               3             184
                                            Inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161r (new form)..........  Car manufacturers/State          3 forms.....................              60               3             184
                                            Inspectors.
                                          --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 44361]]

 
    Total................................  N/A............................  142 responses...............             N/A             142           8,694
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The hourly wage rate to calculate the dollar cost equivalent for customers and state employees amounts to $61.20 per hour, which includes an hourly
  wage rate of $42.84 plus an hourly benefit of $18.34. FRA obtained this information from the Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS),
  Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) 11-3011, classified within NAICS 999200, State Government--excluding schools and hospitals. See https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics4_999200.htm.

    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 142.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 142 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $8,694.
    Under 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b) and 1320.8(b)(3)(vi), 
FRA informs all interested parties that it may not conduct or sponsor, 
and a respondent is not required to respond to, a collection of 
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.

Brett A. Jortland,
Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2020-15839 Filed 7-21-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P