Notice2025-07340
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
April 29, 2025
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 90 Issue 81 (Tuesday, April 29, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 81 (Tuesday, April 29, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17878-17880]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-07340]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2025-0003]
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment
Request
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
[[Page 17879]]
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
June 30, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR
should be submitted on <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> to the docket, Docket No.
FRA-2025-0003. All comments received will be posted without change to
the docket, including any personal information provided. Please refer
to the assigned OMB control number (2130-0529) in any correspondence
submitted. FRA will summarize comments received in response to this
notice in a subsequent 30-day notice, made available to the public, and
include them in its information collection submission to OMB for
approval.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Arlette Mussington, Information
Collection Clearance Officer, at email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c3a2b1afa6b7b7a6edaeb6b0b0aaada4b7acad83a7acb7eda4acb5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b6d7c4dad3c2c2d398dbc3c5c5dfd8d1c2d9d8f6d2d9c298d1d9c0">[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#503a3f313e3e357e23273136363f223410343f247e373f26"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4a20252b24242f64393d2b2c2c25382e0a2e253e642d253c">[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 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: Disqualification Proceedings.
OMB Control Number: 2130-0529.
Abstract: Title 49 CFR part 209, subpart D (subpart D) codifies FRA
procedures to provide due process to individuals whom FRA proposes to
disqualify from sensitive safety service, as authorized by 49 U.S.C.
20111. Since OMB first approved control number 2130-0529,\1\ the only
section in subpart D deemed to contain information collection
requirements subject to the PRA was 49 CFR 209.331, Enforcement of
disqualification order, which requires: (a) a railroad employing or
formerly employing a disqualified individual to disclose the terms and
conditions of the order to the individual's new or prospective employer
railroad; (b) a railroad considering hiring an individual in a safety-
sensitive position to inquire with the individual's prior employer, if
the former employer is a railroad, whether the individual is serving
under a disqualification order; and (c) a disqualified individual to
inform the individual's current and prospective railroad employers, and
provide a copy of the order.
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\1\ See 56 FR 66791 (Dec. 26, 1991).
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When FRA last renewed this ICR in 2022, it included two sections
under subpart D in its paperwork burden estimates in addition to Sec.
209.331.\2\ On review, FRA has determined that the inclusion of those
sections is not required by the PRA. Specifically, the response
required under Sec. Sec. 209.307 and 209.309 from a person who
receives a Notice of Proposed Disqualification is not subject to OMB
approval because the information is collected ``during the conduct of
an administrative action, investigation, or audit involving an agency
against specific individuals or entities.'' See 5 CFR 1320.4(a)(2).
Therefore, the previously reported burden for those two sections has
been removed from this ICR. Accordingly, estimated burden hours under
this ICR have decreased from 41 hours to 2 hours, and the number of
estimated responses has decreased from 22 to 4 responses.
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\2\ See 87 FR 5933 (Feb. 2, 2022).
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Type of Request: Extension without change (with changes in
estimates) of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: 754 railroads and 181,210 railroad employees.
Form(s): N/A.
Respondent Universe: 754 railroads and 181,210 railroad employees.
Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
Reporting Burden
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Total annual Average time per Total annual Total cost
CFR section Respondent universe responses response burden hours Wage rates equivalent
(A) (B) (C) = A * B(D) \3\ (E) = C * D
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Subpart D Disqualification Procedures
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209.307 Reply....................... The paperwork burden associated with this regulatory requirement is exempt under 5 CFR 1320.4(a)(2).
209.309 Informal response........... The paperwork burden associated with this regulatory requirement is exempt under 5 CFR 1320.4(a)(2).
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[[Page 17880]]
209.331 Enforcement of 754 railroads.......... 2 30 minutes 1 $89.13 $89.13
disqualification order:
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--(a) A railroad that employs or
formerly employed an individual
serving under a disqualification
order must inform other prospective
employers.
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--(b) A railroad considering hiring This is a common practice for the railroad industry to do routine personnel checks on individuals whom they are
an individual to perform safety- planning on hiring. Thus, there is no burden associated with this requirement.
sensitive functions to check with
previous railroad employer for any
disqualification orders.
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--(c) Individual subject to a 181,210 employees...... 2 30 minutes 1 $89.13 $89.13
disqualification order shall inform
employer.
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Total 4......................... 181,210 employees...... 4 N/A 2 N/A $178.26
754 railroads..........
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Total Estimated Annual Responses: 4.
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\3\ The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the 2023 Surface
Transportation Board's Full Year Wage A&B data series using the
employee group 200 (Professional & Administrative) hourly wage rate
of $50.93. The total burden wage rate (straight time plus 75%) used
in the table is $89.13 ($50.93 x 1.75 = $89.13).
\4\ Total may not add up due to rounding.
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Total Estimated Annual Burden: 2 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $178.26.
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,
Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2025-07340 Filed 4-28-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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