Notice2026-07887
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 23, 2026
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 91 Issue 78 (Thursday, April 23, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 78 (Thursday, April 23, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21864-21865]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-07887]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2026-0037]
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
June 22, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR
should be submitted on <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> to Docket No. FRA-
2026-0037. All comments received will be posted without change to the
docket, including any personal information provided. Please refer to
the assigned OMB control number (2130-0537) 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. Joanne Swafford, Information
Collection Clearance Officer, at email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6802070906060d461b1f090e0e071a0c280c071c460f071e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2842474946464d065b5f494e4e475a4c684c475c064f475e">[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: Railroad Police Officers.
OMB Control Number: 2130-0537.
Abstract: Title 49 CFR part 207 requires railroads to notify States
of all designated police officers who perform duties in their
respective jurisdictions who were commissioned as police officers by
another State or States. This is necessary to verify proper police
authority. In addition, if a railroad or police officer certified or
commissioned as a police officer under the laws of a State or
jurisdiction transfers primary employment or residence from the
certifying or commissioning State to another one, the railroad police
officer must apply to be certified or commissioned as a police officer
under the laws of the State of new primary employment or residence not
later than one year after the date of transfer.
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 18 hours to 15 hours. This burden decrease
is the result of changes summarized below.
Section 207.4 requires railroads to provide written notice of a
railroad police officer's commission to each State in which the
railroad police officer will protect the railroads' property,
personnel, passengers, and cargo. Railroads are also required to keep
copies of these written notices. The revised estimate of 52 responses
was calculated by applying a 10% employment turnover to the 525 annual
commissions reported by the Association of American Railroads (AAR). In
addition, after further clarification from OMB, Sec. 207.4(c)
verification by States for receipt of written notices was determined to
be excluded from coverage under the PRA.
Lastly, Sec. 207.6 requires commissioned railroad police officers
who transfer primary employment or residence from one State to another
State or jurisdiction to apply to be commissioned as a police officer
under the laws of the State of the new primary State of employment or
residence. FRA revised this estimate from 50 transfers annually to 8
transfers annually to reflect more accurately the expected number of
transfers over the next three-year information collection period.
Overall, these adjustments reduced the annual burden by three
hours.
Type of Request: Extension without change (with changes in
estimates) of a currently approved collection.
[[Page 21865]]
Affected Public: Railroads and States.
Form(s): N/A.
Respondent Universe: 768 railroads.
Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
Reporting Burden
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Respondent
CFR Section universe Total annual responses Average time Total annual Wage rate \1\ Total annual dollar
(railroads) per response burden hours cost equivalent
.............. (A) (B) (C) ............... (D) = C * wage rates
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207.4 Notice to State officials
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--(a) Written notice of 768 52 written notices............. 15 13 $90.19 $1,172.47
railroad (RR) police
officer's commission to each
State in which the RR police
officer shall protect the
RR's property, personnel,
passengers, and cargo.
--(b) RR copy of written 768 52 records..................... 2 1.73 90.19 156.03
notices to State officials.
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207.6 Transfers
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--Application by RR police 768 8 records...................... 2 0.27 90.19 24.35
officers for new State
certification/commission
when transferring primary
employment or residence from
one State to another.
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Total \2\................ 768 112 responses.................. ............... 15 ............... 1,352.85
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\1\ The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the 2024 Surface Transportation Board Full Year Wage A&B data series using employee group 200
(Professional Administrative Staff) hourly wage rate of $51.54. The total burden wage rate (straight time plus 75%) used in the table is $90.19
($51.54 x 1.75 = $90.19).
\2\ Totals may not add up due to rounding.
Total Estimated Annual Responses: 112 responses.
Total Estimated Annual Burden: 15 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent:
$1,352.85.
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. 2026-07887 Filed 4-22-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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