Notice2024-01498
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
January 25, 2024
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) 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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 17 (Thursday, January 25, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 17 (Thursday, January 25, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5084-5086]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-01498]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2024-0002]
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
March 25, 2024.
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-
2024 0002. All comments received will be posted without change to the
docket, including any personal information provided. Please refer to
the assigned OMB control number (2130-0589) in
[[Page 5085]]
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: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5c3d2e30392828397231292f2f35323b2833321c383328723b332a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6706150b02131302490a1214140e09001308092703081349000811">[email protected]</span></a> or
telephone: (571) 609-1285 or Ms. Joanne Swafford, Information
Collection Clearance Officer, at email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cba1a4aaa5a5aee5b8bcaaadada4b9af8bafa4bfe5aca4bd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="254f4a444b4b400b56524443434a574165414a510b424a53">[email protected]</span></a> or
telephone: (757) 897-9908.
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 statutes and 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: State Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Action Plans.
OMB Control Number: 2130-0589.
Abstract: Section 202 of the Rail Safety Improvement Act (RSIA) \1\
of 2008 required the Secretary of Transportation to identify the 10
States that had the most highway-rail grade crossing collisions, on
average, over the previous three years and to require those States to
develop State highway-rail grade crossing action plans within a
reasonable period of time, as determined by the Secretary. Section 202
of the RSIA further provided that these plans must identify specific
solutions for improving safety at crossings, including highway-rail
grade crossing closures or grade separations, and must focus on
crossings that have experienced multiple accidents or are at high risk
for such accidents.
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\1\ Public Law 110-432, sec. 202 (Oct. 16, 2008).
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In 2020, FRA issued a final rule titled, State Highway-Rail Grade
Crossing Action Plans,\2\ to implement section 11401(b) of the Fixing
America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) which required 40
States and the District of Columbia to develop and implement highway-
rail grade crossing action plans. The final rule also required ten
States that developed highway-rail grade crossing action plans, as
required by RSIA and FRA's implementing regulation, to update their
plans and submit reports to FRA describing actions they have taken to
implement their plans.
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\2\ 85 FR 80648 (Dec. 14, 2020).
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FRA uses the collection of information to ensure that States meet
the Congressional mandate and devise and implement suitable plans to
reduce/eliminate highway-rail grade collisions. FRA reviews these
crossing action plans and crossing action plan revisions to ensure that
these plans include the following: (1) identify specific strategies for
improving safety at highway-rail grade crossings, including highway-
rail grade crossing closures or grade separations; (2) focus on
crossings that have experienced multiple accidents or are at high risk
for such accidents; and (3) cover a five-year period.
In this 60-day notice, FRA makes no adjustments to the previously
approved burden hours and responses in the Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) inventory.\3\
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\3\ Changes to the total cost equivalent in U.S. dollars, a
category not included in the OIRA inventory, are due to updated
statistics from the 2022 Surface Transportation Board (STB) Full
Year Wage A&B data series.
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Type of Request: Extension without change of a currently approved
collection.
Affected Public: Businesses.
Form(s): N/A.
Respondent Universe: 50 States + District of Columbia.
Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
Reporting Burden:
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Total cost
CFR section Respondent Total annual Average time Total annual equivalent in
universe responses per response burden hours U.S. dollar
............... (A)............ (B)............ (C = A * B) (D = C * wage
rates) \4\
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234.11(b)--State highway- 40 States + 13.60 burden 1,510.00 hours 3,376.67 $290,157.25
rail grade crossing action District of plans (1.3 (700 hours +
plans--Development and Columbia. high burden + 550 hours +
submission of new action 2.3 medium 200 hours + 60
plans--Grouped into high, burden + 4 low hours).
medium, and low plans. burden + 6
minimal
burden).
--(c)(1) Updated action 10 States...... 3.30 burden 1,965.00 hours 2,040.00 175,297.20
plans (10 listed states plans (1 high (1,100 hours +
in Sec. 234.11(e))-- burden + 1 640 hours +
Grouped into high, medium burden 225 hours).
medium, and low plans. + 1.3 low
burden).
--(c)(2) Implementation 10 States...... 3.30 burden 320.00 hours 333.33 28,643.05
reports (10 listed reports (1 (160 hours +
states in Sec. high burden + 120 hours + 40
234.11(e))--Grouped 1 medium hours).
into high, medium, and burden + 1.3
low implementation low burden).
reports.
[[Page 5086]]
--(f)(2) Notification to 50 States + 2.70 5.00 minutes... 0.22 18.90
FRA by State or District of notifications.
District of Columbia Columbia.
(DC) of another
official to assume
responsibilities
described under Sec.
234.11(e)(6).
--(g) FRA review and 40 States + 2.70 revised 189.00 hours 142.00 12,202.06
approval of State District of plans (0.7 (105 hours +
highway-rail grade Columbia. high burden + 60 hours + 24
crossing action plans: 0.7 medium hours).
Disapproved plans burden + 1.3
needing revision-- low burden).
Grouped into high,
medium, and low revised
plans.
--(g) FRA review and 10 States...... 0.90 revised 295.00 hours 98.33 8,449.50
approval of State plans (0.7 (165 hours +
highway-rail grade high burden + 96 hours + 34
crossing action plans: 0.7 medium hours).
Disapproved plans burden + 1.3
needing revision (10 low burden).
listed States in Sec.
234.11(e))--Grouped
into high, medium, and
low revised plans.
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Total \5\........... N/A............ 27 responses... N/A............ 5,991 514,768.00
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Total Estimated Annual Responses: 27.
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\4\ The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the 2022 (STB)
Full Year Wage A&B data series using employee group 200
(Professional & Administrative) hourly wage rate of $49.10. The
total burden wage rate (straight time plus 75%) used in the table is
$85.93 ($49.10 x 1.75 = $85.93).
\5\ Totals may not add up due to rounding.
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Total Estimated Annual Burden: 5,991 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent:
$514,768.
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,
Acting Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2024-01498 Filed 1-24-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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