[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 164 (Friday, August 25, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58435-58436]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-18330]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2023-0002-N-14]


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) summarized 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 
October 24, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR 
should be submitted on regulations.gov to the docket, Docket No. FRA-
2023-2002. All comments received will be posted without change to the 
docket, including any personal information provided. Please refer to 
the assigned OMB control number (2130-0602) in any correspondence 
submitted. FRA will summarize comments received in response to this 
notice in a subsequent notice, made available to the public, 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, 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

[[Page 58436]]

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: Critical Incident Stress Plans.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0602.
    Abstract: Under 49 CFR part 272, Class I, intercity passenger, and 
commuter railroads are required to develop, and submit to FRA for 
approval, a critical incident stress plan (CISP) that provides for 
appropriate support services to be offered to their employees who are 
affected by a critical incident as defined in 49 CFR 272.9. FRA uses 
the information collected to ensure the minimum standards of part 272 
are met.
    In this 60-day notice, FRA adjusted the respondent universe from 41 
railroads to 40 railroads to reflect the current number of Class I, 
intercity passenger, and commuter railroads required to comply with 
part 272 requirements. FRA adjusted the total estimated annual burden 
in the PRA table from 467 hours to 246 hours. Specifically, under Sec.  
272.103(e), FRA adjusted the burden from 24 hours to 12 hours because 
FRA anticipates that the annual submissions of modified and existing 
CISP plans will decrease from 4 plans to 2 plans. Additionally, under 
Sec.  272.103(f), FRA adjusted the burden from 416 hours to 208 hours 
because FRA anticipates that railroads will increasingly provide their 
employees with electronic copies of the CISPs rather than hard copies.
    Type of Request: Extension without change (with changes in 
estimates) of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses/Rail Labor Unions.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Respondent Universe: 40 railroads.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
    Reporting Burden:

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                                                                                                                                         Total cost
           CFR section              Respondent  universe     Total annual  responses          Average time per       Total annual    equivalent in U.S.
                                                                                                  response           burden hours          dollar
                                   .....................  (A)..........................  (B)......................     (C = A * B)  (D = C * wage rates)
                                                                                                                                                     \1\
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272.103(a)--Railroad submission    1 new railroad.......  1 plan.......................  12 hours.................           12.00             $1,031.16
 of critical incident stress plan
 (CISP) to FRA for approval.
    --(b) Railroad CISP copy to 5  1 new railroad.......  5 plan copies................  5 minutes................            0.42                $36.09
     labor organizations.
    --(c)(1) Rail labor            5 employee labor       5 comments...................  2 hours..................           10.00                859.30
     organization comment to FRA    organizations.
     on CISP submission.
    --(c)(2) Rail labor            5 employee labor       5 certifications.............  5 minutes................            0.42                 36.09
     affirmative statement to FRA   organizations.
     that comment copy has been
     served on railroad.
    --(e) Railroad submission of   40 railroads.........  2 updated/modified plans.....  6 hours..................           12.00              1,031.16
     updated/modified existing
     CISP to FRA for approval.
    --(f) Copy to RR employees of  40 railroads.........  2,500 copies.................  5 minutes................          208.33             17,901.80
     updated/modified CISP.
    --(g) Railroads make copies    40 railroads.........  25 plan copies...............  5 minutes................            2.08                178.73
     of CISP available to FRA
     inspector upon request.
272.105--Requirement to file CISP  40 railroads.........  3 CISP electronic submissions  8 minutes................            0.40                 34.37
 electronically.
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    Total \2\....................  40 railroads; 5        2,546 responses..............  N/A......................             246                21,109
                                    employee labor
                                    organizations.
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    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 2,546.
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    \1\ The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the 2022 Surface 
Transportation Board Full Year Wage A&B data series using employee 
group 200 (Professional & Administrative) hourly wage rate of 
$49.10. The total burden wage rate (straight time plus 75%) used in 
the table is $85.93 ($49.10 x 1.75 = $85.93).
    \2\ Totals may not add due to rounding.
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    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 246.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $21,109.
    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.

Christopher S. Van Nostrand,
Acting Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2023-18330 Filed 8-24-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P