Notices. Notice and request for comments

1,011 words·~5 min read·/register/2003/10/29/03-27273

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

BILLING CODE 4910-13-P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration, DOT. ACTION: Notice and request for comments. SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 *et seq.* ), this notice announces that the Information Collection Requirements

(ICRs)abstracted below have been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB)for review and comment. The ICRs describe the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collections of information was published on August 26, 2003 (68 FR 51323). DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 28, 2003. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Brogan, Office of Planning and Evaluation Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW., Mail Stop 17, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone:

(202)493-6292), or Debra Steward, Office of Information Technology and Productivity Improvement, RAD-20, Federal Railroad Administration, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone:

(202)493-6139). (These telephone numbers are not toll-free.) SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Public Law 104-13, section 2, 109 Stat. 163

(1995)(codified as revised at 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. 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.5, 1320.8(d)(1), 1320.12. On August 26, 2003, FRA published a 60-day notice in the **Federal Register** soliciting comment on ICRs that the agency was seeking OMB approval. 68 FR 51323. FRA received no comments in response to this notice. Before OMB decides whether to approve these proposed collections of information, it must provide 30 days for public comment. 44 U.S.C. 3507(b); 5 CFR 1320.12(d). 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 that 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. 5 C.F.R. 1320.12(c.); *see also* 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. The summaries below describe the nature of the information collection requirements

(ICRs)and the expected burden. The revised requirements are being submitted for clearance by OMB as required by the PRA. *Title:* Inspection Brake System Safety Standards For Freight and Other Non-Passenger Trains and Equipment (Power Brakes and Drawbars). *OMB Control Number:* 2130-0008. *Type of Request:* Extension of a currently approved collection. *Affected Public:* Businesses. *Form(s):* N/A. *Abstract:* Section 7 of the Rail Safety Enforcement and Review Act of 1992, Public Law 102-365, amended section 202 of the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970 (45 U.S.C. 421, 431 *et seq.* ), empowered the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a review of the Department's rules with respect to railroad power brakes and, where applicable, prescribe standards regarding dynamic brake equipment. In keeping with the Secretary's mandate and the authority delegated from him to the FRA Administrator, FRA recently published a comprehensive regulatory revision of the then current requirements related to the inspection, testing, and maintenance of the brake equipment used in freight car operations. The Final Rule focused solely on freight and other non-passenger trains, and codified and solidified the maintenance requirements related to the power brake system and its components. The collection of information is used by FRA to monitor and enforce safety requirements related to power brakes on freight cars. The collection of information is also used by locomotive engineers and road crews to verify that the terminal air brake test has been performed in a satisfactory manner. *Annual Estimated Burden Hours:* 895,011. *Title:* Regional Inspection Point Listing Forms. *OMB Control Number:* 2130-0551. *Type of Request:* Extension of a currently approved collection. *Affected Public:* State Rail Safety Inspectors. *Form Number(s):* FRA F 6180.106(a)-(e). *Abstract:* Through a direct comparison of inspection data with accident/incident data, the collection of information aims to develop a profile county-by-county of what there is to inspect, and how much inspection activity was done by Federal and State railroad inspectors each year nationwide. The information collected will produce “snapshots” which will allow FRA to determine where the gaps are in inspection territories so that it can focus inspection resources where they will do the most good. As a result of the collection of information, FRA will be better able to equalize inspector workloads, and will be better able to make informed hiring decisions regarding the most effective placement of new inspectors. More targeted inspections will permit FRA to maximize its limited resources, and will serve to enhance overall safety on the nation's rail system. *Annual Estimated Burden Hours:* 584. *Addressee:* Send comments regarding these information collections to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 Seventeenth Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503; *Attention:* FRA Desk Officer. *Comments are invited on the following:* Whether the proposed collections of information are necessary for the proper performance of the functions of FRA, including whether the information will have practical utility; the accuracy of FRA's estimates of the burden of the proposed information collections; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the collections of information on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. A comment to OMB is best assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication of this notice in the **Federal Register** . Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520. Issued in Washington, DC, on October 23, 2003. Kathy A. Weiner, Director, Office of Information Technology and Support Systems, Federal Railroad Administration. [FR Doc. 03-27273 Filed 10-28-03; 8:45 am]

Connectionstraces to 4

Traces to 4 documents

U.S. Code

8 references not yet in our index