Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 32 / Wednesday, February 16, 2022 / Notices 8923 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Transit Administration 

FY 2022 Competitive Funding 

Opportunity: Public Transportation on 

Indian Reservations Program; Tribal 

Transit Program 

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration 

(FTA), Department of Transportation 

(DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of Funding Opportunity 

(NOFO). 

SUMMARY: The Federal Transit 

Administration (FTA) announces the 

opportunity to apply for $8.75 million 

in competitive grants for the Fiscal Year 

(FY) 2022 Public Transportation on 

Indian Reservations (Tribal Transit) 

Program. As required by Federal public 

transportation law, funds will be 

awarded competitively for any purpose 

eligible under FTA’s Formula Grants for 

Rural Areas Program, including 

planning, capital, and operating 

assistance for tribal public transit 

services in rural areas. FTA may award 

additional funding that is made 

available to the program prior to the 

announcement of project selections. 

DATES: Complete proposals must be 

submitted electronically through the 

GRANTS.GOV ‘‘APPLY’’ function by 

11:59 p.m. Eastern time on May 25, 

2022. Any applicant intending to apply 

should initiate the process of registering 

on the GRANTS.GOV site immediately 

to ensure completion of registration 

before the submission deadline. 

Instructions for applying can be found 

on FTA’s website at http://

www.transit.dot.gov/howtoapply and in 

the ‘‘FIND’’ module of GRANTS.GOV. 

The funding opportunity ID is FTA– 

2022–003–TPM–TRTR. Mail and fax 

submissions will not be accepted. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Matthew Lange, Office of Program 

Management, (312) 353–4118 or email 

TribalTransit@dot.gov. A TDD is 

available at 1–800–877–8339 (TDD/ 

FIRS). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents 

A. Program Description 

B. Federal Award Information 

C. Eligibility Information 

D. Application and Submission Information 

E. Application Review Information 

F. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts 

H. Other Information 

A. Program Description 

Federal public transportation law (49 

U.S.C. 5311(c)(1)(A)) authorizes FTA to 

award competitive grants ‘‘under such 

terms and conditions as may be 

established by the Secretary’’ to Indian 

tribes for any purpose eligible under 

FTA’s Formula Grants for Rural Areas 

Program, 49 U.S.C. 5311, including 

planning, capital, and operating 

assistance. Tribes may apply for this 

funding directly. 

The Tribal Transit Program (Federal 

Assistance Listing: 20.509) supports 

FTA’s strategic goals and objectives 

through investments that (1) enhance 

safety, (2) renew our transit systems; (3) 

reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 

public transportation, (4) improve 

equity, and (5) connect communities. 

This program also supports the 

President’s Building a Better America 

initiative to mobilize American 

ingenuity to build a modern 

infrastructure and an equitable, clean 

energy future. In addition, the Tribal 

Transit Program and this NOFO will 

advance the goals of the January 20, 

2021 Executive Order on Advancing 

Racial Equity and Support for 

Underserved Communities Through the 

Federal Government (Executive Order 

13985). 

Competitive funds distributed to 

Indian tribes under the Tribal Transit 

Program do not replace or reduce funds 

that Indian tribes receive from States 

through FTA’s Formula Grants for Rural 

Areas Program (Section 5311 Program). 

Specific project eligibility under this 

competitive allocation is described in 

Section C of this notice. 

B. Federal Award Information 

Federal public transportation law (49 

U.S.C. 5338(a)(2)(F) and (49 U.S.C. 

5311(c)(1)(A), as amended by the 

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 

(Pub. L. 117–58, the ‘‘Bipartisan 

Infrastructure Law’’ or ‘‘BIL’’)) 

authorizes $8,752,896 in FY 2022 for 

competitive grants under the Tribal 

Transit Program, subject to the 

availability of FY 2022 appropriated 

funding. Additional funds made 

available prior to project selection may 

be allocated to eligible projects. If 

during FY 2022, additional funding is 

made available for this program after 

announcement of project selections, 

FTA may make additional awards. 

FTA will set a $25,000 cap on 

planning grant awards, and FTA has 

discretion to cap capital and operating 

awards. 

In FY 2021, the program received 

applications for 51 eligible projects 

requesting a total of $18,779,220. Thirtynine projects were funded at a total of 

$10,360,657. 

FTA will grant pre-award authority to 

incur costs for selected projects 

beginning on the date FY 2022 project 

selections are announced on FTA’s 

website. Funds are available for 

obligation for two fiscal years after the 

fiscal year in which the competitive 

awards are announced. Funds are 

available only for projects that have not 

incurred costs prior to the 

announcement of project selections. 

C. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants 

Eligible applicants include federally 

recognized Indian tribes or Alaska 

Native villages, groups, or communities 

as identified by the U.S. Department of 

the Interior (DOI) Bureau of Indian 

Affairs (BIA). This list can be found at: 

https://www.bia.gov/service/triballeaders-directory/federally-recognizedtribes. To be an eligible recipient, an 

Indian tribe must have the requisite 

legal, financial, and technical 

capabilities to receive and administer 

Federal funds under this program. 

Additionally, applicants must be 

located and provide service in a rural 

area with a population of less than 

50,000. A service area can include some 

portions of urban areas (as identified in 

the most recent decennial census), so 

long as rural areas are also served. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching 

There is no local match requirement 

for operating, capital, or planning 

projects under this program. All projects 

will be awarded at a 100 percent Federal 

share, unless the applicant chooses to 

provide a local match at its own 

discretion. If choosing to provide a local 

match, the proposal should include a 

description of the Indian tribe’s 

financial commitment. 

If desired by the applicant, tribes may 

use any local match eligible under 

Chapter 53 of Title 49, including cash 

from non-Government sources other 

than revenues from providing public 

transportation services; revenues 

derived from the sale of advertising and 

concessions; amounts received under a 

service agreement with a State or local 

social service agency or private social 

service organization; revenues generated 

from value capture financing 

mechanisms; funds from an 

undistributed cash surplus; replacement 

or depreciation cash fund or reserve; 

new capital; or in-kind contributions. 

Amounts appropriated or otherwise 

made available to a department or 

agency of the Government that are 

eligible to be expended for 

transportation, including amounts made 

available to carry out the Federal Lands 

Highway Program established by 

Section 204 of Title 23 are eligible 


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sources of local match. Transportation 

development credits or in-kind match 

may be used for local match if identified 

and documented in the application. 

More information about eligible sources 

of local match can be found in FTA 

Circular 9040.1G, available on the FTA 

website. 

3. Eligible Projects 

Eligible projects include public 

transportation planning, capital, or 

operating expenses. All eligible 

applicants may apply for operating 

assistance. 

Public transportation includes 

regular, continuing shared-ride surface 

transportation services open to the 

public or open to a segment of the 

public defined by age, disability, or low 

income. Specific types of projects 

include: Capital investment for startups, replacement, or expansion needs; 

operating assistance; and planning 

projects up to $25,000. Applications 

that include requests for more than one 

project type must identify the specific 

funds requested for each project type 

(planning, capital, or operating). 

Indian tribes applying for capital 

replacement or expansion needs must 

demonstrate a sustainable source of 

operating funds for existing or expanded 

services. 

D. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address To Request Application 

Package 

Applications must be submitted 

electronically through GRANTS.GOV. 

General information for submitting 

applications through GRANTS.GOV can 

be found at www.fta.dot.gov/howtoapply 

along with specific instructions for the 

forms and attachments required for 

submission. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission 

(i) Proposal Submission 

Applications must be submitted 

electronically through GRANTS.GOV. 

Mail and fax submissions will not be 

accepted. A complete proposal 

submission consists of two forms and 

their supporting attachments: The SF– 

424 Application for Federal Assistance 

(available at GRANTS.GOV) and the 

supplemental form for the FY 2022 

Tribal Transit Program (available for 

download at GRANTS.GOV or the FTA 

website at https://www.transit.dot.gov/ 

tribal-transit). Failure to submit the 

information as requested can delay 

review or disqualify the application. 

The Tribal Transit supplemental form 

provides guidance and a consistent 

format for applicants to respond to the 

criteria outlined in this NOFO. The 

supplemental form and any supporting 

documents must be attached to the 

‘‘Attachments’’ section of the SF–424. 

The application must include responses 

to all sections of the SF–424 

Application for Federal Assistance and 

the supplemental form, unless indicated 

as optional. The information on the 

supplemental form will be used to 

determine applicant and project 

eligibility for the program and to 

evaluate the proposal against the 

selection criteria described in Section E 

of this notice. 

FTA will only accept one 

supplemental form per SF–424 

submission. Applicants may attach 

additional supporting information to the 

SF–424 submission, including but not 

limited to letters of support, project 

budgets, fleet status reports, or excerpts 

from relevant planning documents. 

Supporting documentation must be 

described and referenced by file name 

in the appropriate response section of 

the supplemental form, or it may not be 

reviewed. 

Information such as applicant name, 

Federal amount requested, local match 

amount, description of areas served, etc. 

may be requested in varying degrees of 

detail on both the SF–424 and 

Supplemental Form. Applicants must 

fill in all fields unless stated otherwise 

on the forms. Applicants should not 

place ‘‘N/A’’ or ‘‘refer to attachment’’ in 

lieu of typing in responses in the field 

sections. If information is copied into 

the supplemental form from another 

source, applicants should verify that 

pasted text is fully captured on the 

supplemental form and has not been 

truncated by the character limits built 

into the form. Applicants should use 

both the ‘‘Check Package for Errors’’ and 

the ‘‘Validate Form’’ validation buttons 

on both forms to check all required 

fields on the forms and ensure that the 

Federal and local amounts specified are 

consistent. Applicants should enter 

their information in the supplemental 

form (fillable PDF) that is made 

available on FTA’s website or through 

the GRANTS.GOV application package 

and should attach this to the application 

in its original format. Applicants should 

not use scanned versions of the form, 

‘‘print’’ the form to PDF, convert or 

create a version using another text 

editor, etc. Complete instructions on the 

application process can be found at 

http://www.transit.dot.gov. 

(ii) Application Content 

The SF–424 Mandatory Form and the 

Supplemental Form will prompt 

applicants for the required information, 

including: 

a. Name of Federally recognized tribe 

and, if appropriate, the specific tribal 

agency submitting the application. 

b. Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data 

Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 

number. 

c. Contact information including: 

Contact name, title, address, phone 

number, and email address. 

d. Description of public transportation 

services, including areas currently 

served by the tribe, if any. 

e. Name of person(s) authorized to 

apply on applicant’s behalf (must 

accompany the proposal with a signed 

transmittal letter). 

f. Complete Project Description: 

Indicate the category for which funding 

is requested (i.e., project type: Capital, 

operating, or planning), and then 

indicate the project purpose (i.e., startup, expansion, or replacement). 

Describe the proposed project and what 

it will accomplish (e.g., number and 

type of vehicles, routes, service area, 

schedules, type of services, fixed route 

or demand responsive, safety aspects), 

route miles (if fixed route), ridership 

numbers expected (actual if an existing 

system, estimated if a new system), 

major origins and destinations, 

population served, and whether the 

tribe provides the service directly or 

contracts for services, and note vehicle 

maintenance plans. 

g. Project Timeline: Include 

significant milestones such as date of 

contract for purchase of vehicles, actual 

or expected delivery date of vehicles; 

facility project phases (e.g., 

environmental reviews, design, 

construction); or dates for completion of 

planning studies. If applying for 

operating funding for new services, 

indicate the period of time that funds 

would be used to operate the system 

(e.g., one year). This section should also 

include any needed timelines for tribal 

council project approvals, if applicable. 

h. Budget: Provide a detailed budget 

for each proposed purpose, noting the 

Federal amount requested and any 

additional funds that will be used. If 

applying for more than one project type 

(planning, capital, or operating), please 

specify the total amount of funds 

requested for each project type. An 

Indian tribe may use up to fifteen 

percent of a grant award for capital 

projects for specific project-related 

planning and administration. The 

indirect cost rate may not exceed ten 

percent of the total amount awarded. 

Indian tribes must also provide their 

annual operating budget as an 

attachment or under the ‘‘Financial 


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Commitment and Operating Capacity’’ 

section of the supplemental form. 

i. Technical, Legal, Financial 

Capacity: Applicants must be able to 

demonstrate adequate technical, legal, 

and financial capacity to be considered 

for funding. Every proposal must 

describe this capacity to implement the 

proposed project. 

1. Technical Capacity: Provide 

examples of management of other 

Federal projects, including previously 

funded FTA projects or similar types of 

projects for which funding is being 

requested. Describe the resources 

available to implement the proposed 

transit project. 

2. Legal Capacity: Provide 

documentation or other evidence to 

demonstrate status as a federally 

recognized Indian tribe. Further, 

demonstrate evidence of an authorized 

representative with authority to bind the 

applicant and execute legal agreements 

with FTA. If applying for capital or 

operating funds, identify whether 

appropriate Federal or State operating 

authority exists. 

3. Financial Capacity: Provide 

documentation or other evidence 

demonstrating current adequate 

financial systems to receive and manage 

a Federal grant. Fully describe: (1) All 

financial systems and controls; (2) other 

sources of funds currently managed; and 

(3) the long-term financial capacity to 

maintain the proposed or existing 

transit services. 

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System 

for Award Management (SAM) 

Each applicant is required to: (1) Be 

registered in SAM before submitting an 

application; (2) provide a valid unique 

entity identifier in its application; and 

(3) continue to maintain an active SAM 

registration with current information at 

all times during which the applicant has 

an active Federal award or an 

application or plan under consideration 

by FTA. These requirements do not 

apply if the applicant is excepted from 

registration by FTA or the U.S. Office of 

Management and Budget under 2 CFR 

25.110. FTA may not make an award 

until the applicant has complied with 

all applicable unique entity identifier 

and SAM requirements. If an applicant 

has not fully complied with the 

requirements by the time FTA is ready 

to make an award, FTA may determine 

that the applicant is not qualified to 

receive an award and use that 

determination as a basis for making a 

Federal award to another applicant. 

SAM registration takes approximately 

3–5 business days, but since there could 

be unexpected steps or delays (for 

example, if there is a need to obtain an 

Employer Identification Number), FTA 

recommends allowing ample time, up to 

several weeks, for completion of all 

steps. For additional information on 

obtaining a unique entity identifier, 

please visit https://www.sam.gov. 

4. Submission Dates and Times 

Project proposals must be submitted 

electronically through GRANTS.GOV by 

11:59 p.m. Eastern time on May 25, 

2022. Proposals submitted after the 

deadline will only be considered under 

extraordinary circumstances not under 

the applicant’s control. Applications are 

time and date stamped by 

GRANTS.GOV upon successful 

submission. Mail and fax submissions 

will not be accepted. 

Within 48 hours after submitting an 

electronic application, the applicant 

should receive an email message from 

GRANTS.GOV with confirmation of 

successful transmission to 

GRANTS.GOV. If a notice of failed 

validation or incomplete materials is 

received, the applicant must address the 

reason for the failed validation, as 

described in the email notice, and 

resubmit before the submission 

deadline. If making a resubmission for 

any reason, include all original 

attachments regardless of which 

attachments were updated and check 

the box on the supplemental form 

indicating this is a resubmission. 

FTA urges applicants to submit their 

project proposals at least 72 hours prior 

to the due date to allow time to receive 

the validation message and to correct 

any problems that may have caused a 

rejection notification. FTA will not 

accept submissions after the stated 

submission deadline, except under 

extraordinary circumstances not under 

the applicant’s control. GRANTS.GOV 

scheduled maintenance and outage 

times are announced on the 

GRANTS.GOV website at http://

www.GRANTS.GOV. The deadline will 

not be extended due to scheduled 

maintenance or outages. 

Applicants are encouraged to begin 

the process of registration on the 

GRANTS.GOV site well in advance of 

the submission deadline. Registration is 

a multi-step process that may take 

several weeks to complete before an 

application can be submitted. Registered 

applicants may still be required to take 

steps to keep their registration up to 

date before submissions can be made 

successfully. For example, (1) 

registration in the SAM is renewed 

annually, and (2) persons making 

submissions on behalf of the Authorized 

Organization Representative (AOR) 

must be authorized in GRANTS.GOV by 

the AOR to make submissions. 

5. Funding Restrictions 

Funds must be used only for the 

specific purposes requested in the 

application and described in the 

resulting award. Funds under this 

NOFO cannot be used to reimburse 

projects for otherwise eligible expenses 

incurred prior to an FTA award under 

this program. Refer to Section C.3., 

Eligible Projects, for information on 

activities that are allowable in this grant 

program. Allowable direct and indirect 

expenses must be consistent with the 

Governmentwide Uniform 

Administrative Requirements and Cost 

Principles (2 CFR part 200) and FTA 

Circulars 5010.1E. 

6. Other Submission Requirements 

Applicants are encouraged to identify 

scaled funding options in case 

insufficient funding is available to fund 

a project at the full requested amount. 

If an applicant indicates that a project 

is scalable, the applicant must provide 

an appropriate minimum funding 

amount that will fund an eligible project 

that achieves the objectives of the 

program and meets all relevant program 

requirements. The applicant must 

provide a clear explanation of how the 

project budget would be affected by a 

reduced award. FTA may award a lesser 

amount regardless of whether a scalable 

option is provided. 

All applications must be submitted 

via the GRANTS.GOV website. FTA 

does not accept applications on paper, 

by fax machine, email, or other means. 

For information on application 

submission requirements, please see 

Section D.1., Address to Request 

Application. 

E. Application Review Information 

1. Criteria for Capital and Operating 

Assistance Projects 

Proposals for capital and operating 

assistance projects will be evaluated 

primarily on the responses provided in 

the supplemental form. Additional 

information may be provided to support 

the responses; however, any additional 

documentation must be directly 

referenced on the supplemental form, 

including the file name where the 

additional information can be found. 

Applications will be evaluated based on 

the quality and extent to which the 

following evaluation criteria are 

addressed. Applications will be 

evaluated based on the degree to which 

the applicant describes how the 

proposed project was developed; 

demonstrates that a sound basis for the 

project exists; and demonstrates that the 

applicant is ready to implement the 

project if funded. 


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(i.) Planning and Local/Regional 

Prioritization 

Information may vary depending 

upon how the planning process for the 

project was conducted and what is 

being requested. Planning and local/ 

regional prioritization should: 

a. Describe the planning document or 

the planning process conducted to 

identify the proposed project; 

b. Provide a detailed project 

description, including the proposed 

service, vehicle and facility needs, and 

other pertinent characteristics of the 

proposed or existing service 

implementation; 

c. Identify existing transportation 

services in and near the proposed 

service area, and document in detail 

whether the proposed project will 

provide opportunities to coordinate 

service with existing transit services, 

including human service agencies, 

intercity bus services, or other public 

transit providers; 

d. Discuss the level of support by the 

community and tribal government for 

the proposed project; 

e. Describe how the mobility and 

client-access needs of tribal human 

services agencies were considered in the 

planning process; 

f. Describe what opportunities for 

public participation were provided in 

the planning process and how the 

proposed transit service or existing 

service has been coordinated with 

transportation provided for the clients 

of human services agencies, with 

intercity bus transportation in the area, 

or with any other rural public transit 

providers; 

g. Describe how the proposed service 

complements rather than duplicates any 

currently available services; 

h. If the tribe is already providing 

transit service, describe if this project is 

included in the tribe’s transit asset 

management plan; 

i. Describe the implementation 

schedule for the proposed project, 

including time period, staffing, and 

procurement; and 

j. Describe any other planning or 

coordination efforts not mentioned 

above. 

(ii.) Project Readiness 

Applications will be evaluated on the 

degree to which the applicant describes 

readiness to implement the project. The 

project readiness factor involves 

assessing whether: 

a. The project qualifies for a 

categorical exclusion (see 23 CFR 

771.118), or the required environmental 

work has been initiated or completed, 

for construction projects requiring an 

environmental assessment or 

environmental impact statement under, 

among other laws, the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969; 

b. Project implementation plans are 

complete, including initial design of 

facilities projects; 

c. Project funds can be obligated and 

the project can be implemented quickly 

if selected; and 

d. The applicant demonstrates the 

ability to carry out the proposed project 

successfully. 

(iii.) Demonstration of Need 

Applications will be evaluated based 

on the degree to which the applicant 

identifies the need for transit resources. 

In addition to project-specific criteria, 

FTA will consider the project’s impact 

on service delivery and whether the 

project represents a one-time or periodic 

need that cannot reasonably be funded 

from FTA program formula allocations 

or State and local resources. FTA will 

evaluate how the proposal demonstrates 

the transit needs of the Indian tribe as 

well as how the proposed transit 

improvements or the new service will 

address identified transit needs. 

Proposals should include information 

such as destinations and services not 

currently accessible by transit; needs for 

access to jobs or health care; safety 

enhancements; special needs of elders 

or individuals with disabilities; 

behavioral health care needs of youth; 

income-based community needs; or 

other mobility needs. If an applicant 

received a planning grant in previous 

fiscal years, the proposal should 

indicate the status of the planning study 

and how the proposed project relates to 

that study. 

If the proposal is for capital funding 

associated with an expansion or 

expanded service, the applicant should 

describe how current or growing 

demand for the service necessitates the 

expansion (and therefore, more capital) 

or the degree to which the project will 

address a current capacity constraint. 

Capital replacement projects should 

include information about the age, 

condition, and performance of the asset 

to be replaced by the proposed project 

or how the replacement is necessary to 

maintain the transit system in a state of 

good repair. 

(iv.) Demonstration of Benefits 

Applications will be evaluated based 

on the degree to which the applicant 

identifies expected or, in the case of 

applications for operating assistance for 

existing service, achieved project 

benefits. FTA is particularly interested 

in how these investments will improve 

the quality of life for the tribe and 

surrounding communities in which it is 

located. Applicants should describe 

how the transportation service or capital 

investment will provide greater access 

to employment opportunities, 

educational centers, healthcare, or other 

needs that impact the quality of life for 

the community and how it is expected 

to improve the environment. Possible 

examples include: Increased or 

sustained ridership and daily trips; 

improved service; elimination of gaps in 

service; improved operations and 

coordination; increased reliability; and 

other applicable community benefits 

related to health care, education, the 

economy, or the environment. Benefits 

can be demonstrated by identifying the 

population of tribal members and nontribal members in the proposed project 

service area and estimating the number 

of daily one-way trips the proposed 

transit service will provide or the actual 

number of individual riders served. 

Applicants are encouraged to consider 

qualitative and quantitative benefits to 

the Indian tribe and to the surrounding 

communities that are meaningful to 

them. 

Using the information provided under 

this criterion, FTA will rate proposals 

based on the quality and extent to 

which they discuss the following four 

factors: 

a. The project’s ability to improve 

transit efficiency or increase ridership; 

b. Whether the project will improve or 

maintain mobility or eliminate gaps in 

service for the Indian tribe; 

c. Whether the project will improve or 

maintain access to important 

destinations and services; 

d. Any other qualitative benefits, such 

as greater access to jobs, education, and 

health care services, and environmental 

considerations. 

(v.) Financial Commitment and 

Technical, Legal, Financial and 

Operating Capacity 

Provision of a local match for the FY 

2022 Tribal Transit Program is not 

required. Applications that include a 

local match will not be evaluated more 

favorably than those that do not. 

However, FTA is interested in ensuring 

that projects that receive funding are 

sustainable. 

Applications must identify the source 

of local match (if any is included) and 

any other funding sources used by the 

Indian tribe to support proposed transit 

services, including human service 

transportation funding, the Federal 

Highway Administration’s Tribal 

Transportation Program funding, or 

other FTA programs. If applicable, the 

applicant also should describe how 

prior year Tribal Transit Program funds 


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were spent to date to support the 

service. Additionally, Indian tribes 

applying to operate new services should 

provide a sustainable funding plan that 

demonstrates how it intends to maintain 

operations. 

If applicable, FTA will consider any 

other resources the Indian tribe will 

contribute to the project, including inkind contributions, commitments of 

support from local businesses, 

donations of land or equipment, and 

human resources. The proposal should 

describe to what extent the new project 

or funding for existing service leverages 

other funding. Based upon the 

information provided, the proposals 

will be rated on the extent to which the 

proposal demonstrates that: 

a. Tribal Transit Program funding 

does not replace existing funding; 

b. The Indian tribe will provide nonfinancial support to the project; 

c. The Indian tribe is able to 

demonstrate a sustainable funding plan; 

and 

d. Project funds are used in 

coordination with other services for 

efficient utilization of funds. 

2. Criteria for Planning Proposals 

For planning grants, the proposal 

must describe the need for and a general 

scope of the proposed study. 

Applications will be evaluated based on 

the degree to which the applicant 

addresses the following: 

a. The tribe’s long-term commitment 

to transit; and 

b. The method used to implement the 

proposed study and/or further tribal 

transit. 

3. Review and Selection Process 

An FTA technical evaluation 

committee will review proposals under 

the project evaluation criteria. FTA may 

seek clarification about any statement in 

an application. After consideration of 

the findings of the technical evaluation 

committee, the FTA Administrator will 

determine the final selection and 

amount of funding for each project. 

Geographic diversity and the applicant’s 

receipt and management of other 

Federal transit funds may be considered 

in FTA’s award decisions. 

After applying the above criteria, in 

support of the President’s January 20, 

2021 Executive Order 14008, Tackling 

the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, 

FTA will give priority consideration to 

applications that are expected to create 

significant community benefits relating 

to the environment, including those 

projects that incorporate low or no 

emission technology or specific 

elements to address greenhouse gas 

emissions and climate change impacts. 

FTA encourages applicants to 

demonstrate whether they have 

considered climate change and 

environmental justice in terms of the 

transportation planning process or 

anticipated design components with 

outcomes that address climate change 

(e.g., resilience or adaptation measures). 

There is no minimum or maximum 

grant award amount for operating and 

capital projects. Planning projects do 

not have a minimum grant award 

amount but will not receive an award of 

more than $25,000. 

FTA intends to fund as many 

meritorious projects as possible. Only 

proposals from eligible recipients for 

eligible activities will be considered for 

funding. Due to funding limitations, 

applicants that are selected for funding 

may receive less than the amount 

originally requested. In those cases, 

applicants must be able to demonstrate 

that the proposed projects are still 

viable and can be completed with the 

amount awarded. 

4. Integrity and Performance Review 

Prior to making an award with a total 

amount of Federal share greater than the 

simplified acquisition threshold 

(currently $10,000), FTA is required to 

review and consider any information 

about the applicant that is in the 

designated integrity and performance 

system accessible through SAM 

(currently the Federal Awardee 

Performance and Integrity Information 

System (FAPIIS)). An applicant may 

review and comment on any 

information about itself that a Federal 

awarding agency previously entered 

into FAPIIS. FTA will consider any 

comments by the applicant, in addition 

to the other information in FAPIIS, in 

making a judgment about the applicant’s 

integrity, business ethics, and record of 

performance under Federal awards 

when completing the review of risk 

posed by applicants as described in the 

Uniform Requirements for Federal 

Awards (2 CFR 200.206). 

F. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

1. Federal Award Notice 

FTA will publish a list of the selected 

projects, including Federal dollar 

amounts and award recipients, on FTA’s 

website. Successful proposals will be 

awarded through FTA’s Transit Award 

Management System (TrAMS) as grant 

agreements. The appropriate FTA 

Regional Office and tribal liaison will 

manage project agreements. Project 

recipients should contact their FTA 

Regional Offices and tribal liaison for 

information about setting up grants in 

FTA’s TrAMS. At the time the project 

selections are announced, FTA will 

extend pre-award authority for the 

selected projects. There is no blanket 

pre-award authority for these projects 

before announcement. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

a. Pre-Award Authority 

FTA will issue specific guidance to 

recipients regarding pre-award authority 

at the time of selection. FTA does not 

provide pre-award authority for 

competitive funds until projects are 

selected, and even then, there are 

Federal requirements that must be met 

before costs are incurred. For more 

information about FTA’s policy on preaward authority, please see the most 

recent Apportionment Notice at https:// 

www.transit.dot.gov. 

b. Grant Requirements 

Except as otherwise provided in this 

NOFO, Tribal Transit Program grants are 

subject to the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 

5311(c)(1) and the Uniform 

Administrative Requirements, Cost 

Principles, and Audit Requirements for 

Federal Awards at 2 CFR part 200, as 

described in FTA Circular 9040.1G for 

the Formula Grants for Rural Areas 

Program. All recipients must also follow 

the Award Management Requirements 

(FTA Circular 5010.1E). Technical 

assistance regarding these requirements 

is available from each FTA regional 

office. 

c. Buy America and Domestic 

Preferences for Infrastructure Projects 

All capital procurements must 

comply with FTA’s Buy America 

requirements (49 U.S.C. 5323(j)), which 

require that all iron, steel, and 

manufactured products be produced in 

the United States, and impose minimum 

domestic content and final assembly 

requirements for rolling stock. The cost 

of rolling stock components and 

subcomponents produced in the United 

States must be more than 70 percent of 

the cost of all components, and final 

assembly of rolling stock must occur in 

the United States. Any proposal that 

will require a waiver must identify the 

items for which a waiver will be sought 

in the application. Applicants should 

not proceed with the expectation that 

waivers will be granted. 

d. Disadvantaged Business Enterprise 

Recipients of planning, capital, or 

operating assistance that will award 

prime contracts (excluding transit 

vehicle purchases), the cumulative total 

of which exceeds $250,000 in FTA 

funds in a Federal fiscal year, must 


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8928 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 32 / Wednesday, February 16, 2022 / Notices 

comply with the Disadvantaged 

Business Enterprise (DBE) program 

regulations (49 CFR part 26). 

To be eligible to bid on any FTAassisted transit vehicle procurement, 

entities that manufacture transit 

vehicles or perform post-production 

alterations or retrofitting must be 

certified Transit Vehicle Manufacturers 

(TVM). If a vehicle remanufacturer is 

responding to a solicitation for new or 

remanufactured vehicles with a vehicle 

to which the remanufacturer has 

provided post-production alterations or 

retrofitting (e.g., replacing major 

components such as engine to provide 

a ‘‘like new’’ vehicle), the vehicle 

remanufacturer must be a certified 

TVM. 

The TVM rule requires that, prior to 

bidding on any FTA-assisted vehicle 

procurement, manufacturers of transit 

vehicles submit a DBE Program plan 

and annual goal methodology to FTA. 

FTA then will issue a TVM concurrence 

and certification letter. Grant recipients 

must verify each manufacturer’s TVM 

status before accepting its bid. A list of 

compliant, certified TVMs is posted on 

FTA’s website at https://

www.transit.dot.gov/TVM. Recipients 

should contact FTA before accepting a 

bid from a manufacturer not on this list. 

In lieu of using a certified TVM, a 

recipient may establish project-specific 

DBE goals for its vehicle procurement. 

FTA will provide additional guidance as 

grants are awarded. For more 

information on DBE requirements, 

please contact Monica McCallum, FTA 

Office of Civil Rights, 206–220–7519, 

Monica.McCallum@dot.gov. 

e. Standard Assurances 

The applicant assures that it will 

comply with all applicable Federal 

statutes, regulations, executive orders, 

directives, FTA circulars, and other 

Federal administrative requirements in 

carrying out any project supported by 

the FTA grant. The applicant 

acknowledges that it is under a 

continuing obligation to comply with 

the terms and conditions of the grant 

agreement issued for its project with 

FTA. The applicant understands that 

Federal laws, regulations, policies, and 

administrative practices might be 

modified from time to time and may 

affect the implementation of the project. 

The applicant agrees that the most 

current Federal requirements will apply 

to the project, unless FTA issues a 

written determination otherwise. The 

applicant must submit the Certifications 

and Assurances before receiving a grant 

if it does not have current certifications 

on file. 

f. Autonomous Vehicles 

If an applicant is proposing to deploy 

autonomous vehicles or other 

innovative motor vehicle technology, 

the application should demonstrate that 

all vehicles will comply with applicable 

safety requirements, including those 

administered by the National Highway 

Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 

and Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration (FMCSA). Specifically, 

the application should show that 

vehicles acquired for the proposed 

project will comply with applicable 

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 

(FMVSS) and Federal Motor Carrier 

Safety Regulations (FMCSR). If the 

vehicles may not comply, the 

application should either (1) show that 

the vehicles and their proposed 

operations are within the scope of an 

exemption or waiver that has already 

been granted by NHTSA, FMCSA, or 

both agencies, or (2) directly address 

whether the project will require 

exemptions or waivers from the FMVSS, 

FMCSR, or any other regulation and, if 

the project will require exemptions or 

waivers, present a plan for obtaining 

them. 

3. Reporting 

Post-award reporting requirements 

include submission of the Federal 

Financial Report (FFR) and Milestone 

Progress Report (MPR) in TrAMS, and 

FTA’s National Transit Database (NTD) 

reporting as appropriate (see FTA 

Circular 9040.1G). Reports to TrAMS 

and NTD are due annually. Applicants 

should include any goals, targets, and 

indicators referenced in their 

application to the project in the 

Executive Summary of the TrAMS 

application. 

As part of completing the annual 

certifications and assurances required of 

FTA grant recipients, a successful 

applicant must report on the suspension 

or debarment status of itself and its 

principals. If the award recipient’s 

active grants, cooperative agreements, 

and procurement contracts from all 

Federal awarding agencies exceed 

$10,000,000 for any period of time 

during the period of performance of an 

award made pursuant to this Notice, the 

recipient must comply with the 

Recipient Integrity and Performance 

Matters reporting requirements 

described in Appendix XII to 2 CFR part 

200. 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts 

For further information concerning 

this notice, please contact Matthew 

Lange, Office of Program Management, 

(312) 353–4118, or email: 

TribalTransit@dot.gov. A TDD is 

available at 1–800–877–8339 (TDD/ 

FIRS). 

H. Other Information 

User-friendly information and 

resources regarding DOT’s discretionary 

grant programs relevant to rural 

applicants can be found on the Rural 

Opportunities to Use Transportation for 

Economic Success (ROUTES) website at 

https://www.transportation.gov/rural. 

Information about FTA programs that is 

specific to tribes can be found on FTA’s 

Tribal Entities landing page at https://

www.transit.dot.gov/funding/tribalentities. 

This program is not subject to 

Executive Order 12372, 

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs.’’ FTA will consider 

applications for funding only from 

eligible recipients for eligible projects 

listed in Section C of this Notice. 

To assist tribes with understanding 

requirements under the Tribal Transit 

Program, FTA has conducted Tribal 

Transit Technical Assistance 

Workshops. FTA has expanded its 

technical assistance to tribes receiving 

funds under this program. Through the 

Tribal Transit Technical Assistance 

Assessments Initiative, FTA collaborates 

with Tribal Transit Leaders to review 

processes and identify areas in need of 

improvement and then assists to offer 

solutions to address these needs—all in 

a supportive and mutually beneficial 

manner that results in technical 

assistance. These assessments include 

discussions of compliance areas 

pursuant to the Master Agreement, a site 

visit, promising practices reviews, and 

technical assistance from FTA and its 

contractors. These workshops and 

assessments have received excellent 

feedback from Tribal Transit Leaders 

and provided FTA with invaluable 

opportunities to learn more about Tribal 

Transit Leaders’ perspectives and better 

honor the sovereignty of tribal nations. 

FTA will post information about 

upcoming workshops to its website and 

will disseminate information about the 

assessments through its regional offices. 

Contact information for FTA’s regional 

offices can be found on FTA’s website 

at https://www.transit.dot.gov/about/ 

regional-offices/regional-offices. 

Applicants may also receive technical 

assistance by contacting their FTA 

regional Tribal Liaison. A list of Tribal 

Liaisons is available on FTA’s website at 

https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/ 

grants/federal-transit-administrationsregional-tribal-liaisons. 

If awarded, grant funding made 

available through this program may be 

included in a Tribal Transportation SelfVerDate Sep<11>2014 18:37 Feb 15, 2022 Jkt 256001 PO 00000 Frm 00156 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\16FEN1.SGM 16FEN1

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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 32 / Wednesday, February 16, 2022 / Notices 8929 

Governance funding agreement if there 

is an existing Self-Governance compact 

in place between the tribe and the U.S. 

Department of Transportation. If funds 

are administered under a Tribal SelfGovernance funding agreement, the 

funds will be subject to the 

requirements and provisions of the 

Tribal Transportation Self-Governance 

Program regulation at 49 CFR part 29 

and may be used only for the purpose 

for which they were awarded. 

Nuria I. Fernandez, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2022–03341 Filed 2–15–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–57–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration 

[Docket No. NHTSA–2022–0009] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Notice and Request for 

Comment; National Survey of the Use 

of Booster Seats 

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic 

Safety Administration (NHTSA), 

Department of Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments on extension of a currently 

approved information collection. 

SUMMARY: NHTSA invites public 

comments about our intention to request 

approval from the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) for an extension of 

a currently approved information 

collection. Before a Federal agency can 

collect certain information from the 

public, it must receive approval from 

OMB. Under procedures established by 

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

before seeking OMB approval, Federal 

agencies must solicit public comment 

on proposed collections of information, 

including extensions and reinstatement 

of previously approved collections. This 

document describes a collection of 

information for which NHTSA intends 

to seek OMB approval on the National 

Survey of the Use of Booster Seats 

(NSUBS). 

DATES: Comments must be submitted on 

or before April 18, 2022. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

identified by the Docket No. NHTSA– 

2022–0009 through any of the following 

methods: 

• Electronic Submissions: Go to the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Fax: (202) 493–2251. 

• Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket 

Management, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12– 

140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 

a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, except on Federal holidays. To 

be sure someone is there to help you, 

please call (202) 366–9322 before 

coming. 

Instructions: All submissions must 

include the agency name and docket 

number for this notice. Note that all 

comments received will be posted 

without change to http://

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information provided. Please 

see the Privacy Act heading below. 

Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search 

the electronic form of all comments 

received into any of our dockets by the 

name of the individual submitting the 

comment (or signing the comment, if 

submitted on behalf of an association, 

business, labor union, etc.). You may 

review DOT’s complete Privacy Act 

Statement in the Federal Register 

published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 

19477–78) or you may visit https://

www.transportation.gov/privacy. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read background documents or 

comments received, go to http://

www.regulations.gov or the street 

address listed above. Follow the online 

instructions for accessing the dockets 

via internet. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information or access 

to background documents, contact 

Lacey L. Boyle, Office of Traffic Records 

and Analysis, Mathematical Analysis 

Division (NSA–210), (202) 366–7468, 

National Center for Statistics and 

Analysis, W55–207, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. 

Please identify the relevant collection of 

information by referring to its OMB 

Control Number. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), before an agency 

submits a proposed collection of 

information to OMB for approval, it 

must first publish a document in the 

Federal Register providing a 60-day 

comment period and otherwise consult 

with members of the public and affected 

agencies concerning each proposed 

collection of information. The OMB has 

promulgated regulations describing 

what must be included in such a 

document. Under OMB’s regulation (at 

5 CFR 1320.8(d)), an agency must ask 

for public comment on the following: (a) 

Whether the proposed collection of 

information is necessary 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) how to enhance the quality, utility, 

and clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) how 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 or 

other forms of information technology, 

e.g., permitting electronic submission of 

responses. In compliance with these 

requirements, NHTSA asks for public 

comments on the following proposed 

collection of information for which the 

agency is seeking approval from OMB. 

Title: National Survey of the Use of 

Booster Seats. 

OMB Control Number: 2127–0644. 

Form Number(s): NHTSA Form 1010. 

Type of Request: Extension of a 

currently approved information 

collection. 

Type of Review Requested: Regular. 

Requested Expiration Date of 

Approval: 3 years from date of approval. 

Summary of the Collection of 

Information: The National Survey of the 

Use of Booster Seats (NSUBS) is a 

voluntary collection of restraint use 

information for children under 13. The 

purpose of the NSUBS is to gather 

information on restraint use for all child 

occupants, in particular the use of 

booster seats among children ages 4–7. 

NSUBS is a biennial collection that 

involves data collectors visiting 

sampled gas stations, recreation centers, 

day care centers, and seven specific fast 

food restaurant chains (McDonald’s, 

Taco Bell, Burger King, Wendy’s, 

Kentucky Fried Chicken, Dairy Queen, 

and Sonic), where vehicles are most 

likely to have child occupants. Data 

collectors will observe as many vehicles 

as possible that appear to have a least 

one child occupant under the age of 13 

in order for data collector observation of 

restraint use for all occupants. For 

motorists who voluntarily participate in 

a subsequent interview, the data 

collectors conduct a brief interview with 

the vehicle driver or other 

knowledgeable adult to determine the 

age, height, weight, race, and ethnicity 

of the child occupants and age of the 

driver. The survey collects data to 

support estimates of restraint use for all 

children under 13. The collection 

includes race and ethnicity breakouts of 

restraint use among all occupants in a 

vehicle as well as age, height, and 

weight of children. 


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