[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 57 (Friday, March 24, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17917-17919]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-06082]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2023-0002-N-5]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), 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 in the ICR.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
May 23, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR 
should be submitted on regulations.gov to the docket, Docket No. FRA-
2023-0002. All comments received will be posted without change to the 
docket, including any personal information provided. Please refer to 
the assigned OMB control number (2130-0599) 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. Arlette Mussington, Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, at email: [email protected] or 
telephone: (571) 609-1285, or Ms. Joanne Swafford, Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, at email: [email protected] or 
telephone: (757) 897-9908.

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: System Safety Program Plan.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0599.
    Abstract: In 2020, FRA issued a final rule \1\ that requires 
passenger rail operations to develop and implement a system safety 
program (SSP) to improve the safety of their operations. Each passenger 
rail operation has the flexibility to tailor an SSP to its specific 
railroad operations.
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    \1\ 85 FR 12826 (Mar. 4, 2020).
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    FRA uses the information collected to help ensure that commuter and 
intercity passenger rail operations establish and implement SSPs to 
improve the safety of their operations and to confirm compliance with 
the rule. Each railroad operation should use its SSP to proactively 
identify and mitigate or eliminate hazards and the resulting risk on 
its system at an early stage to reduce the number of railroad 
accidents, incidents, and associated injuries, fatalities, and property 
damage. A passenger rail operation has the flexibility to tailor an SSP 
to its specific operations. An SSP will be implemented when FRA 
approves a passenger rail operation's submitted SSP plan. Under the SSP 
regulation, FRA will audit a passenger rail operation's compliance with 
its SSP plan and will use the information collected to ensure 
compliance with this regulation.
    In this 60-day notice, FRA has made multiple adjustments to its 
estimated paperwork burden, resulting in a reduction of 388 hours, from 
2,279 hours in the current inventory to 1,891 hours in the requested 
inventory. The primary reason for the reduction in the estimated 
paperwork burden is the expected decrease in the number of responses. 
Specifically, all passenger rail operations currently subject to the 
regulation have already submitted their SSP plans, leading to a 
decrease in the overall PRA burden. This reduction in submissions, 
reduced by 427 hours, has significantly contributed to the overall 
decrease in the estimated paperwork burden hours in the requested 
inventory. FRA has uploaded a table on regulations.gov under Docket No. 
FRA-2023-0002, which displays all the burden adjustments.
    Type of Request: Extension without change (with changes in 
estimates) of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Respondent Universe: 33 passenger rail operations + 1 new passenger 
rail operation.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.

[[Page 17918]]



                                                                    Reporting Burden
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                                                                 Total annual         Average time per     Total annual burden    Total cost equivalent
            CFR section               Respondent universe         responses               response                hours               in U.S. dollar
                                     .....................  (A)..................  (B)..................  (C = A * B)..........     (D = C * wage rates)
                                                                                                                                                     \2\
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270.101--System safety program;      The estimated paperwork burden for this regulatory requirement is covered under Sec.   270.103.
 general.
                                    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
270.103--System safety program plan  1 new passenger rail   1.00 plan............  40 hours.............  40.00 hours..........                $4,389.60
 (SSP plan)--Comprehensive written    operation.
 SSP plan that meets all of this
 section's requirements and
 approved by FRA under the process
 specified in Sec.   270.201.
    --(e)(6)(iii) Copies of          1 new passenger rail   1.00 copy............  2 minutes............  .03 hour.............                     2.34
     passenger rail operation (PRO)   operation.
     designations to non-profit
     employee labor organizations.
    --(e)(6) Designation             1 new passenger rail   1.00 notice..........  5 minutes............  .08 hour.............                     6.23
     notifications to employees not   operation.
     represented by non-profit
     employee labor organizations.
    --(i)(6) Records of system       33 passenger rail      510.00 records.......  15 seconds...........  2.13 hours...........                   165.95
     safety training for employees/   operations + 1 new
     contractors/others.              passenger rail
                                      operation.
    --(q)(1) Risk-based hazard       33 passenger rail      34.00 analyses         20 hours.............  680.00 hours.........                52,978.80
     analysis--Performance of risk-   operations + 1 new     results.
     based hazard analyses and        passenger rail
     furnishing of results of risk-   operation.
     based hazard analyses upon
     request of FRA/participating
     part 212 States.
    --(q)(2) Identification and      33 passenger rail      34.00 mitigation       10 hours.............  340.00 hours.........                26,489.40
     implementation of risk           operations + 1 new     methods descriptions.
     mitigation methods and           passenger rail
     furnishing of descriptions of    operation.
     specific risk mitigation
     methods that address hazards
     upon request of FRA/
     participating part 212 States.
    --(q)(3) Ad hoc risk-based       33 passenger rail      3.00 analyses........  10 hours.............  30.00 hours..........                 2,337.30
     hazard analysis pursuant to      operations + 1 new
     paragraphs (q)(1) and (q)(2)     passenger rail
     of this section when there are   operation.
     significant operational
     changes, system extensions,
     system modifications, or other
     circumstances that have direct
     impact on railroad safety.
    --(r)(1) Performance of          33 passenger rail      34.00 results of       10 hours.............  340.00 hours.........                26,489.40
     technology analysis and          operations + 1 new     technology analysis.
     furnishing of results of         passenger rail
     system's technology analysis     operation.
     upon request of FRA/
     participating part 212 States.
270.107(a)--Consultation             33 passenger rail      6.00 consults (w/      1 hour...............  6.00 hours...........                   467.46
 requirements--Consultation with      operations + 1 new     labor union reps.).
 directly affected employees on SSP   passenger rail
 plan.                                operation.
    --(a)(3)(ii) Notification to     33 passenger rail      6.00 notices.........  30 minutes...........  3.00 hours...........                   233.73
     directly affected employees of   operations + 1 new
     preliminary meeting at least     passenger rail
     60 days before being held.       operation.
    --(b) Consultation statements    33 passenger rail      6.00 statements......  1 hour...............  6.00 hours...........                   467.46
     that include service list with   operations + 1 new
     name & contact information for   passenger rail
     labor organization               operation.
     chairpersons & non-union
     employees who participated in
     process.
    --(b)(3) Copies of consultation  33 passenger rail      6.00 copies..........  1 minute.............  .10 hour.............                     7.79
     statements to service list       operations + 1 new
     individuals.                     passenger rail
                                      operation.
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    --(c) Statements from directly   FRA anticipates zero submissions during this 3-year ICR period.
     affected employees.
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    --(d) Consultation requirements  The estimated paperwork burden for this regulatory requirement is covered under Sec.   270.103.
     for SSP plan amendments.
                                    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
270.201(b)--Filing and approval SSP  33 passenger rail      5.00 amended plans...  30 hours.............  150.00 hours.........                11,686.50
 plan--Amended or corrected SSP       operations + 1 new
 plan.                                passenger rail
                                      operation.
    --(c) Review of amended SSP      33 passenger rail      1.00 further amended   20 hours.............  20.00 hours..........                 1,558.20
     Plan found deficient and         operations + 1 new     plan.
     requiring further amendment.     passenger rail
                                      operation.
    --(d) Reopened review of         33 passenger rail      1.00 amended plan....  30 hours.............  30.00 hours..........                 2,337.30
     initial SSP plan approval for    operations + 1 new
     cause stated.                    passenger rail
                                      operation.
270.203--Retention of SSP plan--     33 passenger rail      34.00 copies.........  10 minutes...........  5.67 hours...........                   441.75
 Retained copies of SSP plans.        operations + 1 new
                                      passenger rail
                                      operation.
270.303--Annual internal SSP         33 passenger rail      34.00 evaluations/     2 hours..............  68.00 hours..........                 5,297.88
 assessments.                         operations + 1 new     reports.
                                      passenger rail
                                      operation.
    --(c) Certification of results   33 passenger rail      34.00 certification    2 hours..............  68.00 hours..........                 7,462.32
     of internal assessment by        operations + 1 new     statements.
     chief safety official.           passenger rail
                                      operation.
270.305(b)(1)--External safety       33 passenger rail      6.00 plans...........  12 hours.............  72.00 hours..........                 7,901.28
 audit--Submission of improvement     operations + 1 new
 plans in response to results of      passenger rail
 FRA audit.                           operation.

[[Page 17919]]

 
    --(b)(2) Improvement plans       33 passenger rail      2.00 amended plans...  10 hours.............  20.00 hours..........                 1,558.20
     found deficient by FRA and       operations + 1 new
     requiring amendment.             passenger rail
                                      operation.
    --(b)(3) Status report to FRA    33 passenger rail      2.00 reports.........  4 hours..............  8.00 hours...........                   623.28
     of implementation of             operations + 1 new
     improvements set forth in the    passenger rail
     improvement plan.                operation.
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Subpart E--Fatigue Risk Management   The estimated paperwork burden for this regulatory requirement is covered under OMB Control Number 2130-0633.
 Programs.
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Appendix B--Additional documents     33 passenger rail      4.00 documents.......  15 minutes...........  1.00 hour............                    77.91
 provided to FRA upon request.        operations + 1 new
                                      passenger rail
                                      operation.
Appendix C--Written requests to      33 passenger rail      2.00 written requests  15 minutes...........  .50 hour.............                    38.96
 file required submissions            operations + 1 new
 electronically.                      passenger rail
                                      operation.
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    Totals \3\.....................  33 passenger rail      767 responses........  N/A..................  1,891 hours..........                  153,019
                                      operations + 1 new
                                      passenger rail
                                      operation.
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    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 767.
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    \2\ The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the 2021 Surface 
Transportation Board Full Year Wage A&B data series using the 
appropriate employee group hourly wage rate that includes a 75-
percent overhead charge.
    \3\ Totals may not add due to rounding.
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    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 1,891 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: 
$153,019.
    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 that does not display a currently valid OMB control 
number.

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

Brett A. Jortland,
Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2023-06082 Filed 3-23-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P