Special Collection:  COVID-19

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 182 (Thursday, September 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52945-52947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20559]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

[FTA Docket No. FTA 2021-0013]


Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces that the Information Collection Requirements (ICR) 
abstracted below have been forwarded to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describe the nature of the 
information collection and their expected burdens.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 25, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
    Comments are Invited On: Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Department, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize 
the burden of the collection 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tia Swain, Office of Administration, 
Management Planning Division, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Mail Stop TAD-
10, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-0354 or tia.swain@dot.gov.

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 June 24, 2021, FTA published a 60-day notice (86 FR 33473) 
in the Federal Register soliciting comments on the ICR for which the 
agency was seeking OMB approval. FTA received no comments after issuing 
this 60-day notice. Accordingly, DOT announces that these information 
collection activities have been re-evaluated and certified under 5 CFR 
1320.5(a) and forwarded to OMB for review and approval pursuant to 5 
CFR 1320.12(c).
    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 CFR 1320.12(c); see also 60 
FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995.
    The summaries below describe the nature of the information 
collection requirements (ICR) and the expected burden. The requirements 
are being submitted for clearance by OMB as required by the PRA.
    Title: Transit COVID-19 Response Program.
    OMB Control Number: 2132-0581.

[[Page 52946]]

    Type of Request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Abstract: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 
1995, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is requesting Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) 3-year approval for this existing 
information collection previously authorized under emergency approval. 
FTA is collecting monthly data related to impacts from the coronavirus 
disease 2019 (COVID-19) on public transportation agencies, including 
transit workforce counts; transit service levels; counts of COVID-19 
positives, fatalities, recoveries, and unvaccinated employees; whether 
or not a transit agency has implemented the U.S. Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC) Order and Transportation Security 
Administration (TSA) Security Directive requiring workers and 
passengers to wear masks; and whether or not the agency has used FTA 
funds to support vaccine access services. FTA uses this data to inform 
FTA's COVID-19 response and recovery actions, including monitoring of 
safety measures and impacts, development of technical assistance and 
safety advisories, monitoring use of FTA grant funds to address COVID-
19 considerations, and monitoring compliance with Federal requirements.
    FTA began the Transit COVID-19 Response Program Information 
Collection in April 2021 under OMB emergency approval and is seeking 
renewal of this approval through OMB's standard PRA clearance process. 
On June 24, 2021, FTA issued a 60-day Federal Register Notice 
requesting the extension of the approved information collection. This 
subsequent 30-day Federal Register Notice for public comments follows 
OMB's PRA clearance process. There have been no substantive changes to 
the information collection application and associated data since the 
initial request. FTA is requesting information collection approval for 
up to three years. COVID-19 continues to pose significant challenges 
for the transit industry. Although some transit providers have 
suspended service and a greater number have reduced service throughout 
the COVID-19 public health emergency, transit agencies across the 
country continue to provide millions of trips to lifeline services, 
including transporting healthcare personnel and other essential workers 
on the front line of the Nation's COVID-19 response. Transit agencies 
also offer additional essential services to support communities during 
the public health emergency, such as meal delivery and Wi-Fi access in 
underserved areas, and offer a range of COVID-19 vaccine access 
services. Accordingly, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security 
Agency designates transit workers as essential critical infrastructure 
workers.
    Transit agencies and other stakeholders have expressed concerns 
about the risk of COVID-19 to the transit industry and, along with the 
FTA, have taken steps to address these concerns. To support the transit 
industry's COVID-19 response, FTA allocated $25 billion in emergency 
relief funding to the U.S. transit industry through the Coronavirus 
Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Pub. L. 116-136) and 
another $14 billion through the Coronavirus Response and Relief 
Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 (CRRSAA) (Pub. L. 116-260). The 
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), enacted on March 11, 2021, 
includes an additional $30.5 billion in Federal funding to support the 
nation's public transportation systems as they continue to respond to 
the COVID-19 pandemic and support vaccination of the U.S. population. 
Funding through the ARP Act and CRRSAA, like the CARES Act, is at 100-
percent Federal share with no local match required. In addition, for 
Fiscal Year 2020, FTA apportioned over $12.5 billion in funding 
authorized under the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST 
Act) (Pub. L. 114-94) and the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
2020 (Pub. L. 116-94).
    Numerous transit agencies have implemented mitigations to limit the 
transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, among their 
workers and within their systems. Despite these efforts, frontline 
transit workers remain at high risk for work-related exposure to SARS-
CoV-2 because their work-related duties must be performed on-site and 
involve being in close proximity (<6 feet) to the public or to 
coworkers. In addition, many transit workers fall within racial and 
socioeconomic demographics that are at increased risk of getting sick 
and dying from COVID-19.
    On January 29, 2021, CDC issued an Order requiring the wearing of 
masks by persons using or working in certain transportation services, 
including on public transportation, to prevent spread of the virus that 
causes COVID-19. Pursuant to the CDC Order, which implements 
Presidential Executive Order 13998, transportation operators must 
require that all persons wear masks when boarding, disembarking, and 
for the duration of travel, with certain exemptions. Operators of 
transportation hubs, which include bus terminals and subway stations, 
must require all persons wear a mask when entering or on the premises 
of a transportation hub. Since June 10, 2021, CDC is not enforcing the 
wearing of masks by persons while outdoors on transportation vehicles 
or while outdoors in transportation hubs. TSA issued a Security 
Directive on February 1, 2021 that implements the CDC Order. On August 
20, 2021, TSA extended the Security Directive through January 18, 2022 
to curb the spread of COVID-19. This information collection allows FTA 
to assess compliance with the Federal mask mandates.
    According to data from the CDC, 70 percent of adult Americans had 
received at least one vaccination shot by August 2, 2021. Continued 
concerns regarding vaccine access and hesitancy among transit workers 
and the U.S. public present challenges to increasing this percentage 
further. FTA's information collection captures the number of transit 
workers that have reported that they have been vaccinated. The 
communities served by transit agencies continue to rely on them to 
provide critical transportation services every day--including 
transportation to vaccination sites. This information collection allows 
FTA to monitor the number of vaccinated transit workers and captures 
information on transit agencies' efforts to use Federal resources, 
including ARP, CARES, and CRRSAA funds, to support vaccine access for 
their communities--both critical data points to support FTA response 
activity.
    New, more transmissible variants of the virus have recently 
emerged, including the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant. Between June 30, 2021 
and July 31, 2021, after five months of decreasing trends in COVID-19 
cases and hospitalizations, data show that cases and hospitalizations 
have increased substantially. In light of the Delta variant and 
increased spread and hospitalizations, CDC reversed its May 
recommendations that fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear 
masks indoors and now recommends that all Americans in areas of surging 
COVID-19 transmission should wear masks while indoors, regardless of 
their vaccination status. FTA plays a critical role in providing risk-
based guidance and support for the COVID-19 recovery efforts of the 
transit industry. Accordingly, FTA will continue to require that 
respondents provide the following information using a fillable 
electronic online application:
     Transit Worker Counts: Total number of transit operators, 
other

[[Page 52947]]

frontline essential personnel, and other workers during the reporting 
period.
     COVID-19 Impacts on Transit Agency Service Levels: Yes or 
no responses to indicate if the agency suspended service, reduced 
service, or operated at normal levels during the reporting period.
     COVID-19 Impacts on Transit Workforce: Cumulative counts 
of transit worker COVID-19 positives, fatalities, recoveries, and 
unvaccinated employees during the reporting period, and yes or no 
responses on whether the agency is requiring workers to be vaccinated, 
whether the agency has implemented the CDC Order and TSA Security 
Directive requiring workers and passengers to wear masks, and whether 
or not the agency has used FTA funds to support vaccine access services 
and the types of vaccine access services the agency provides.
    Respondents: FTA will require this information, pursuant to 49 
U.S.C. 5334, from recipients and sub-recipients of FTA funds under the 
Urbanized Area Formula Funding program (49 U.S.C. 5307) or the Formula 
Grants for Rural Areas program (49 U.S.C. 5311) that operate transit 
systems or pass-through funds to sub-recipients that operate transit 
systems. Recipients of FTA funds under the Enhanced Mobility of Seniors 
and Individuals with Disabilities program (49 U.S.C. 5310) may be 
requested to provide this information on a voluntary basis in the 
future.
    Estimated Average Total Annual Respondents: 2,390 respondents.
    Estimated Average Total Responses: 28,680.
    Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 10,356.
    Estimated Annual Burden per Response: 10 minutes per Section 5307 
or 5311 respondent, 400 minutes per Section 5311 State respondent, and 
16 minutes per Section 5310 transit operator respondent.
    Frequency: Monthly.

Nadine Pembleton,
Director Office of Management Planning.
[FR Doc. 2021-20559 Filed 9-22-21; 8:45 am]
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