Document ID: FRA-2017-0002-0009
Agency: fra
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals
Posted Date: 2017-04-18T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 73 (Tuesday, April 18, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18341-18342]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-07799]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2017-0002-N-13]

Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S. Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its 
implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the proposed 
information collection activity below. Before submitting this 
information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is soliciting public comment on specific 
aspects of the activities identified below.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than June 19, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the information collection 
activities by mail to: Ms. Kim Toone, Information Collection Clearance 
Officer, Office of Information Technology, RAD-20, Federal Railroad 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 35, Washington, 
DC 20590. Commenters requesting FRA to acknowledge receipt of their 
respective comments must include a self-addressed stamped postcard 
stating, ``Comments on OMB Control Number 2130-XXXX,'' and should also 
include the title of the ICR. Alternatively, comments may be faxed to 
(202) 493-6216 or (202) 493-6497, or emailed to Ms. Toone at 
Kim.Toone@dot.gov. Please refer to the assigned OMB control number in 
any correspondence submitted. FRA will summarize comments received in 
response to this notice in a subsequent notice and include them in its 
information collection submission to OMB for approval.

[[Page 18342]]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Kim Toone, Information Collection 
Clearance Officer, Office of Information Technology, RAD-20, Federal 
Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 35, 
Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6132). (This telephone 
number is not toll free.)

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(c)(2)(A); 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), 1320.10(e)(1), 
1320.12(a). Specifically, FRA invites interested parties to comment on 
the following summary of the proposed information collection activity 
regarding: (1) Whether the information collection activity is necessary 
for FRA to properly execute its functions, including whether the 
activity will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of FRA's 
estimates of the burden of the information collection activity, 
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 the information collection activity 
on the public by automated, electronic, mechanical, or other 
technological collection techniques and other forms of information 
technology (e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses). See 
44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1).
    FRA believes that soliciting public comment will promote its 
efforts to reduce the administrative and paperwork burdens associated 
with the collection of information that Federal regulations mandate. In 
summary, FRA reasons that comments received will advance three 
objectives: (1) Reduce reporting burdens; (2) ensure that it organizes 
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.
    Below is a brief summary of the information collection activity FRA 
will submit for OMB clearance:
    Title: Information and Communications Technology Needs Assessment.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-XXXX.
    Abstract: The purpose of this information collection is to conduct 
a needs assessment that will provide information about how the 
railroading worker population uses information and communications 
technology (ICT). FRA periodically conducts such context assessments of 
the social, legal, and policy barriers related to its mission. For 
purposes of this study, ICT is defined as technology and tools that 
people use to share, distribute, and gather information, and to 
communicate with one another, one on one, or in groups. FRA uses ICT to 
disseminate research findings and to increase awareness of safety 
education programs and other FRA sponsored innovation projects. The 
data gathered in this study will help FRA and DOT attain the strategic 
goal of improving safety in transportation by providing information 
that will improve and inform strategic communication dissemination 
efforts to reach the railroading population more efficiently and 
successfully.
    The proposed study is a needs assessment designed to understand the 
current state of railroading industry use and application of ICT. As 
such, this study asks broad questions about ICT. The information will 
be useful to FRA's efforts to design how FRA uses ICT. The main 
objectives in this study are to: (1) Determine how Transportation, 
Yard, and Engineer railroaders use ICT; (2) identify ways to reach this 
population with future ICT based education and communication efforts; 
and (3) develop baseline awareness data for FRA's research, development 
and technology programs.
    Form Number(s): FRA F 6180.169.
    Affected Public: Railroad Union Members.
    Frequency of Submission: One time.
    Reporting Burden:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Total
                                                  Time per      annual
         Maximum number of respondents            response    burden in
                                                 (minutes)      hours
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1,533.........................................          20          511
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    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 1,533.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 511 hours.
    Under 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b), 1320.8(b)(3)(vi), 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 
unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.

Sarah L. Inderbitzin,
Acting Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2017-07799 Filed 4-17-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-06-P