[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 189 (Monday, October 2, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67864-67865]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21655]



[[Page 67864]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2023-0002-N-29]


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 
December 1, 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 (2130-0565) 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 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 Concern Recommendation Report, 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 this 60-day notice, FRA made no adjustments to the previously 
approved burden hours and responses in the OMB, Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) inventory.\1\
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    \1\ Changes to the total cost equivalent in U.S. dollars, a 
category not included in the OIRA inventory, are due to updated 
statistics from the Department of Labor (DOL), Bureau of Labor 
Statistics (BLS), Occupational Employment Statistics.
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    Type of Request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Form(s): 18 forms (FRA F 6180.161(a)-(r)).
    Respondent Universe: Car manufacturers/State inspectors.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
    Reporting Burden:

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                                                                                                                                            Total cost
             CFR part 231                 Respondent universe       Total annual responses    Average time per  response   Total annual    equivalent in
                                                                           (forms)                      (hour)             burden hours     U.S. dollar
                                                                             (A)                          (B)               (C = A * B)      (D = C *
                                                                                                                                             wage rates)
                                                                                                                                                     \2\
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Form FRA F 6180.161a.................  Car manufacturers/State   20.........................  1.........................           20.00       $1,839.60
                                        inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161b.................  Car manufacturers/State   7..........................  1.........................            7.00          643.86
                                        inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161c.................  Car manufacturers/State   15.........................  1.........................           15.00        1,379.80
                                        inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161d.................  Car manufacturers/State   15.........................  1.........................           15.00        1,379.80
                                        inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161e.................  Car manufacturers/State   15.........................  1.........................           15.00        1,379.80
                                        inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161f.................  Car manufacturers/State   10.........................  1.........................           10.00          919.80
                                        inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161g.................  Car manufacturers/State   3..........................  1.........................            3.00          275.94
                                        inspectors.
                                                                ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Form FRA F 6180.161h.................  Car manufacturers/State   3..........................  1.........................            3.00          275.94
                                        inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161i.................  Car manufacturers/State   20.........................  1.........................           20.00        1,839.60
                                        inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161j.................  Car manufacturers/State   3..........................  1.........................            3.00          275.94
                                        inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161k.................  Car manufacturers/State   10.........................  1.........................           10.00          919.80
                                        inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161l.................  Car manufacturers/State   3..........................  1.........................            3.00          275.94
                                        inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161m.................  Car manufacturers/State   3..........................  1.........................            3.00          275.94
                                        inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161n.................  Car manufacturers/State   3..........................  1.........................            3.00          275.94
                                        inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161o.................  Car manufacturers/State   3..........................  1.........................            3.00          275.94
                                        inspectors.

[[Page 67865]]

 
Form FRA F 6180.161p.................  Car manufacturers/State   3..........................  1.........................            3.00          275.94
                                        inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161q.................  Car manufacturers/State   3..........................  1.........................            3.00          275.94
                                        inspectors.
Form FRA F 6180.161r.................  Car manufacturers/State   3..........................  1.........................            3.00          275.94
                                        inspectors.
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    Total \3\........................  Car manufacturers/State   142 responses..............  N/A.......................             142          13,061
                                        inspectors.
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    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 142.
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    \2\ The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the DOL, BLS, 
Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) 11-3012, May 2022 National 
Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates NAICS 
999200--Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS 
Designation) hourly wage rate of $52.56. The total burdened wage 
rate (Straight time plus 75%) used in the table is $91.98 ($52.56 x 
1.75 = $91.98).
    \3\ Totals may not add up due to rounding.
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    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 142 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $13,061.
    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. 2023-21655 Filed 9-29-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P