Agency Information Collection Request Concerning Certain Motor Carrier Activities When Responding to Emergency Declarations Under OMB Review

Thomas P. Keane
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
27 August 2021

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 164 (Friday, August 27, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48291-48292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18442]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket No. FMCSA-2021-0143]


Agency Information Collection Request Concerning Certain Motor 
Carrier Activities When Responding to Emergency Declarations Under OMB 
Review

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Department 
of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of request for emergency OMB approval.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, 
this notice announces that the new Information Collection Request (ICR) 
discussed below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and an emergency approval of a new information 
collection. FMCSA would collect this information from motor carriers 
engaged in providing direct assistance in response to certain emergency 
declarations issued by the Agency to provide regulatory relief for such 
carriers in continued support of the Nation's coronavirus disease 2019 
(COVID-19) recovery efforts. The ICR describes the nature of the 
information collection and their expected paperwork burdens. FMCSA 
requests that OMB approve this collection within 7 days.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before August 30, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent by August 30, 2021, to 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. All comments received are part of 
the public record. Comments will generally be posted without change. 
Upon receiving the requested 6-month emergency approval by OMB, FMCSA 
will follow the normal PRA procedures to obtain extended approval for 
this proposed information collection.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry W. Minor, Associate 
Administrator, Office of Policy, Department of Transportation, Federal 
Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 6th Floor, West Building, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001; 202-366-4012; 
larry.minor@dot.gov. Office hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal Holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Acknowledgement of use of COVID-19 Emergency Declaration 
Relief.
    OMB Control Number: 2126-TBD.
    Type of Request: Request for emergency approval of an information 
collection.
    Respondents: Motor carriers that operate under the terms of the 
extended COVID-19 Emergency Declaration No. 2020-002.
    Estimated Total Respondents: 203,894.
    Estimated Total Responses: 1,223,364 for 6 months.
    Estimated Burden Hours: 305,841 for 6 months.
    Estimated Burden per Response: 15 minutes per response.
    Frequency: Monthly for 6 months.

Background

    FMCSA issued Emergency Declaration No. 2020-002 in response to the 
March 13, 2020, declaration of a national emergency under 42 U.S.C. 
5191(b) related to COVID-19, and the immediate risk COVID-19 presents 
to public health and welfare. FMCSA modified Emergency Declaration 
2020-002 to expand and remove categories of supplies, equipment, and 
persons covered by the Emergency Declaration to respond to changing 
needs for emergency relief. On May 26, 2021, FMCSA extended the 
modified Emergency Declaration No. 2020-002 and associated regulatory 
relief through August 31, 2021, in accordance with 49 CFR 390.25. FMCSA 
continued the exemption and associated regulatory relief in accordance 
with 49 CFR 390.25, because the presidentially declared emergency 
remained in place and because a continued exemption was needed to 
support direct emergency assistance for some supply chains. This 
extension of the expanded modified Emergency Declaration addresses 
conditions that create a need for immediate transportation of essential 
supplies and provides necessary relief from the Federal Motor Carrier 
Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) for motor carriers and drivers.
    In accordance with the expanded modified Emergency Declaration No. 
2020-002, motor carriers and drivers providing direct assistance in 
support of relief efforts related to the COVID-19 public health 
emergency are granted emergency relief from certain portions of 49 CFR 
parts 390 through 399 of the FMCSRs, except as restricted in the 
Emergency Declaration. Direct assistance means transportation and other 
relief services provided by a motor carrier or its driver(s) incident 
to the immediate restoration of essential services (such as medical 
care) or essential supplies related to COVID-19 during the emergency. 
The notice extending the declaration provides a list of relief services 
and essential supplies.
    Neither the Emergency Declaration nor the regulations covering 
Emergency Declarations (found in 49 CFR 390.23 and 390.25) require that 
motor carriers or drivers operating under the Emergency Declaration 
report their operation to FMCSA. As a result, FMCSA does not know how 
many motor carriers or drivers are relying on the Emergency 
Declaration. Given the unprecedented period that the expanded modified 
Emergency Declaration No. 2020-0022 has now been in place, FMCSA has 
determined that it is necessary to seek information on the number of 
motor carriers and drivers relying upon Emergency Declaration No. 2020-
002, and any subsequent extension currently in effect, to evaluate the 
need for future

[[Page 48292]]

extensions or modifications if that Agency determines that additional 
extensions are needed.

Public Comments Invited

    You are asked to comment on any aspect of this information 
collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed collection is necessary 
for FMCSA to perform its functions; (2) the accuracy of the estimated 
burden; (3) ways for FMCSA to enhance the quality, usefulness, and 
clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that the burden 
could be minimized without reducing the quality of the collected 
information.
    Issued under the authority delegated in 49 CFR 1.87.

Thomas P. Keane,
Associate Administrator, Office of Research and Registration.
[FR Doc. 2021-18442 Filed 8-26-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P