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 Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration [Docket No. FRA-2023-0002-N-29]
 AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation (DOT).
 ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
 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 December 1, 2023.
 ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR should be submitted on 
                        *regulations.gov*
                         to the docket, Docket No. FRA-2023-0002. All comments received will be posted without change to the docket, including any personal information provided. Please refer to the assigned OMB control number (2130-0565) 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: 
                        *arlette.mussington@dot.gov*
                         or telephone: (571) 609-1285 or Ms. Joanne Swafford, Information Collection Clearance Officer, at email: 
                        *joanne.swafford@dot.gov*
                         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:*
                     Safety Appliance Concern Recommendation Report, Safety Appliance Standards Guidance Checklist Forms. *OMB Control Number:*
                     2130-0565. *Abstract:*Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 231, Railroad Safety Appliance Standards, was supplemented and expanded in 2013 to include the industry standard established by the Association of American Railroads (AAR), Standard 2044 or S-2044, which prescribed safety appliance arrangements for 11 new types of cars. As a result of the inclusion, FRA developed Forms FRA F6180.161(a)-(k) as guidance checklist forms to facilitate railroad, rail car owner, and rail equipment manufacturer compliance with S-2044 and 49 CFR part 231. AAR has since updated S-2044 to include seven new types of cars. In this 60-day notice, FRA made no adjustments to the previously approved burden hours and responses in the OMB, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) inventory.[1] *Type of Request:*
                     Extension without change of a currently approved collection. *Affected Public:*
                     Businesses. *Form(s):*
                     18 forms (FRA F 6180.161(a)-(r)). *Respondent Universe:*
                     Car manufacturers/State inspectors. *Frequency of Submission:*
                     On occasion. *Reporting Burden:* CFR part 231
Respondent universe
Total annual
                             responses 
                             (forms)
Average time per 
                             response 
                             (hour)
Total annual
                             burden hours
Total cost
                             equivalent in 
                             U.S. dollar(A)
(B)
(C = A * B)
(D = C *
                             
                                wage rates) 2Form FRA F 6180.161a
Car manufacturers/State inspectors
20
1
20.00
$1,839.60Form FRA F 6180.161b
Car manufacturers/State inspectors
7
1
7.00
643.86Form FRA F 6180.161c
Car manufacturers/State inspectors
15
1
15.00
1,379.80Form FRA F 6180.161d
Car manufacturers/State inspectors
15
1
15.00
1,379.80Form FRA F 6180.161e
Car manufacturers/State inspectors
15
1
15.00
1,379.80Form FRA F 6180.161f
Car manufacturers/State inspectors
10
1
10.00
919.80Form FRA F 6180.161g
Car manufacturers/State inspectors
3
1
3.00
275.94Form FRA F 6180.161h
Car manufacturers/State inspectors
3
1
3.00
275.94Form FRA F 6180.161i
Car manufacturers/State inspectors
20
1
20.00
1,839.60Form FRA F 6180.161j
Car manufacturers/State inspectors
3
1
3.00
275.94Form FRA F 6180.161k
Car manufacturers/State inspectors
10
1
10.00
919.80Form FRA F 6180.161l
Car manufacturers/State inspectors
3
1
3.00
275.94Form FRA F 6180.161m
Car manufacturers/State inspectors
3
1
3.00
275.94Form FRA F 6180.161n
Car manufacturers/State inspectors
3
1
3.00
275.94Form FRA F 6180.161o
Car manufacturers/State inspectors
3
1
3.00
275.94( print page 67865)Form FRA F 6180.161p
Car manufacturers/State inspectors
3
1
3.00
275.94Form FRA F 6180.161q
Car manufacturers/State inspectors
3
1
3.00
275.94Form FRA F 6180.161r
Car manufacturers/State inspectors
3
1
3.00
275.94Total 3
Car manufacturers/State inspectors
142 responses
N/A
142
13,061
 *Total Estimated Annual Responses:*
                     142. *Total Estimated Annual Burden:*
                     142 hours. *Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent:*
                     $13,061. 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, Acting Deputy Chief Counsel.


# Footnotes

1.
    
                         Changes to the total cost equivalent in U.S. dollars, a category not included in the OIRA inventory, are due to updated statistics from the Department of Labor (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Occupational Employment Statistics. Back to Citation
 2.
    
                         The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the DOL, BLS, Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) 11-3012, May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates NAICS 999200—Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) hourly wage rate of $52.56. The total burdened wage rate (Straight time plus 75%) used in the table is $91.98 ($52.56 × 1.75 = $91.98). 3.
    
                         Totals may not add up due to rounding. Back to Citation


[FR Doc. 2023-21655 Filed 9-29-23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-06-P