Notice2026-03087
Agency Information Collection Activities: Notice of Request for Reinstatement of a Previously Approved 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
February 18, 2026
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 reinstatement of a previously approved information collection that 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 91 Issue 32 (Wednesday, February 18, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 32 (Wednesday, February 18, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7620-7621]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-03087]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[Docket No. FHWA-2026-0166]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Notice of Request for
Reinstatement of a Previously Approved Information Collection
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of request for reinstatement of a previously approved
information collection.
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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
reinstatement of a previously approved information collection that 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 April 20, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number
0166 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: Alex Appel, (202) 591-5675, Office of
Infrastructure, Federal Highway Administration, Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Office
hours are from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Emergency Relief Funding Applications.
OMB Control: 2125-0525.
Background: Congress authorized in Title 23, United States Code,
Section 125, a special program from the Highway Trust Fund for the
repair or reconstruction of Federal-aid highways
[[Page 7621]]
and roads on Federal lands which have suffered serious damage as a
result of natural disasters or catastrophic failures from an external
cause. This program, commonly referred to as the Emergency Relief or ER
program, supplements the commitment of resources by States, their
political subdivisions, or other Federal agencies to help pay for
unusually heavy expenses resulting from extraordinary conditions. The
applicability of the ER program to a natural disaster is based on the
extent and intensity of the disaster. Damage to highways must be
severe, occur over a wide area, and result in unusually high expenses
to the highway agency. Examples of natural disasters include floods,
hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, tidal waves, severe storms, and
landslides. Applicability of the ER program to a catastrophic failure
due to an external cause is based on the criteria that the failure was
not the result of an inherent flaw in the facility but was sudden,
caused a disastrous impact on transportation services, and resulted in
unusually high expenses to the highway agency. A bridge suddenly
collapsing after being struck by a barge is an example of a
catastrophic failure from an external cause. The ER program provides
for repair and restoration of highway facilities to pre-disaster
conditions. Restoration in kind is therefore the predominate type of
repair expected to be accomplished with ER funds. Generally, all
elements of the damaged highway within its cross section are eligible
for ER funds. Roadway items that are eligible may include: pavement,
shoulders, slopes and embankments, guardrail, signs and traffic control
devices, bridges, culverts, bike and pedestrian paths, fencing, and
retaining walls. Other eligible items may include: Engineering and
right-of-way costs, debris removal, transportation system management
strategies, administrative expenses, and equipment rental expenses.
This information collection is needed for the FHWA to fulfill its
statutory obligations regarding funding determinations for ER eligible
damages following a disaster. The regulations covering the FHWA ER
program are contained in 23 CFR part 668.
Respondents: 50 State DOTs, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico, United States territories of American Samoa, Guam, N
Marina Is., and the Virgin Islands (4 territories), etc.
Frequency: Semiannually.
Estimated Average Burden per Response: The respondents submit an
estimated total of 40 applications each year. Each application requires
an estimated average of 250 hours to complete.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: Total estimated average annual
burden is 10,000 hours.
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: February 12, 2026.
Jazmyne Lewis,
Information Collection Officer.
[FR Doc. 2026-03087 Filed 2-17-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on February 18, 2026.
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