Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2013 / Notices 76187 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 8547] 

30-Day Notice of Proposed Information 

Collection: Exchange Programs 

Alumni Web Site Registration 

ACTION: Notice of request for public 

comment and submission to OMB of 

proposed collection of information. 

SUMMARY: The Department of State has 

submitted the information collection 

described below to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

approval. In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 we 

are requesting comments on this 

collection from all interested 

individuals and organizations. The 

purpose of this Notice is to allow 30 

days for public comment. 

DATES: Submit comments directly to the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) up to January 15, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: Direct comments to the 

Department of State Desk Officer in the 

Office of Information and Regulatory 

Affairs at the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB). You may submit 

comments by the following methods: 

• Email: oira_submission@

omb.eop.gov. You must include the DS 

form number, information collection 

title, and the OMB control number in 

the subject line of your message. 

• Fax: 202–395–5806. Attention: Desk 

Officer for Department of State. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Direct requests for additional 

information regarding the collection 

listed in this notice, including requests 

for copies of the proposed collection 

instrument and supporting documents, 

to Chang Suh, Alumni Outreach 

Specialist, Bureau of Educational and 

Cultural Affairs; U.S. Department of 

State; SA–5, Room C2–C20; 

Washington, DC 20522–0503, who may 

be reached on 202–632–6183 or at 

SuhCH@state.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

• Title of Information Collection: 

Exchange Programs Alumni Web site 

Registration. 

• OMB Control Number: 1405–0192. 

• Type of Request: Extension of an 

Approved Request. 

• Originating Office: Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs, ECA/ 

P/A. 

• Form Number: DS–7006. 

• Respondents: Exchange program 

alumni and current participants of U.S. 

government-sponsored exchange 

programs. 

• Estimated Number of Respondents: 

20,000. 

• Estimated Number of Responses: 

20,000. 

• Average Time per Response: 10 

minutes. 

• Total Estimated Burden Time: 3,333 

hours. 

• Frequency: One time per 

respondent. 

• Obligation to Respond: Required to 

Obtain or Retain a Benefit. 

We are soliciting public comments to 

permit the Department to: 

• Evaluate whether the proposed 

information collection is necessary for 

the proper functions of the Department. 

• Evaluate the accuracy of our 

estimate of the time and cost burden for 

this proposed collection, including the 

validity of the methodology and 

assumptions used. 

• Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected. 

• Minimize the reporting burden on 

those who are to respond, including the 

use of automated collection techniques 

or other forms of information 

technology. 

Please note that comments submitted 

in response to this Notice are public 

record. Before including any detailed 

personal information, you should be 

aware that your comments as submitted, 

including your personal information, 

will be available for public review. 

Abstract of proposed collection: The 

International Exchange Alumni Web site 

requires information to process users’ 

voluntary request for participation in 

the International Exchange Alumni Web 

site. Other than contact exchange 

program information, which is required 

for Web site registration, all other 

information is provided on a voluntary 

basis. Participants also have the option 

of restricting access to their information. 

Respondents to this information 

collection are U.S. governmentsponsored exchange program 

participants and alumni. Alumni Affairs 

collects data from users to not only 

verify their status or participation in a 

program, but to help alumni network 

with one another and aid embassy staff 

in their alumni outreach. 

Methodology: Information provided 

for registration is collected 

electronically via the Alumni Web site, 

alumni.state.gov. 

Additional Information: International 

Exchange Alumni is a secure, encrypted 

Web site. 

Dated: December 4, 2013. 

Tania Chomiak-Salvi, 

Director, Office of Policy and Evaluation, 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 

Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2013–29865 Filed 12–13–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Office of the Secretary 

Transportation Infrastructure 

Financing and Innovation Act (TIFIA) 

Program; Agency Information 

Collection Activities and Request for 

Comments 

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary of 

Transportation (OST), DOT. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Transportation (DOT) received no 

public comments following the 

publication of its 60-day notice of 

proposed information collection. As 

identified in the 60-day notice, the 

information is currently being collected 

under an approved Information 

Collection Request. OST requests that 

the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) renew an Information Collection 

Request (OMB Control Number 2105– 

0569) in accordance with the 

requirements of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13, 

44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), and requests 

additional comments and 

recommendations. 

On July 6, 2012, the President of the 

United States signed the Moving Ahead 

for Progress in the 21st Century Act of 

2012 (MAP–21). MAP–21 authorized 

$750 million in FY 2013 and $1 billion 

in FY 2014 for the Transportation 

Infrastructure Financing and Innovation 

Act (TIFIA) program to pay the subsidy 

cost of supporting Federal credit. The 

TIFIA program will provide Federal 

credit assistance in the form of direct 

loans, loan guarantees, and standby 

lines of credit to eligible surface 

transportation projects. This 

information collection relates to the 

collection of information from entities 

interested in TIFIA credit assistance and 

assists DOT in evaluating projects and 

project sponsors for program eligibility 

and creditworthiness. 

A 60-day Federal Register notice was 

published on September 27, 2013, 2013 

(78 FR 59751). Since the publication of 

the 60-day Federal Register notice, no 

comments were received to the Docket 

(DOT–OST–2013–0173) and therefore 

no review of comments was required, so 

none was performed by the Department. 

DATES: Written comments should be 

submitted by January 15, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments should 

be submitted by January 15, 2014 and 

submitted to the attention of the DOT/ 

OST Desk Officer, Office of Information 

and Regulatory Affairs, Office of 

Management and Budget, Docket 

Library, Room 10102, 725 17th Street 

NW., Washington, DC 20503 or by email 

at OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov with 


pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
76188 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2013 / Notices 

the associated OMB Control Number 

2105–0569. Comments are invited on: 

(a) The need for the proposed collection 

of information for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) The accuracy of the agency’s 

estimate of the burden of the proposed 

collection of information, including the 

validity of the methodology and 

assumptions used; (c) Ways to enhance 

the quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (d) 

Ways to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on those who 

are to respond, including the use of 

appropriate automated, electronic, 

mechanical, or other technological 

collection techniques. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The 

TIFIA program manager via email at 

TIFIACredit@dot.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Transportation Infrastructure 

Financing and Innovation Act program 

or TIFIA program . 

OMB Control Number: 2105–0569. 

Affected Public: State and local 

governments, transit agencies, railroad 

companies, special authorities, special 

districts, and private entities. 

Estimated Total Annual Number of 

Responses: 50 letters of interest and 50 

applications. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 6,000 hours. Based on the 

number and type of interested 

stakeholders that have contacted the 

Department about this program, OST 

estimates that it will receive 50 

applications and letters of interest and 

that it will generally not take applicants 

more than 100 person-hours to assemble 

individual applications and 20 personhours to assemble individual letters of 

interest. Therefore, the total annual hour 

burden of this collection of applications 

is 6,000 hours. 

Frequency of Collection: The 

Department expects that this 

information collection will occur on a 

rolling basis as interested entities seek 

TIFIA credit assistance. 

Background: This is an existing 

information collection that was 

originally approved through the 

emergency approval process on August 

7, 2013. DOT has published a notice in 

the Federal Register (also available at: 

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/pdfs/tifia/

fy2013_tifia_nofa_073112.pdf) to give 

project sponsors an opportunity to 

submit Letters of Interest and 

applications for the newly authorized 

funding as soon as possible. However, 

in addition to authorizing more funding 

for TIFIA credit assistance, MAP–21 

made some significant changes to the 

TIFIA program’s structure, including the 

terms and conditions pursuant to which 

DOT can provide TIFIA credit 

assistance. DOT is required to solicit 

letters of interest and applications for 

TIFIA credit assistance from interested 

applicants. DOT has developed forms 

that provide a way for interested 

applicants to submit information 

required by DOT in order for DOT to 

evaluate that interested applicant’s 

application for TIFIA credit assistance. 

The forms for the letter of interest and 

application are available for review at 

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/tifia/

guidance_applications/tifia_

applications.htm. DOT will use the 

collected information to evaluate and 

select recipients for credit assistance as 

authorized under MAP–21. Applicants 

may be asked to provide additional 

supporting evidence or to quantify 

details during the review and 

negotiation process on a case-by-case 

basis. 

MAP–21 establishes a multi-step 

application process for TIFIA credit 

assistance. This process begins with the 

submission of a letter of interest and 

determination of eligibility. Only after a 

project sponsor has submitted a letter of 

interest and met all statutory eligibility 

requirements will the project sponsor be 

invited to submit an application. 

The letter of interest must (i) describe 

the project and the location, purpose, 

and cost of the project, (ii) outline the 

proposed financial plan, including the 

requested credit assistance and the 

proposed obligor; (iii) provide a status 

of environmental review; and (iv) 

provide information regarding 

satisfaction of other eligibility 

requirements of the TIFIA credit 

program. Letters of Interest will be 

submitted using the form on the TIFIA 

Web site: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/

tifia/guidance_applications/index.htm. 

DOT has revised the form for the letter 

of interest to reflect changes made to the 

TIFIA program by MAP–21. The letter of 

interest form requires project sponsors 

to provide information demonstrating 

satisfaction (or expected satisfaction if 

permitted by the statute) of each of the 

eligibility requirements included in 

MAP–21. DOT estimates that the letter 

of interest would require approximately 

20 hours in each instance to complete. 

If a project sponsor is invited to 

submit an application, DOT estimates 

that each application will require 

approximately 100 hours to complete. 

DOT uses the application to seek a 

project sponsor’s contact information for 

the applicant entity; project information 

including name, location, description, 

rural project description (if applicable), 

purpose (quantitative/qualitative 

details), cost and TIFIA credit assistance 

request, project management and 

compliance monitoring plan, 

maintenance and operations plan. DOT 

also expects project sponsors to submit 

information confirming that the project 

satisfies eligibility requirements 

including creditworthiness (rate 

covenant, coverage requirements, 

investment grade rating(s)), fosters 

partnerships that attract public and 

private investment, demonstrates that 

TIFIA assistance would enable the 

project to proceed at an earlier date or 

with reduced lifecycle costs and that 

TIFIA assistance would reduce the 

contribution of Federal grant assistance. 

Sponsors also must report in the 

application the status of project 

environmental review (NEPA), permits 

and approvals, transportation planning 

and programming process approvals 

(STIP and TIP), construction contracting 

process readiness, and expected project 

schedule. Project sponsors are required 

to produce a financial plan including 

estimated capital project cost, amount 

and type of credit assistance requested, 

amount of TIFIA assistance requested, a 

summary table detailing sources and 

uses of funds, cash flow pro forma, a 

supplementary narrative detailing other 

borrowed funds and revenue sources 

(including pledged repayment source). 

Finally, a project sponsor must 

indicate in the application the proposed 

terms for the requested TIFIA credit 

instrument, reasons for selecting the 

proposed type(s) of credit instrument, 

flexibility in financial plan to support a 

reduced percentage-share of TIFIA 

credit assistance, risks and mitigation 

strategies, details on the applicant’s 

organizational structure, including 

background information and legal 

authority, organization and 

management, identity of the entity that 

will serve as the applicant (public-sector 

agency or private-sector firm),whether 

the applicant the same entity as the 

borrower (detail project team members), 

prior experience, financial condition, 

and litigation and/or conflicts. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on December 6, 

2013. 

Patricia Lawton, 

Departmental PRA Clearance Officer, Office 

of the Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2013–29782 Filed 12–13–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P 


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