Notice2023-20769
Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection
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 26, 2023
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Highway Administration
Abstract
The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for an information collection, which is summarized below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 185 (Tuesday, September 26, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66122-66123]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-20769]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[Docket No. FHWA-2023-0030]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments
for a New Information Collection
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to
request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for an
information collection, which is summarized below under SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal
Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: Please submit comments by November 27, 2023.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number
0030 by any of the following methods:
Website: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery or Courier: U.S. Department of Transportation, West
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janelle Hinton, (202) <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cffcf9f9e2fef9fffbe0a5aea1aaa3a3aae1a7a6a1bba0a18faba0bbe1a8a0b9">366-1604/<span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="aac0cbc4cfc6c6cf84c2c3c4dec5c4eacec5de84cdc5dc">[email protected]</span></a>; Martha Kenley, (202) <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a29492968f949b959b8dcfc3d0d6cac38cc9c7cccec7dbe2c6cdd68cc5cdd4">604-6979/<span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="365b5744425e57185d53585a534f7652594218515940">[email protected]</span></a>, Department of Transportation, Federal Highway
Administration, Office of Civil Rights, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Supportive Services (DBE/
SS).
Background: The DBE/SS regulations (23 CFR 230.204(c)) require
State DOT recipients to provide a detailed SOW outlining the proposed
services and budget, approximated, based on the provided estimated
funding allocation. State DOTs must submit a SOW that conforms to the
purpose of the program, regulatory requirements, and federal cost
principles to be eligible for funding. State DOTs send their proposed
SOWs to the respective FHWA Division Office for review and approval,
and the Division Offices sends the SOWs to HCR for concurrence and
obtaining approvals necessary for allocating funds. While HCR has
created guidance for State DOTs to follow in creating their SOWs,
currently are submitted in paper form and the contents and size of the
submissions vary. Providing State DOTs with a SOW template available
through the Civil Rights Connect System will streamline the SOW
creation, submission, review, and approval process.
The DBE/SS regulations (23 CFR 230.204(h)) require State DOT
recipients to provide reports to FHWA as a condition of receiving
federal funding. Although the regulations require reporting, there is
no prescribed format for reporting this information to FHWA. Thus, FHWA
receives varied reports that often lack the critical information
necessary to evaluate whether the metrics identified in the State DOT's
Statements of Work have been met, and the number and demographic
breakdown of DBEs that have participated in the program. Without this
data provided in a manner that can easily be converted into national
reports, FHWA is unable provide meaningful stewardship and oversight or
to measure the effectiveness of DBE/SS Programs nationally. The
national picture created by this report will enable HCR to indicate
notable implementation efforts and improve its deployment of technical
assistance to FHWA divisions offices. Also, standardized data will
improve FHWA's ability to meaningfully respond to stakeholder
inquiries, including Congress, regarding program accomplishments.
Further, with standardized data of program results, FHWA can better
support requests for additional funding.
The information required to populate the DBE/SS SOW template is
based on existing requirements found in 23 CFR 230, Subpart C;
therefore, State DOTs should have information to populate the SOW
readily available. The information will merely be entered in an
electronic fillable form as opposed to submitting a paper copy. The
electronic system will also directly pre-populate the State's Annual
Accomplishment Report with the metrices identified in the State's SOW.
The information FHWA proposes to collect in its DBE/SS Accomplishment
Report is based on existing reporting requirements found in 23 CFR 230,
Subpart B and the State DOT's individual detailed statement of work;
therefore, State DOTs should have this information readily available.
In addition, the fillable format will streamline the State's reporting
process by eliminating the States' need to duplicate language from the
SOW into the Annual Report.
While the requirements will not change, use of the SOW template and
Accomplishment Report form will benefit State DOTs and FHWA by making
the submissions more uniform in size and content, streamlining the
submission and review process, and pair the performance metrics more
easily with their accomplishments. By providing the SOW template along
with this reporting format, FHWA aims to improve its stewardship and
oversight of the DBE/SS Program, while ensuring State DOTs are
effectively administering these discretionary grants for the benefit of
DBEs.
Respondents: State departments of transportation agencies
responsible for submitting DBE Statement of Work for designing and
maintaining highway bridges.
[[Page 66123]]
Frequency: Every year by July 31st.
Estimated Average Burden per Response: The estimated number of
hours for each of the 52 recipients to compile and submit the requested
data is estimated to be no more than four employee hours annually.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: The estimated total annual
burden for 53 recipients is 212 hours annually.
Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of
this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed
collection is necessary for the FHWA's performance; (2) the accuracy of
the estimated burdens; (3) ways for the FHWA to enhance the quality,
usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that
the burden could be minimized, including the use of electronic
technology, without reducing the quality of the collected information.
The agency will summarize and/or include your comments in the request
for OMB's clearance of this information collection.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. chapter
35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued on: September 20, 2023.
Jazmyne Lewis,
Information Collection Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023-20769 Filed 9-25-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-RY-P
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