Notice2021-13787
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
June 29, 2021
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Railroad Administration
Abstract
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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 122 (Tuesday, June 29, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 122 (Tuesday, June 29, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34303-34304]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13787]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2021-0006-N-6]
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment
Request
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S. 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
August 30, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR
should be submitted on <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> to the docket, Docket No. FRA
2021-0006. All comments received will be posted without change to the
docket, including any personal information provided. Please refer to
the assigned OMB control number 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. Hodan Wells, Information
Collection Clearance Officer, at email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#264e494247480851434a4a556642495208414950"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c0a8afa4a1aeeeb7a5acacb380a4afb4eea7afb6">[email protected]</span></a> or
telephone: (202) 493-0440.
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: Hours of Service Regulations.
OMB Control Number: 2130-0005.
Abstract: FRA's hours of service recordkeeping regulations (49 CFR
part 228), amended as mandated by the Rail Safety Improvement Act of
2008, include substantive hours of service requirements for train
employees (i.e., locomotive engineers and conductors) providing
commuter and intercity rail passenger transportation (e.g., maximum on-
duty periods, minimum off-duty periods, and other limitations). The
regulations also require railroads to evaluate passenger train employee
work schedules for risk of employee fatigue and implement measures to
mitigate the risk, and to submit to FRA for approval certain schedules
and mitigation plans. Finally, the regulations include recordkeeping
and reporting provisions requiring railroads to keep hours of service
records, and report excessive service, for train employees, signal
employees, and dispatching service employees on both freight and
passenger railroads.
FRA uses the information collected to verify that railroads do not
require or allow their employees to exceed maximum on-duty periods, and
ensure that they abide by minimum off-duty periods, and adhere to other
limitations
[[Page 34304]]
in this regulation, to enhance rail safety and reduce the risk of
accidents/incidents caused, or contributed to, by train employee
fatigue.
Type of Request: Extension without change (with changes in
estimates) of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Businesses (railroads and signal contractors).
Form(s): FRA F 6180.3.
Respondent Universe: 796 railroads, signal contractors and
subcontractors.
Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
Reporting Burden:
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Respondent Total annual Average time Total annual Total cost
CFR section \1\ universe responses per responses burden hours equivalent \2\
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228.11--Hours of duty records 796 railroads/ 17,448,669 3 minutes 994,880 $77,043,507
signal (electronic (electronic
contractors & records) + records) + 8
subcontractors. 918,351 (paper minutes (paper
records). records).
228.17--Dispatchers record of 65 dispatch 285,000 1 hour......... 285,000 22,070,400
train movements. offices. cumulative
train-movement
tracking.
228.19(g)-(h)--Monthly 796 railroads/ 1,750 reports.. 1 hour......... 1,750 135,520
reports of excess service-- signal
Exception (FRA F 6180.3). contractors &
subcontractors.
228.103/.107--Construction of 796 railroads/ 2 petition 24 hours....... 48 3,717
employees' sleeping signal waivers.
quarters--Petition request contractors &
to FRA to allow construction subcontractors.
near work areas.
228.207(b)--Training--Initial 671 railroads.. 250 training 2 minutes...... 8 620
training--New employees and records.
supervisors.
--(c) Refresher training-- 796 railroads/ 796 audits and 2 hours........ 1,592 123,284
System audits for signal records.
irregularities by railroads contractors &
and contractors. subcontractors.
228.407(a)--Analysis of work 34 railroads... 3 analyses..... 2 hours........ 6 465
schedules--Railroads'
analysis of one cycle of
work schedules of employees
engaged in commuter or
intercity passenger
transportation.
--(b) Submissions of certain 34 railroads... 3 fatigue 20 hours....... 60 4,646
work schedules and any mitigation
fatigue mitigation plans and plans.
determinations of
operational necessity or
declarations.
--(b) Submissions to FRA for 34 railroads... 1 submission... 1 hour......... 1 77
review and approval.
--(d) Analysis of certain 34 railroads... 1 analysis or 1 hour......... 1 9,647
later changes in work plan.
schedules--Analyses and
mitigation plans--
Resubmission to FRA for
approval.
228.411--Training programs on 34 railroads... 34 railroads... 2 hours........ 68 5,266
fatigue and related topics
(e.g., rest, alertness,
changes in rest cycles,
etc.).
--(e) Records of training on 34 railroads... 5,539 records.. 1 minute....... 92 7,124
fatigue and related topics.
228.411(f)--Conditional 83 railroads... 1 written 1 hour......... 1 77
exclusion--Written declaration.
declaration to FRA by
tourist, scenic, historic,
or excursion railroads
seeking exclusion.
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Totals \3\............... 796 railroads/ 18,660,400 N/A............ 1,283,507 99,404,352
signal responses.
contractors &
subcontractors.
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\1\ The current inventory exhibits a total burden of 3,421,290 hours while the total burden of this notice is
1,283,507 hours. FRA determined many of the estimates were initial estimates, outdated, or duplicates.
Moreover, other estimates were not derived from PRA requirements, thus leading to the increased figures in the
current inventory, which were decreased accordingly in this notice.
\2\ The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the Surface Transportation Board's 2020 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.
Total Estimated Annual Responses: 18,660,400.
Total Estimated Annual Burden: 1,283,507 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent:
$99,404,352.
Under 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b) and 1320.8(b)(3)(vi),
FRA informs all interested parties that a respondent is not required to
respond to, conduct, or sponsor a collection of information that does
not display a currently valid OMB control number.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.
Brett A. Jortland,
Acting Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2021-13787 Filed 6-28-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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