Notice2021-20559
Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review
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
September 23, 2021
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Transit Administration
Abstract
In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Information Collection Requirements (ICR) abstracted below have been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describe the nature of the information collection and their expected burdens.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 182 (Thursday, September 23, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 182 (Thursday, September 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52945-52947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20559]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
[FTA Docket No. FTA 2021-0013]
Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces that the Information Collection Requirements (ICR)
abstracted below have been forwarded to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describe the nature of the
information collection and their expected burdens.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 25, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find this particular
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
Comments are Invited On: Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the Department, including whether the information will have practical
utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the
proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility,
and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize
the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including
the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of
information technology. A comment to OMB is best assured of having its
full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication of this
notice in the Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tia Swain, Office of Administration,
Management Planning Division, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Mail Stop TAD-
10, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-0354 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a8dcc1c986dbdfc9c1c6e8ccc7dc86cfc7de"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d9adb0b8f7aaaeb8b0b799bdb6adf7beb6af">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA),
Public Law 104-13, Section 2, 109 Stat. 163 (1995) (codified as revised
at 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), and its implementing regulations, 5 CFR part
1320, require Federal agencies to issue two notices seeking public
comment on information collection activities before OMB may approve
paperwork packages. 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.5, 1320.8(d)(1),
1320.12. On June 24, 2021, FTA published a 60-day notice (86 FR 33473)
in the Federal Register soliciting comments on the ICR for which the
agency was seeking OMB approval. FTA received no comments after issuing
this 60-day notice. Accordingly, DOT announces that these information
collection activities have been re-evaluated and certified under 5 CFR
1320.5(a) and forwarded to OMB for review and approval pursuant to 5
CFR 1320.12(c).
Before OMB decides whether to approve these proposed collections of
information, it must provide 30 days for public comment. 44 U.S.C.
3507(b); 5 CFR 1320.12(d). Federal law requires OMB to approve or
disapprove paperwork packages between 30 and 60 days after the 30-day
notice is published. 44 U.S.C. 3507(b)-(c); 5 CFR 1320.12(d); see also
60 FR 44978, 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. OMB believes that the 30-day notice
informs the regulated community to file relevant comments and affords
the agency adequate time to digest public comments before it renders a
decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. Therefore, respondents should
submit their respective comments to OMB within 30 days of publication
to best ensure having their full effect. 5 CFR 1320.12(c); see also 60
FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995.
The summaries below describe the nature of the information
collection requirements (ICR) and the expected burden. The requirements
are being submitted for clearance by OMB as required by the PRA.
Title: Transit COVID-19 Response Program.
OMB Control Number: 2132-0581.
[[Page 52946]]
Type of Request: Extension without change of a currently approved
collection.
Abstract: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of
1995, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is requesting Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) 3-year approval for this existing
information collection previously authorized under emergency approval.
FTA is collecting monthly data related to impacts from the coronavirus
disease 2019 (COVID-19) on public transportation agencies, including
transit workforce counts; transit service levels; counts of COVID-19
positives, fatalities, recoveries, and unvaccinated employees; whether
or not a transit agency has implemented the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) Order and Transportation Security
Administration (TSA) Security Directive requiring workers and
passengers to wear masks; and whether or not the agency has used FTA
funds to support vaccine access services. FTA uses this data to inform
FTA's COVID-19 response and recovery actions, including monitoring of
safety measures and impacts, development of technical assistance and
safety advisories, monitoring use of FTA grant funds to address COVID-
19 considerations, and monitoring compliance with Federal requirements.
FTA began the Transit COVID-19 Response Program Information
Collection in April 2021 under OMB emergency approval and is seeking
renewal of this approval through OMB's standard PRA clearance process.
On June 24, 2021, FTA issued a 60-day Federal Register Notice
requesting the extension of the approved information collection. This
subsequent 30-day Federal Register Notice for public comments follows
OMB's PRA clearance process. There have been no substantive changes to
the information collection application and associated data since the
initial request. FTA is requesting information collection approval for
up to three years. COVID-19 continues to pose significant challenges
for the transit industry. Although some transit providers have
suspended service and a greater number have reduced service throughout
the COVID-19 public health emergency, transit agencies across the
country continue to provide millions of trips to lifeline services,
including transporting healthcare personnel and other essential workers
on the front line of the Nation's COVID-19 response. Transit agencies
also offer additional essential services to support communities during
the public health emergency, such as meal delivery and Wi-Fi access in
underserved areas, and offer a range of COVID-19 vaccine access
services. Accordingly, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security
Agency designates transit workers as essential critical infrastructure
workers.
Transit agencies and other stakeholders have expressed concerns
about the risk of COVID-19 to the transit industry and, along with the
FTA, have taken steps to address these concerns. To support the transit
industry's COVID-19 response, FTA allocated $25 billion in emergency
relief funding to the U.S. transit industry through the Coronavirus
Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Pub. L. 116-136) and
another $14 billion through the Coronavirus Response and Relief
Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 (CRRSAA) (Pub. L. 116-260). The
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), enacted on March 11, 2021,
includes an additional $30.5 billion in Federal funding to support the
nation's public transportation systems as they continue to respond to
the COVID-19 pandemic and support vaccination of the U.S. population.
Funding through the ARP Act and CRRSAA, like the CARES Act, is at 100-
percent Federal share with no local match required. In addition, for
Fiscal Year 2020, FTA apportioned over $12.5 billion in funding
authorized under the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST
Act) (Pub. L. 114-94) and the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act,
2020 (Pub. L. 116-94).
Numerous transit agencies have implemented mitigations to limit the
transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, among their
workers and within their systems. Despite these efforts, frontline
transit workers remain at high risk for work-related exposure to SARS-
CoV-2 because their work-related duties must be performed on-site and
involve being in close proximity (<6 feet) to the public or to
coworkers. In addition, many transit workers fall within racial and
socioeconomic demographics that are at increased risk of getting sick
and dying from COVID-19.
On January 29, 2021, CDC issued an Order requiring the wearing of
masks by persons using or working in certain transportation services,
including on public transportation, to prevent spread of the virus that
causes COVID-19. Pursuant to the CDC Order, which implements
Presidential Executive Order 13998, transportation operators must
require that all persons wear masks when boarding, disembarking, and
for the duration of travel, with certain exemptions. Operators of
transportation hubs, which include bus terminals and subway stations,
must require all persons wear a mask when entering or on the premises
of a transportation hub. Since June 10, 2021, CDC is not enforcing the
wearing of masks by persons while outdoors on transportation vehicles
or while outdoors in transportation hubs. TSA issued a Security
Directive on February 1, 2021 that implements the CDC Order. On August
20, 2021, TSA extended the Security Directive through January 18, 2022
to curb the spread of COVID-19. This information collection allows FTA
to assess compliance with the Federal mask mandates.
According to data from the CDC, 70 percent of adult Americans had
received at least one vaccination shot by August 2, 2021. Continued
concerns regarding vaccine access and hesitancy among transit workers
and the U.S. public present challenges to increasing this percentage
further. FTA's information collection captures the number of transit
workers that have reported that they have been vaccinated. The
communities served by transit agencies continue to rely on them to
provide critical transportation services every day--including
transportation to vaccination sites. This information collection allows
FTA to monitor the number of vaccinated transit workers and captures
information on transit agencies' efforts to use Federal resources,
including ARP, CARES, and CRRSAA funds, to support vaccine access for
their communities--both critical data points to support FTA response
activity.
New, more transmissible variants of the virus have recently
emerged, including the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant. Between June 30, 2021
and July 31, 2021, after five months of decreasing trends in COVID-19
cases and hospitalizations, data show that cases and hospitalizations
have increased substantially. In light of the Delta variant and
increased spread and hospitalizations, CDC reversed its May
recommendations that fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear
masks indoors and now recommends that all Americans in areas of surging
COVID-19 transmission should wear masks while indoors, regardless of
their vaccination status. FTA plays a critical role in providing risk-
based guidance and support for the COVID-19 recovery efforts of the
transit industry. Accordingly, FTA will continue to require that
respondents provide the following information using a fillable
electronic online application:
<bullet> Transit Worker Counts: Total number of transit operators,
other
[[Page 52947]]
frontline essential personnel, and other workers during the reporting
period.
<bullet> COVID-19 Impacts on Transit Agency Service Levels: Yes or
no responses to indicate if the agency suspended service, reduced
service, or operated at normal levels during the reporting period.
<bullet> COVID-19 Impacts on Transit Workforce: Cumulative counts
of transit worker COVID-19 positives, fatalities, recoveries, and
unvaccinated employees during the reporting period, and yes or no
responses on whether the agency is requiring workers to be vaccinated,
whether the agency has implemented the CDC Order and TSA Security
Directive requiring workers and passengers to wear masks, and whether
or not the agency has used FTA funds to support vaccine access services
and the types of vaccine access services the agency provides.
Respondents: FTA will require this information, pursuant to 49
U.S.C. 5334, from recipients and sub-recipients of FTA funds under the
Urbanized Area Formula Funding program (49 U.S.C. 5307) or the Formula
Grants for Rural Areas program (49 U.S.C. 5311) that operate transit
systems or pass-through funds to sub-recipients that operate transit
systems. Recipients of FTA funds under the Enhanced Mobility of Seniors
and Individuals with Disabilities program (49 U.S.C. 5310) may be
requested to provide this information on a voluntary basis in the
future.
Estimated Average Total Annual Respondents: 2,390 respondents.
Estimated Average Total Responses: 28,680.
Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 10,356.
Estimated Annual Burden per Response: 10 minutes per Section 5307
or 5311 respondent, 400 minutes per Section 5311 State respondent, and
16 minutes per Section 5310 transit operator respondent.
Frequency: Monthly.
Nadine Pembleton,
Director Office of Management Planning.
[FR Doc. 2021-20559 Filed 9-22-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
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