Rule2026-18560
DOT Organizational Terminology; Technical Correction
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
September 11, 2026
Effective
September 11, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation Department
Abstract
This final rule makes technical updates to and rescinds certain DOT regulations to ensure they accurately reflect current DOT Operating Administration names and statutory authorities.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 175 (Friday, September 11, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 175 (Friday, September 11, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 57801-57803]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-18560]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
49 CFR Parts 92 and 98
RIN 2105-AF42
DOT Organizational Terminology; Technical Correction
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (OST), U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Final rule; technical correction.
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SUMMARY: This final rule makes technical updates to and rescinds
certain DOT regulations to ensure they accurately reflect current DOT
Operating Administration names and statutory authorities.
DATES: This rule is effective September 11, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allie Garza, Office of the General
Counsel, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b8d9d4d4d1dd96dfd9cac2d9f8dcd7cc96dfd7ce"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0b6a6767626e256c6a79716a4b6f647f256c647d">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
This rulemaking makes technical corrections to definitions in 49
CFR 92.5(g) to reflect current DOT Operating Administration names and
rescinds 49 CFR part 98 due to the repeal of the underlying statute on
which it is based.
The procedures set forth in 49 CFR part 92 govern how DOT collects
debts owed to the United States by current and former DOT employees,
determines and collects interest and other charges on that
indebtedness, offsets the salary of DOT employees to collect debts owed
to the United States by those employees, and obtains salary offset to
collect debts owed to the United States by employees of other agencies
under programs administered by DOT. A list of applicable DOT Operating
Administrations is set forth in part 92 at 49 CFR 92.5(g). However, the
list of Operating Administrations is not accurate due to statutory
changes to Operating Administration names and agency reorganization.
This final rule revises those Operating Administration names listed in
49 CFR 92.5(g) for accuracy.
Part 98 sets forth the administrative enforcement procedures that
DOT follows when there is an allegation that a former DOT employee has
violated 18 U.S.C. 207, which imposes certain post-employment
restrictions on former officers and employees of Federal agencies, both
the Executive Branch and Legislative Branch, and former Members of
Congress. Although 18 U.S.C. 207 remains in place, the subsection of
the statute on which part 98 is based was repealed in 1989 and
accordingly it no longer has a statutory basis of authority. This final
rule removes part 98 because it lacks a basis in law.
Part 92
This final rule adds the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration to 49 CFR 92.5(g) because these Operating
Administrations were established after the regulation was promulgated.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was established by the
Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999, Public Law 106-159
(1999). The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration was
established by the Norman Y. Mineta Research and Special Programs
Improvement Act of 2004, Public Law 108-426 (2004).
This final rule updates the names of the Great Lakes St. Lawerence
Seaway Development Corporation and the Federal Transit Administration,
which are listed in 49 CFR 92.5(g) under their previous names, St.
Lawerence Seaway Development Corporation and Urban Mass Transit
Administration. The St. Lawerence Seaway Development Corporation was
renamed the Great Lakes St. Lawerence Seaway Development Corporation by
the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, Public Law 116-260 (2021).
The Urban Mass Transit Administration was renamed the Federal Transit
Administration by the Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, Public Law
102-240 (Dec. 18, 1991).
This final rule amends part 92 by removing two agencies that are no
longer DOT Operating Administrations. Currently, the United States
Coast Guard and the Research and Special Programs Administration are
listed as DOT Operating Administrations in 49 CFR 92.5(g). However,
Congress transferred the United States Coast Guard from DOT to the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security in the Homeland Security Act of 2002,
Public Law 107-296 (2002). The Research and Special Programs
Administration was eliminated by Congress and its functions transferred
to other DOT Operating Administrations in the Norman Y. Mineta Research
and Special Programs Improvement Act of 2004, Public Law 108-426
(2004).
Part 98
In addition, this final rule rescinds 49 CFR part 98. The Ethics
Reform Act of 1989 Public Law 101-194 (1989) repealed 49 U.S.C. 207 and
thus removed the underlying statutory authority for 49 CFR part 98.
Accordingly, there is no statutory basis for part 98.
Administrative Procedure
The Administrative Procedure Act generally requires agencies to
provide the public with notice of proposed rulemaking and an
opportunity to comment prior to publication of a substantive rule.
However, 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) authorizes agencies to publish a final rule
without first seeking public comment on a proposed rule ``when the
agency for good cause finds (and incorporates the finding and a brief
statement of reasons therefor in the rules issued) that notice and
public procedure thereon are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to
the public interest.'' DOT finds that providing advance notice and an
opportunity to comment on these regulatory changes is unnecessary
because this rule merely makes technical corrections to conform the
regulations to current departmental organizational structure and
rescind regulations no longer supported by underlying statutory
authorities. For the same reasons, the good cause exception in 5 U.S.C.
553(d)(3) also applies to DOT's decision to make this final rule
effective upon publication.
Regulatory Analysis and Notices
Executive Order 12866 (Regulatory Planning and Review), Executive Order
13563 (Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review), and DOT Rulemaking
Procedures
This final rule is not a significant regulatory action within the
meaning of Executive Order (E.O.) 12866 or E.O. 13563 and, therefore,
has not been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
This final rule is not significant under DOT's Rulemaking Procedures
found in 49 CFR part 5, subpart B. This rulemaking amends and removes
DOT regulations to correct errors and make necessary updates based on
statutory changes. These technical corrections are intended to revise
and remove DOT Operating Administration names that do not accurately
reflect the current organizational structure of DOT and to rescind a
regulation that no longer has a statutory basis. As a result, DOT
anticipates that this rulemaking will not impose any economic costs.
However, DOT anticipates some unquantified cost-savings to the public
associated with updating these regulations, such as eliminating public
confusion and saving time and research to understand the existing
organizational structure and applicability of the regulations.
Executive Order 14192 (Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation)
This final rule is an E.O. 14192 deregulatory action. Cost-savings
are not quantified.
Regulatory Flexibility Act
Because notice and comment rulemaking is not necessary for this
rule under 5 U.S.C. 553 or any other law, the analytical provisions of
the Regulatory
[[Page 57803]]
Flexibility Act (Public Law 96-354, 5 U.S.C. 601-612) do not apply.
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
This final rule does not impose an unfunded mandate as defined by
the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4, 109 Stat. 48).
It does not result in the expenditure by State, local, or tribal
governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of $148.1
million or more in any one year.
Paperwork Reduction Act
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501, et
seq.), Federal agencies must obtain approval from OMB for each
collection of information they conduct, sponsor, or require through
regulations. DOT has analyzed this final rule under the PRA and has
determined that this rule does not contain collection of information
requirements.
Executive Order 13132 (Federalism Assessment)
The final rule does not have a substantial direct effect on the
States, the relationship between the national government and the
States, or the distribution of power and responsibilities among the
various levels of government. This final rule does not include
sufficient federalism implications to warrant consultation processes.
Executive Order 13175 (Tribal Consultation)
This final rule was analyzed according to E.O. 13175,
``Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments.'' The
final rule does not include sufficient tribal implications to warrant
consultation processes.
National Environmental Policy Act
DOT has analyzed the environmental effects of this action pursuant
to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C.
4321, et seq.) and has determined that it is categorically excluded
pursuant to DOT Order 5610.1D, available at <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/mission/dots-procedures-considering-environmental-impacts">https://www.transportation.gov/mission/dots-procedures-considering-environmental-impacts</a>.
List of Subjects
49 CFR Part 92
Claims, Government employees, Wages.
49 CFR Part 98
Conflict of interest.
Issued in Washington, DC, under authority delegated in 49 CFR
Part 1.27(c).
Gregory Zerzan,
General Counsel.
For the reasons stated in the preamble, the Office of the Secretary
amends 49 CFR parts 92 and 98 as follows:
Title 49--Transportation
PART 92--RECOVERING DEBTS TO THE UNITED STATES BY SALARY OFFSET
0
1. The authority citation for part 92 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5514, as amended; 5 CFR part 550, subpart K;
4 CFR parts 101-105.
0
2. Amend Sec. 92.5 by revising paragraph (g) to read as follows:
Sec. 92.5 Definitions.
* * * * *
(g) DOT operating element (see 49 CFR 1.3) means the Office of the
Secretary or a DOT Operating Administration including--
(1) Federal Aviation Administration.
(2) Federal Highway Administration.
(3) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
(4) Federal Railroad Administration.
(5) Federal Transit Administration.
(6) Great Lakes St. Lawerence Seaway Development Corporation.
(7) Maritime Administration.
(8) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
(9) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
* * * * *
PART 98--[REMOVED AND RESERVED]
0
3. Under the authority of 49 U.S.C. 322(a), remove and reserve part 98.
[FR Doc. 2026-18560 Filed 9-10-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 11, 2026.
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