[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 189 (Monday, October 2, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67865-67866]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21657]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2023-0002-N-28]


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 (2130-0594) 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: Railroad Safety Appliance Standards.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0594.
    Abstract: The information collection associated with 49 CFR part 
231 is used by FRA to promote and enhance the safe placement and 
securement of safety appliances on newly constructed rail vehicles. The 
regulation provides a process for railroads or car owners to submit 
requests for the approval of existing industry standards for safety 
appliance arrangements on newly constructed railroad cars, locomotives, 
tenders, or other rail vehicles in lieu of the specific arrangements in 
part 231.
    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 2022 Surface Transportation Board (STB) Full 
Year Wage A&B data series.
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    Type of Request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.

[[Page 67866]]



                                                Reporting Burden
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                                                                   Average time                     Total cost
         CFR section              Respondent       Total annual    per response    Total annual    equivalent in
                                   universe         responses         (hours)      burden hours     U.S. dollar
                                                 (A)............             (B)     (C = A * B)    (D = C* wage
                                                                                                      rates) \2\
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231.33(b)--Procedure for       AAR (industry     1 petition.....              16           16.00       $1,374.88
 special approval of existing   rep.).
 industry safety appliance
 standards--filing of
 petitions.
--(b)(6) Affirmative           AAR (industry     1 affirmation                 1            1.00           85.93
 statement by petitioner that   rep.).            statement.
 a petition copy has been
 served on rep. of employees
 responsible for equipment's
 operation/inspection/testing/
 maintenance.
--(f)(3)(iii) Disposition of   AAR (industry     1 petition or                 2            2.00          171.86
 petitions: petition returned   rep.).            additional
 by FRA requesting additional                     document.
 information.
231.35(a)--Procedure for       AAR (industry     1 petition for               16           16.00        1,374.88
 modification of an approved    rep.).            modification.
 industry safety appliance
 standard for new car
 construction--filing of
 petitions.
--(b)(3) Affirmative           AAR (industry     1 affirmation                 1            1.00           85.93
 statement by petitioner that   rep.).            statement.
 a petition copy has been
 served on rep. of employees
 responsible for equipment's
 operation/inspection/testing/
 maintenance.
--(e) FRA review of petition   AAR (industry     1 additional                  1            1.00           85.93
 for modification; agency       rep.).            comment.
 objection and AAR response.
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    Total \3\................  765 railroads...  6 responses....             N/A              37           3,179
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    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 6.
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    \2\ The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the 2022 STB Full 
Year Wage A&B data series using the 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).
    \3\ Totals may not add up due to rounding.
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    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 37 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $3,179.
    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. 2023-21657 Filed 9-29-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P