Notice2025-21839
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
December 3, 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 230 (Wednesday, December 3, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 230 (Wednesday, December 3, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55778-55779]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-21839]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2025-0062]
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
February 2, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR
should be submitted on <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> to Docket No. FRA-2025-0062.
All comments received will be posted without change to the docket,
including any personal information provided. Please refer to the
assigned OMB control number (2130-0525) in any correspondence
submitted. FRA will summarize comments received in response to this
notice in a subsequent 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#6706150b02131302490a1214140e09001308092703081349000811"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="19786b757c6d6d7c37746c6a6a70777e6d7677597d766d377e766f">[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#53393c323d3d367d20243235353c213713373c277d343c25"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ee84818f80808bc09d998f8888819c8aae8a819ac0898198">[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: Certification of Glazing Materials.
OMB Control Number: 2130-0525.
Abstract: Title 49 CFR part 223 contains requirements for
certification
[[Page 55779]]
and permanent marking of glazing materials by the manufacturer. The
manufacturer must make test verification data available to railroads
and to FRA upon request.
In this 60-day notice, after a thorough review, FRA is making
multiple adjustments to its estimates that decrease the currently
approved burden hours from 262 hours to 105 hours and decrease
responses from 25,426 to 210. This burden decrease is the result of
changes summarized below.
Section 223.3(c) applies to certain equipment used for excursion,
educational, recreational, or private transportation purposes. It
provides that a tool or other instrument may be used to remove or break
an emergency window if the tool or other instrument is clearly marked
and legible and understandable instructions are provided for its use.
FRA is adjusting the burden estimate to reflect more accurately the
estimated number of windows that will require these marked tools and
instructions. This reduces the estimated burden by 100 hours.
In November 2022, FRA published a final rule titled Safety Glazing
Standards; Codifying Existing Waivers and Adding Test Flexibility.\1\
This rule amended safety glazing requirements for exterior windows on
railroad equipment to codify long-standing waivers. Specifically, this
rule excluded from compliance with part 223 all locomotives, cabooses,
and passenger cars built or rebuilt prior to July 1, 1980, that are
operated at speeds not exceeding 30 miles per hour, and which are used
only where the risk of propelled or fouling objects striking the
equipment is low. Because this rule means that railroads no longer need
to submit waiver requests under Sec. Sec. 223.11, 223.13 and 223.15,
FRA has removed the previously reported waiver requests for these
sections, reducing the total burden by 5 hours.
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\1\ 87 FR 68913 (Nov. 17, 2022).
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Lastly, under appendix A to part 223, which requires manufacturers
to identify and mark each unit of glazing material produced, FRA has
determined that this requirement is part of the manufacturing process.
Because marking glazing during the manufacturing process is a usual and
customary practice in this industry, the requirement to apply markings
is properly excluded from coverage under the PRA, reducing the burden
by 52 hours.
Type of Request: Extension without change (with changes in
estimates) of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Businesses (railroads and manufacturers of glazing
materials).
Form(s): N/A.
Respondent Universe: 25 railroads and 3 manufacturers.
Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
Reporting Burden:
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\2\ The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the 2023 Surface
Transportation Board Full Year Wage A&B data series using employee
group 200 (Professional Administrative Staff) hourly wage rate of
$50.93, and employee group 400 (Maintenance of Equipment and Stores)
hourly wage rate of $39.77. The total burden wage rate (straight
time plus 75%) used in the table is $89.13 ($50.93 x 1.75 = $89.13)
and $69.60 ($39.77 x 1.75 = $69.90).
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Average
Respondent Total annual time per Total annual Wage Total cost
CFR section universe responses response burden hours \2\ equivalent
(minutes) rates
(A)............. (B) (C) = A * B (D) (E) = C * D
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223.3 Application
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--(c) Marked tools for 25 railroads.... 200 marked tools 30 100 $69.60 $6,960
locomotives, passenger cars,
and cabooses built after 1945
used only for excursion,
educational, recreational, or
private transportation
purposes in an intercity
passenger or commuter train
(generally, small hammers
with instructions on use).
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Appendix A to Part 223--Certification of Glazing Materials
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--(b)(16) Manufacturers to 3 manufacturers. 10 30 5 89.13 445.65
certify in writing that certifications.
glazing material meets the
requirements of this section.
--(c) Identification and Identification and marking of each unit of material is done as part of the
marking of each unit of manufacturing process and is usual and customary practice. Therefore, there is
glazing material. no additional burden associated with this requirement.
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Total..................... 25 railroads 3 210 responses... ......... 105 ...... 7,405.65
manufacturers.
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Total Estimated Annual Responses: 210.
Total Estimated Annual Burden: 105 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent:
$7,405.65.
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. 2025-21839 Filed 12-2-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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