[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 118 (Wednesday, June 21, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 40372]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-13131]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2023-0002-N-10]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

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

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its 
implementing regulations, this notice announces that FRA is forwarding 
the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR 
describes the information collection and its expected burden. On March 
24, 2023, FRA published a notice providing a 60-day period for public 
comment on the ICR.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
July 21, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR 
should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find the particular ICR by selecting 
``Currently under Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the 
search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Arlette Mussington, Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, at email: [email protected] or 
telephone: (571) 609-1285 or Ms. Joanne Swafford, Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, at email: [email protected] 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 
issue two notices seeking public comment on information collection 
activities before OMB may approve paperwork packages. See 44 U.S.C. 
3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 through 1320.12. On March 24, 2023, FRA 
published a 60-day notice in the Federal Register soliciting public 
comment on the ICR for which it is now seeking OMB approval. See 88 FR 
17917. FRA received no comments related to the proposed collection of 
information.
    Before OMB decides whether to approve this proposed collection of 
information, it must provide 30-days' notice for public comment. 
Federal law requires OMB to approve or disapprove paperwork packages 
between 30 and 60 days after the 30-day notice is published. 44 U.S.C. 
3507(b)-(c); 5 CFR 1320.12(d); see also 60 FR 44978, 44983, Aug. 29, 
1995. OMB believes the 30-day notice informs the regulated community to 
file relevant comments and affords the agency adequate time to digest 
public comments before it renders a decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 
1995. Therefore, respondents should submit their respective comments to 
OMB within 30 days of publication to best ensure having their full 
effect.
    Comments are invited on the following ICR regarding: (1) Whether 
the information collection activities are necessary for FRA to properly 
execute its functions, including whether the information 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 to minimize the burden of information 
collection activities on the public, including the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    The summary below describes the ICR that FRA will submit for OMB 
clearance as the PRA requires:
    Title: System Safety Program Plan.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0599.
    Abstract: In 2020, FRA issued a final rule \1\ that requires 
passenger rail operations to develop and implement a system safety 
program (SSP) to improve the safety of their operations.
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    \1\ 85 FR 12826 (Mar. 4, 2020).
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    FRA uses the information collected to help ensure that commuter and 
intercity passenger rail operations establish and implement SSPs to 
improve the safety of their operations and to confirm compliance with 
the rule. Each passenger rail operation should use its SSP to 
proactively identify and mitigate or eliminate hazards and the 
resulting risk on its system at an early stage to reduce the number of 
railroad accidents, incidents, and associated injuries, fatalities, and 
property damage. A passenger rail operation has the flexibility to 
tailor an SSP to its specific operations. An SSP must be fully 
implemented within 36 months of FRA's approval of a passenger rail 
operation's submitted SSP plan. Under the SSP regulation, FRA will 
audit a passenger rail operation's compliance with its SSP plan and 
will use the information collected to ensure compliance with this 
regulation.
    Type of Request: Extension without change (with changes in 
estimates) of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Respondent Universe: 33 passenger rail operations + 1 new passenger 
rail operation.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 767.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 1,891 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: 
$153,019.
    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)

Brett A. Jortland,
Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2023-13131 Filed 6-20-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P


