[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 169 (Thursday, September 1, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 53708-53709]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18850]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

49 CFR Parts 23 and 26

[Docket No. DOT-OST-2022-0051]
RIN 2105-AE98


Disadvantaged Business Enterprise and Airport Concession 
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program Implementation Modifications

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (OST), U.S. Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Transportation is extending the comment 
period for its Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport 
Concession DBE (ACDBE) notice of proposed rulemaking. The original 
comment period was scheduled to close on September 19, 2022. The 
extension is granted in response to requests received from 
stakeholders, who have stated the September 19 closing date does not 
provide sufficient time for them to prepare and submit of comments to 
the docket. The Department agrees to extend the comment period by 60 
days. Therefore, the closing date for submission of comments is 
extended to October 31, 2022, which will provide those entities 
interested in commenting on the proposed rulemaking additional time to 
submit comments to the docket.

DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule published July 21, 
2022, at 87 FR 43620 is extended. Comments must be received on or 
before October 31, 2022.

ADDRESSES: To ensure that you do not duplicate your docket submissions, 
please submit them by only one of the following means:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/docket/DOT-OST-2022-0051/document and follow the 
online instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, West Building Ground Floor 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W-12-140, 
1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, between 9 a.m. and

[[Page 53709]]

5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone 
number is 202-366-9329.
    Instructions: To ensure proper docketing of your comment, please 
include the agency name and docket number DOT-OST-2022-0051 or the 
Regulatory Identification Number (RIN), 2105-AE98 for the rulemaking at 
the beginning of your comments. All comments received will be posted 
without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal 
information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marc D. Pentino, Departmental Office 
of Civil Rights, Office of the Secretary, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 
Washington, DC 20590; telephone number 202-366-6968; 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On July 21, 2022, at 87 FR 43620, DOT published in the Federal 
Register a notice of proposed rulemaking proposing to amend its 
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise and Airport Concession Disadvantaged 
Business Enterprise regulations at 49 CFR part 26 and part 23. The 
proposal includes other provisions to update and strengthen the 
Department's regulation, and to modernize the program's eligibility and 
procedural requirements. In addition, the rulemaking proposed technical 
corrections that have led to substantive misinterpretations of the 
rules by recipients, program applicants and participants.
    The original comment period for the proposal would have closed 
September 19, 2022. However, DOT stakeholders have expressed concern 
that this closing date does not provide sufficient time to coordinate 
with their respective members and working groups to develop comments to 
the NPRM and/or to submit comments to the docket, particularly on 
provisions they view are of a complex nature and impact operations.
    The Department has carefully considered the requests to extend the 
comment period on the NPRM and agrees that given the length and breadth 
of topics covered, a period beyond the 60-day comment period is 
warranted. The Department finds that there is a strong interest in 
timely issuance of this priority rulemaking but is interested in 
providing the public with additional time to comment.
    To allow time for interested parties to submit comments, the 
closing date is changed from September 19, 2022, to October 31, 2022. 
All members of the public, including DOT recipients and sponsors, prime 
contractors, small businesses, trade organizations, and consultants are 
invited to submit comments.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on or around August 26, 2022 under 
authority delegated in 49 CFR 1.27(a):
John Putnam,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2022-18850 Filed 8-31-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P