[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 93 (Monday, May 17, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26771-26773]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-10326]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2021-0006-N-3]


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.

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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 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 below.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
July 16, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR 
should be submitted on regulations.gov to the docket, Docket No. FRA 
2021-

[[Page 26772]]

0006. All comments received will be posted without change to the 
docket, including any personal information provided. 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Kim Toone, Information Collection 
Clearance Officer, at email: [email protected] or telephone: (202) 493-
6132.

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: Grants Management Requirements for Federal Railroad 
Administration. Grant Awards and Cooperative Agreements.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0615.
    Abstract: This ICR is a revision of a currently approved 
collection, Grant Management Requirements for Federal Railroad 
Administration. Specifically, FRA is revising FRA Form 217 Categorical 
Exclusion Worksheet with this submission. All other forms associated 
with this collection, which OMB re-approved on January 7, 2021, remain 
unchanged. The forms for which FRA seeks renewal of its currently 
approved collection are listed below.
    Form(s): All FRA forms (Fs) are located at FRA's public website; 
all Standard Forms (SFs) are located at Grants.gov. The FRA forms are: 
30 (FRA Assurance and Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, 
Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters and Drug-Free Workplace 
Requirements), 31 (Grant Adjustment Require Form), 32 (Service Outcome 
Agreement Annual Reporting), 33 (Final Performance Report), 34 
(Quarterly Progress Report), 35 (Application Form), 217 (Categorical 
Exclusion Worksheet), 229 (NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership 
Supplier Scouting--FRA Item Opportunity Synopsis), 251 (Applicant 
Financial Capability Questionnaire), and 252 (Payment Summary 
Spreadsheet). The SFs are: 270 (Request for Advance or Reimbursement), 
424 (Application for Federal Assistance), 424A (Budget Information for 
Non-Construction Programs), 424B (Assurance for Non-Construction 
Programs), 424C (Budget Information for Construction Programs), 424D 
(Assurances for Construction Programs), 425 (Federal Financial Report), 
and LLL (Disclosure of Lobbying Activities).
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Generally includes States and local governments 
and railroads.
    Frequency of Submission: Varied; on occasion/monthly.
    Reporting Burden:

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                                                                                                           Average time                    Total annual
              Form name                          Form            Grant  activity/process   Total annual    (hours)  per    Total annual     dollar cost
                                                                                             responses       response      burden hours     equivalent
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Grant Application (FRA F 35).........  FRA F 35................  Application............             250              34        8,500.00     $348,415.00
Application for Federal Assistance     SF 424..................  Application............             250             1.1          275.00       11,272.25
 (SF 424).
Budget Information for Non-            SF 424A.................  Application............              75               3          225.00        9,222.75
 Construction Programs (SF 424A).
Assurances for Non-Construction        SF 424B.................  Application............              75            0.25           18.75          768.56
 Programs (SF 424B).
Budget Information for Construction    SF 424C.................  Application............             175               3          525.00       21,519.75
 Programs (SF 424C).
Assurances for Construction Programs   SF 424D.................  Application............             175            0.25           43.75        1,793.31
 (SF 424D).
Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF  SF LLL..................  Application............             250            0.17           42.50        1,742.08
 LLL).
Applicant Financial Capability         FRA F 251...............  Application............             168               2          336.00       13,772.64
 Questionnaire (FRA F 251).
FRA Assurances and Certifications      FRA F 30................  Application............             250            0.25           62.50        2,561.88
 Regarding Lobbying; Debarment,
 Suspension and Other Responsibility
 Matters and Drug-Free Workplace
 Requirements (FRA F 30).
Federal Financial Report (125 new      SF 425..................  Awards & Maintenance...             500             1.5          750.00       30,742.50
 awardees submit each quarter; 125 x
 4 = 500) (SF 425; new awards).
Federal Financial Report (216          SF 425..................  Awards & Maintenance...             864             1.5        1,296.00       53,123.04
 existing awardees submit each
 quarter; 216 x 4 = 864) (SF 425;
 existing grantees).
Request for Advance or Reimbursement   SF 270..................  Awards & Maintenance...             860               1          860.00       35,251.40
 (SF 270).
Payment Summary Spreadsheet (FRA F     SF 252..................  Awards & Maintenance...             860             0.5          430.00       17,625.70
 252).
Quarterly Progress Report (125 new     FRA F 34................  Awards & Maintenance...             500               2        1,000.00       40,990.00
 awardees submit each quarter; 125 x
 4 = 500) (FRA F 34; new awards).

[[Page 26773]]

 
Quarterly Progress Report (216         FRA F 34................  Awards & Maintenance...             864               2        1,728.00       70,830.72
 existing awardees submit each
 quarter; 216 x 4 = 864) (FRA F 34;
 existing grantees).
Grant Adjustment Request Form (FRA F   FRA F 31................  Awards & Maintenance...             212               1          212.00        8,689.88
 31).
Service Outcome Agreement (SOA)        FRA F 32................  Awards & Maintenance...              24               1           24.00          983.76
 Annual Reporting (FRA F 32).
Certification of Compliance or Non-    n/a.....................  Buy America Component..              15               3           45.00        1,844.55
 Compliance with Buy America
 Requirements for Steel, Iron, or
 Manufactured Products being produced
 by Awardee (narrative request).
Certification of Compliance with Buy   n/a.....................  Buy America Component..               1              62           62.00        2,541.38
 America for Rolling Stock (narrative
 request).
Waivers--Requests/Applications for     n/a.....................  Buy America Component..              15              80           1,200       49,188.00
 Waivers, excluding FRA F 229
 (narrative request).
NIST Manufacturing Extension           FRA F 229...............  Buy America Component..              15              18          270.00       11,067.30
 Partnership Supplier Scouting--FRA--
 Item Opportunity Synopsis (FRA F
 229).
Awardee Investigations (including FRA  n/a.....................  Buy America Component..               3             333          999.00       40,949.01
 initiated investigations).
Awardee direct reply to FRA after      n/a.....................  Buy America Component..               2               1            2.00           81.98
 request to conduct investigation of
 bidder/offeror (narrative request).
Additional Documents to FRA from       n/a.....................  Buy America Component..               1               4            4.00          163.96
 Awardee/Investigated Party
 (narrative request).
Transmission of Awardee/Bidder/        n/a.....................  Buy America Component..               2             0.5            1.00           40.99
 Offeror Reply to Petitioner
 (narrative request).
Awardee/Investigated Bidder/Offeror    n/a.....................  Buy America Component..               1               8            8.00          327.92
 response to Petitioner Comment
 (narrative request).
Written request to FRA for             n/a.....................  Buy America Component..               1               4            4.00          163.96
 information bearing on substance of
 investigation which has been
 submitted by petitioner, interested
 parties, or awardees (narrative
 request).
Detailed Statement to FRA Regarding    n/a.....................  Buy America Component..               1               8            8.00          327.92
 Confidentiality of Previously
 Submitted Information to Agency
 (narrative request).
Awardee Determination to make award    n/a.....................  Buy America Component..               1              40           40.00        1,639.60
 before resolution of investigation
 one of this sections specified
 reasons (narrative request).
Notification to FRA by Awardee to      n/a.....................  Buy America Component..               1               1            1.00           40.99
 make award during pendency of
 investigation (narrative request).
Request to FRA for Reconsideration of  n/a.....................  Buy America Component..               1              80           80.00        3,279.20
 Initial Decision by Party Involved
 in Investigations (narrative
 request).
Pre-Award Audit (narrative request)..  n/a.....................  Buy America Component..               1              33           33.00        1,352.67
Final Contract between Awardee and     n/a.....................  Buy America Component..               1              16           16.00          655.84
 Bidder/Offeror (narrative request).
Post Award Audit (narrative request).  n/a.....................  Buy America Component..               1             256          256.00       10,493.44
Rolling Stock Domestic Content         n/a.....................  Buy America Component..               1             120          120.00        4,918.80
 Improvement Plans (narrative
 request).
Categorical Exclusion Worksheet (FRA   FRA 217.................  Awards & Maintenance...              75               1              75        3,074.25
 F 217).
Final Performance Report (FRA F 33)..  FRA 33..................  Closeout...............              79               8          632.00       25,905.68
                                                                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total............................  ........................  .......................           6,570        1,131.02       20,184.50      827,362.66
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    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 6,570.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 20,184.50 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: 
$827,362.66.
    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 a respondent is not required to 
respond to, conduct, or sponsor a collection of information unless it 
displays a currently valid OMB control number.

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

Brett A. Jortland,
Acting Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2021-10326 Filed 5-14-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P