Notice2021-27329
Request for Comments on a Previously Approved Information Collection: Information Associated With the Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection (AMJP) Program
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
January 5, 2022
Issuing agencies
Transportation Department
Abstract
In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below is being forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comments. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following information collection was published on September 21, 2021. No comments were received.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 3 (Wednesday, January 5, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 3 (Wednesday, January 5, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 537-538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27329]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
[Docket No. DOT-OST-2021-0038]
Request for Comments on a Previously Approved Information
Collection: Information Associated With the Aviation Manufacturing Jobs
Protection (AMJP) Program
AGENCY: Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR)
abstracted below is being forwarded to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for review and comments. A Federal Register Notice with a
60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following information
collection was published on September 21, 2021. No comments were
received.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 4, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding the burden estimate, including
suggestions for reducing the burden, to the Office of Management and
Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for the Office of the Secretary of
Transportation, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503.
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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information related to this ICR,
including applicable supporting documentation may be obtained by
contacting Alexus Jenkins-Reid in the Office of the Secretary of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, via
telephone at (202) 366-5112, or via email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d6979b9c8696b2b9a2f8b1b9a0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0e4f43445e4e6a617a20696178">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Information Associated with the Aviation Manufacturing Jobs
Protection (AMJP) Program.
Form Numbers: New collection, Forms AMJP-1A.2.2, AMJP-1A.2.3, AMJP-
1A.2.4, AMJP-1A.6.4, AMJP-1A.6.5, AMJP-1A.6.6, AMJP-1A6.7 (available at
<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/amjp/resources-recipients">https://www.transportation.gov/amjp/resources-recipients</a>).
OMB Control Number: 2106-0048.
Type of Request: Renewal and update of Information Collection
previously approved.
Abstract: The Department of Transportation (DOT) hereby asks the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew and revise an
information collection that was approved under an emergency clearance
approval by OMB through November 30, 2021.
On March 11, 2021, the ``American Rescue Plan Act of 2021'' (ARPA),
Public Law (P.L.) 117-2, was enacted. Sections 7201 and 7202
established the ``Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection'' (AMJP)
program. The stated purpose of the program is ``to provide public
contributions to supplement compensation of an eligible employee
group'' (which is defined in the statute), by entering into agreements
with qualifying business entities to pay up to half of the payroll
costs for that group of employees for up to six months, in return for
several commitments, including a commitment that the company will not
involuntarily furlough or lay off employees within that group.
Individual employees (including contract employees) are not eligible to
apply for assistance under this program.
Application for assistance under the AMJP was voluntary. No
business was required to apply. To be eligible, however, businesses
were required to meet all the requirements set forth in the law.
Therefore, DOT was required to collect certain information from
applicants to determine eligibility. DOT must also verify the accuracy
of specific payment requests from approved applicants, in accordance
with other laws and regulations governing Federal financial assistance
programs, including (but not limited to) the Antideficiency Act, the
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), the
Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019, and applicable provisions in
2 CFR part 200, among others.
The ARPA required DOT to reduce funding on a pro rata basis if
eligible requests exceeded available funds. Therefore, DOT originally
planned to conduct a single-round, expedited application process to
identify all eligible requests before beginning the award process.
Accordingly, DOT developed a process and system to enable businesses to
apply for financial assistance under the AMJP. DOT used an online, web-
based system to collect the information outlined in the notice at 86 FR
19695. OMB provided emergency approval on May 26, 2021, with
information collection control number 2106-0048.
DOT subsequently announced the beginning of the application process
on June 14, 2021, via notice at 86 FR 31573. DOT posted the application
instructions online at <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/AMJP/apply">https://www.transportation.gov/AMJP/apply</a>. The
application process was open for four weeks, from June 14, 2021 through
July 13, 2021. DOT subsequently reopened the application process for
another four-week period ending September 1, 2021. On November 8, 2021,
DOT made the decision to reopen the application process for one final
period ending December 13, 2021.
DOT has publicly announced more than 470 offers of financial
assistance under the AMJP, totaling more than $666 million, resulting
from the first two application processes. As of the signature date of
this notice, DOT has awarded 446 financial assistance agreements,
totaling approximately $597 million. DOT is renewing and updating this
information collection. DOT will continue to require eligible
recipients to attest that they continue to meet all the original
eligibility requirements as previously outlined, as well as the
following information:
<bullet> A sworn certification as to the complete and accurate
nature of all information provided, including all supporting
documentation, subject to civil or criminal penalties. The specific
certification language is in the forms referenced above and section 4.8
of the General Terms And Conditions Under The Aviation Manufacturing
Jobs Protection Program.\1\
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\1\ See <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/amjp/resources-recipients">https://www.transportation.gov/amjp/resources-recipients</a>
for text of a sample AMJP agreement, including the General Terms and
Conditions.
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<bullet> After DOT determines eligibility and enters into an
agreement with the applicant (referred to hereafter as ``the
recipient''), DOT will also require the recipient to provide the actual
aggregate total cost of compensation for the Eligible Employee Group
during the period of the agreement with DOT, in order for DOT to review
and approve actual disbursements pursuant to the agreement. Recipients
will be required to provide supporting documentation in sufficient
detail to substantiate the
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actual costs, specifically excluding any Personally Identifiable
Information (PII) for any individual employees. Recipients will also be
required to provide additional supporting information and
certifications in support of disbursement requests. See Forms AMJP-1A-
6.4, AMJP-1A-6.6, and AMJP-1A-6.7.
<bullet> DOT may also ask recipient businesses to submit voluntary
reports regarding demographic data associated with the workforce that
is and is not included in the Eligible Employee Group. This would be
voluntary on the part of the employer and based solely on voluntary
data self-reported by employees, disaggregated from any Personally
Identifiable Information in order to avoid any potential privacy
concerns. If a statistically valid sample can be developed, then it may
be possible to extrapolate for reporting and program evaluation
purposes. Such information may be used to support program evaluation.
<bullet> DOT may also ask recipient businesses to identify how they
first learned about the AMJP program. Such information may be useful in
implementation of future financial assistance programs.
DOT has updated the following estimated public burden figures based
on the actual number of applications received as well as observations
during the application review process. In order to help reduce the
burden on recipients (and particularly on small businesses), DOT
decided to make an initial disbursement shortly after award of each
agreement. The initial disbursement is up to 50 percent of the award
amount. This provides the recipient businesses with an immediate cash
infusion, while also reducing the total number of disbursements and the
cumulative paperwork required. DOT announced this decision in the
application package published on June 15, 2021.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 600 eligible business entities in
the aviation manufacturing, maintenance, repair, and overhaul services
based in the United States.
Estimated Number of Responses: See ``Annual Estimated Total Burden
Hours,'' below.
Frequency of Collection: One-time application (already completed),
to be followed by disbursement requests and final closeout reports
(including supporting payroll documentation and reporting
requirements).
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: Total burden, 16,800 hours (28
hours per respondent including 4 hours for each of 2 disbursement
requests; 14 hours for required forms; 2 hours for voluntary
demographic data; and 4 hours for closeout documentation).\2\
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\2\ DOT published these figures in the 60-day notice on
September 21, 2021. As of that date, DOT believed that the
application process had been concluded, and therefore no longer
included figures associated with the AMJP application process (which
DOT did include in the original request for emergency approval
published on April 14, 2021). DOT subsequently reopened the
application process for a third and final round, with an application
deadline of December 13, 2021. If another 150 applicants apply, then
this would represent an additional burden of 2,400 hours at an
estimated cost of $89,740.50.
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Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter
35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued in Washington, DC, on December 12, 2021.
Brian Elliott Black,
Program Director, Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection (AMJP)
Program.
[FR Doc. 2021-27329 Filed 1-4-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P
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