5084 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 17 / Thursday, January 25, 2024 / Notices 

1See 86 FR 8845 (January 27, 2021). 

2https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/ 

uploads/2022/01/01-22-Protecting_the_Integrity_of_

Government_Science.pdf. 

3https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/ 

uploads/2023/01/01-2023-Framework-for-FederalScientific-Integrity-Policy-and-Practice.pdf. 

4https://www.ssa.gov/open/materials/SSA-E.O.- 

13985-Equity-Action-Plan.pdf. 

5https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/ 

presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-orderadvancing-racial-equity-and-support-forunderserved-communities-through-the-federalgovernment/. 

6https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/ 

presidential-actions/2021/12/13/executive-orderon-transforming-federal-customer-experience-andservice-delivery-to-rebuild-trust-in-government/. 

7Social Security Administration, Agency 

Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2022–2026, available at 

https://www.ssa.gov/agency/asp/materials/pdfs/ 

SSA_Agency_Strategic_Plan_Fiscal_Years_2022- 

2026.pdf. 

Policymaking 1 (2021 Presidential 

Memorandum), as well as the National 

Science and Technology Council 

reports, Protecting the Integrity of 

Government Science 2 (January 2022) 

and A Framework for Federal Scientific 

Integrity Policy and Practice 3 (January 

2023). 

Background 

For nearly 90 years, we have 

administered programs and provided 

services that make a difference in 

millions of people’s lives. In fiscal year 

(FY) 2023, our programs provided a 

combined total of about $1.4 trillion in 

benefit payments to an average of over 

70 million beneficiaries. The major 

programs we administer—the Old-Age 

Survivors and Disability Insurance 

program and the Supplemental Security 

Income program—provide an important 

source of economic security for millions 

of Americans. Our fundamental mission 

is to deliver quality Social Security 

services that ensure equity and 

accessibility, improve the customer 

experience, and address systemic 

barriers to participation in our 

programs. 

The 2021 Presidential Memorandum 

states the Administration’s goal is to 

make evidence-based decisions guided 

by the best available science and data, 

recognizing that scientific and 

technological information, data, and 

evidence are central to the development 

and iterative improvement of sound 

policies and to the equitable delivery of 

programs across every area of the 

Federal Government. The 2021 

Presidential Memorandum emphasizes 

that political interference in the work of 

Federal scientists and other scientists 

who support the work of the Federal 

Government (e.g., government 

contractors, volunteers) and in the 

communication of scientific facts 

undermines the welfare of the Nation, 

contributes to systemic inequities and 

injustices, and violates the trust that the 

public places in our government to best 

serve its collective interests. 

We conduct scientific activities that 

include evaluations of pilot projects, 

evaluations of demonstration projects, 

quantitative studies, qualitative studies, 

and mixed methods studies that inform 

important priorities, such as delivering 

services effectively, improving the way 

we conduct business, updating policies 

and regulations, and ensuring effective 

stewardship. For example, we 

conducted evidence-building activities 

relevant to our Equity Action Plan,4

which was created in accordance with 

Executive Order (E.O.) 13985 on 

Advancing Racial Equity and Support 

for Underserved Communities Through 

the Federal Government,5 as well as 

E.O. 14058 on Transforming Federal 

Customer Experience and Service 

Delivery to Rebuild Trust in 

Government.6 This aligns with our 

Agency Strategic Plan, Fiscal Years 

2022–2026,7 which includes a strategy 

for deepening our understanding of our 

customers and what drives their 

evolving service preferences. 

We also conduct extramural research, 

demonstration projects, and outreach 

under sections 1110, 1115, and 1144 of 

the Social Security Act (Act). Sections 

1110 and 1115 of the Act provide the 

waiver authority we need to conduct 

extramural research and demonstration 

projects, while section 1144 of the Act 

addresses outreach activities to inform 

and assist Medicare beneficiaries with 

low income who may be eligible for 

Medicare cost sharing or subsidized 

prescription drug coverage. A previous 

authority, under section 234 of the Act, 

allowed us to waive Disability Insurance 

program rules to enhance labor force 

participation; that authority sunset in 

2022. We currently fund a range of 

scientific projects designed to: 

• Help us keep pace with 

advancements in medicine and 

technology; 

• Modernize our vocational rules; 

• Test work support models; 

• Analyze program trends, gaps, and 

inconsistencies; and 

• Measure the public’s understanding 

of our programs, as well as the impact 

of program changes. 

Request for Information (RFI) 

Through this RFI, we are asking 

interested persons, including 

stakeholders across public and private 

sectors who may be familiar with or 

interested in the work of our agency, for 

input on the DRAFT SSA Scientific 

Integrity Policy. 

We invite suggestions that will help 

strengthen and promote scientific 

integrity throughout the agency. The 

responses to this RFI that interested 

persons submit to us will be considered 

as we develop a final SSA Scientific 

Integrity Policy. This RFI is for 

information and planning purposes only 

and should not be construed as a 

solicitation or as an obligation on our 

part. We will not respond to the 

comments we receive in response to this 

RFI. However, we will use the input to 

develop our Scientific Integrity Policy. 

The Commissioner of the Social 

Security Administration, Martin 

O’Malley, having reviewed and 

approved this document, is delegating 

the authority to electronically sign this 

document to Faye I. Lipsky, who is the 

primary Federal Register Liaison for 

SSA, for purposes of publication in the 

Federal Register. 

Faye I. Lipsky, 

Federal Register Liaison, Office of Legislation 

and Congressional Affairs, Social Security 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2024–01494 Filed 1–24–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4191–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket No. FRA–2024–0002] 

Proposed Agency Information 

Collection Activities; Comment 

Request 

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 March 

25, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed ICR 

should be submitted on regulations.gov 

to the docket, Docket No. FRA–2024 

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 (2130–0589) in 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 17 / Thursday, January 25, 2024 / Notices 5085 

1Public Law 110–432, sec. 202 (Oct. 16, 2008). 

2 85 FR 80648 (Dec. 14, 2020). 

3Changes to the total cost equivalent in U.S. 

dollars, a category not included in the OIRA 

inventory, are due to updated statistics from the 

2022 Surface Transportation Board (STB) Full Year 

Wage A&B data series. 

any correspondence submitted. FRA 

will summarize comments received in a 

subsequent 30-day notice and include 

them in its information collection 

submission to OMB. 

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 statutes and 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: State Highway-Rail Grade 

Crossing Action Plans. 

OMB Control Number: 2130–0589. 

Abstract: Section 202 of the Rail 

Safety Improvement Act (RSIA) 1 of 

2008 required the Secretary of 

Transportation to identify the 10 States 

that had the most highway-rail grade 

crossing collisions, on average, over the 

previous three years and to require 

those States to develop State highwayrail grade crossing action plans within 

a reasonable period of time, as 

determined by the Secretary. Section 

202 of the RSIA further provided that 

these plans must identify specific 

solutions for improving safety at 

crossings, including highway-rail grade 

crossing closures or grade separations, 

and must focus on crossings that have 

experienced multiple accidents or are at 

high risk for such accidents. 

In 2020, FRA issued a final rule titled, 

State Highway-Rail Grade Crossing 

Action Plans,2 to implement section 

11401(b) of the Fixing America’s 

Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) 

which required 40 States and the 

District of Columbia to develop and 

implement highway-rail grade crossing 

action plans. The final rule also 

required ten States that developed 

highway-rail grade crossing action 

plans, as required by RSIA and FRA’s 

implementing regulation, to update 

their plans and submit reports to FRA 

describing actions they have taken to 

implement their plans. 

FRA uses the collection of 

information to ensure that States meet 

the Congressional mandate and devise 

and implement suitable plans to reduce/ 

eliminate highway-rail grade collisions. 

FRA reviews these crossing action plans 

and crossing action plan revisions to 

ensure that these plans include the 

following: (1) identify specific strategies 

for improving safety at highway-rail 

grade crossings, including highway-rail 

grade crossing closures or grade 

separations; (2) focus on crossings that 

have experienced multiple accidents or 

are at high risk for such accidents; and 

(3) cover a five-year period. 

In this 60-day notice, FRA makes no 

adjustments to the previously approved 

burden hours and responses in the 

Office of Information and Regulatory 

Affairs (OIRA) inventory.3

Type of Request: Extension without 

change of a currently approved 

collection. 

Affected Public: Businesses. 

Form(s): N/A. 

Respondent Universe: 50 States + 

District of Columbia. 

Frequency of Submission: On 

occasion. 

Reporting Burden: 

CFR section Respondent 

universe 

Total annual 

responses 

Average time 

per response 

Total annual 

burden hours 

Total cost 

equivalent in 

U.S. dollar 

(A) (B) (C = A * B) (D = C * wage 

rates) 4

234.11(b)—State highway-rail grade 

crossing action plans—Development 

and submission of new action plans— 

Grouped into high, medium, and low 

plans.

40 States + District 

of Columbia.

13.60 burden plans 

(1.3 high burden 

+ 2.3 medium 

burden + 4 low 

burden + 6 minimal burden).

1,510.00 hours (700 

hours + 550 

hours + 200 

hours + 60 hours).

3,376.67 $290,157.25 

—(c)(1) Updated action plans (10 

listed states in § 234.11(e))— 

Grouped into high, medium, and 

low plans.

10 States ................ 3.30 burden plans 

(1 high burden + 

1 medium burden 

+ 1.3 low burden).

1,965.00 hours 

(1,100 hours + 

640 hours + 225 

hours).

2,040.00 175,297.20 

—(c)(2) Implementation reports (10 

listed states in § 234.11(e))— 

Grouped into high, medium, and 

low implementation reports.

10 States ................ 3.30 burden reports 

(1 high burden + 

1 medium burden 

+ 1.3 low burden).

320.00 hours (160 

hours + 120 

hours + 40 hours).

333.33 28,643.05 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
5086 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 17 / Thursday, January 25, 2024 / Notices 

4The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the 

2022 (STB) Full Year Wage A&B data series using 

employee group 200 (Professional & 

Administrative) hourly wage rate of $49.10. The 

total burden wage rate (straight time plus 75%) 

used in the table is $85.93 ($49.10 × 1.75 = $85.93). 5Totals may not add up due to rounding. 

CFR section Respondent 

universe 

Total annual 

responses 

Average time 

per response 

Total annual 

burden hours 

Total cost 

equivalent in 

U.S. dollar 

(A) (B) (C = A * B) (D = C * wage 

rates) 4

—(f)(2) Notification to FRA by State 

or District of Columbia (DC) of another official to assume responsibilities described under 

§ 234.11(e)(6).

50 States + District 

of Columbia.

2.70 notifications .... 5.00 minutes ........... 0.22 18.90 

—(g) FRA review and approval of 

State highway-rail grade crossing 

action plans: Disapproved plans 

needing revision—Grouped into 

high, medium, and low revised 

plans.

40 States + District 

of Columbia.

2.70 revised plans 

(0.7 high burden 

+ 0.7 medium 

burden + 1.3 low 

burden).

189.00 hours (105 

hours + 60 hours 

+ 24 hours).

142.00 12,202.06 

—(g) FRA review and approval of 

State highway-rail grade crossing 

action plans: Disapproved plans 

needing revision (10 listed States 

in § 234.11(e))—Grouped into 

high, medium, and low revised 

plans.

10 States ................ 0.90 revised plans 

(0.7 high burden 

+ 0.7 medium 

burden + 1.3 low 

burden).

295.00 hours (165 

hours + 96 hours 

+ 34 hours).

98.33 8,449.50 

Total 5 ........................................ N/A ......................... 27 responses .......... N/A ......................... 5,991 514,768.00 

Total Estimated Annual Responses: 

27. 

Total Estimated Annual Burden: 

5,991 hours. 

Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour 

Dollar Cost Equivalent: $514,768. 

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. 

[FR Doc. 2024–01498 Filed 1–24–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES