[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 146 (Tuesday, July 30, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61229-61231]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-16732]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2024-0026]


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 
September 30, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR 
should be submitted on regulations.gov to the docket, Docket No. FRA-
2024-0026. 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-New) in any correspondence 
submitted. FRA will summarize comments received in a subsequent 30-day 
notice and include them in its information collection submission to 
OMB.

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.

[[Page 61230]]


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: Uniform Report of Small Business (SB) Commitments/Awards and 
Payments.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-New.
    Abstract: The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program is 
statutorily mandated and intended to assist small businesses owned and 
controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals 
compete fairly in the Department's transportation funding programs for 
certain highway, transit, and aviation programs. The DBE program is 
implemented by recipients of DOT financial assistance. The DOT DBE does 
not include rail assistance programs and FRA does not have a mandated 
DBE program. Rather, FRA issues and manages rail assistance programs in 
compliance with the DOT regulations for implementing Title VI of the 
Civil Rights Act of 1964 found at 49 CFR part 21 and the Uniform 
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements 
for Federal Awards found at 2 CFR part 200. Specifically, 2 CFR 200.321 
(a) through (b)(6) provides affirmative steps a non-Federal entity must 
take to assure that minority businesses, women's business enterprises, 
and labor surplus area firms are used when possible.
    In 2015, Congress instructed the Secretary of Transportation to 
conduct a nationwide disparity and availability study on the 
availability and use of small businesses owned and controlled by 
socially and economically disadvantaged individuals and veteran-owned 
small businesses in publicly funded intercity rail passenger 
transportation projects.
    The report for the study was provided to Congress in 2022. The 
report noted a gap in data available for analysis to determine if there 
is any disparity in rail transportation grant awards. To address the 
data gap identified in the report, FRA is proposing to add new form, 
FRA F 6180.281 titled, Small Business (SB) Commitments/Awards and 
Payments. The proposed data collection will address this gap and aid 
future considerations of the application of the DBE program.
    The purpose of FRA F 6180.281 is to collect data from grant 
recipients to determine the amount of dollars from FRA grants and 
contracts that flow to small, women-owned and Disadvantaged Business 
Enterprises (DBE). This would identify all prime contractors, sub-
contractors, consultants, and vendors that FRA grant recipients worked 
with and on which they spent grant funds. Additionally, the proposed 
new form, FRA F 6180.281 ``SB Commitments/Awards and Payments'' would 
be used by FRA to carry out its oversight responsibilities of non-
Federal entities receiving grant funds.
    This collection of information aligns with DOT's Strategic Goal of 
Equity as it supports establishing economic equity for small businesses 
owned by disadvantaged individuals and promoting development 
opportunities.
    Type of Request: Approval of a new collection of information.
    Affected Public: Generally, includes States and local governments 
and railroads.
    Form(s): FRA F 6180.281.
    Respondent Universe: 140 grant recipients.
    Frequency of Submission: Annually.
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    \1\ The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the May 2022 
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), using the 
median hourly wage rate for a Management Analyst 13-1111 of $45.81.

                                                                    Reporting Burden
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                                                                                                                                            Total cost
            Form name                    Form No.            Total annual        Average time per    Total annual burden     Wage rate     equivalent in
                                                               responses             response               hours                          U.S. dollars
                                                         (A).................  (B).................  (C = A * B)........         (E) \1\     (D = C * E)
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                                   FRA F 281...........  140.................  357 hours...........  49,980.............          $45.81      $2,289,584
Total............................  140.................  140 responses.......  N/A.................  49,980.............             N/A       2,289,584
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[[Page 61231]]

    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 140.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 49,980 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: 
$2,289,584.
    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,
Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2024-16732 Filed 7-29-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P