Agency Information Collection Activities: Notice of Request for New Information Collection Publication: Federal Register Agency: Federal Highway Administration Byline: Michael Howell Date: 8 February 2023 Subject: American Government , Roads & Highways Topic:

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 8, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 8339]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-02640]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No. FHWA 2023-0003]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Notice of Request for 
New Information Collection

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to 
request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval to submit 
one information collection, which is summarized below under 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. We are required to publish this notice in 
the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Please submit comments by March 10, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Docket ID FHWA 2023-
0003 by any of the following methods:
    Website: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
    Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
    Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    Hand Delivery or Courier: U.S. Department of Transportation, West 
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Supportive Services (DBE/
SS) Statement of Work Template.
    Summary: The DBE/SS regulations (23 CFR 230.204 (c)) require State 
DOT recipients to provide a detailed SOW outlining the proposed 
services and budget, approximated, based on the provided estimated 
funding allocation. State DOTs must submit a SOW that conforms to the 
purpose of the program, regulatory requirements, and federal cost 
principles to be eligible for funding. State DOTs send their proposed 
SOWs to the respective FHWA Division Office for review and approval, 
and the Division Offices sends the SOWs to HCR for concurrence and 
obtaining approvals necessary for allocating funds.
    While HCR has created guidance for State DOTs to follow in creating 
their SOWs, currently are submitted in paper form and the contents and 
size of the submissions vary. Providing State DOTs with a SOW template 
available through the Civil Rights Connect System will streamline the 
SOW creation, submission, review, and approval process.
    The information required to populate the DBE/SS SOW template is 
based on existing requirements found in 23 CFR 230, Subpart C; 
therefore, State DOTs should have information to populate the SOW 
readily available. The information will merely be entered in an 
electronic fillable form as opposed to submitting a paper copy. The 
electronic system will also directly pre-populate the State's Annual 
Accomplishment Report with the metrices identified in the State's SOW. 
This feature further streamlines the reporting process by eliminating 
the States' need to duplicate language from the SOW into the Annual 
Report. This feature will also allow HCR to more easily pair the 
performance metrics with their accomplishments in reviewing the State's 
Annual DBE/SS Report.
    While the requirements will not change, use of the SOW template 
will benefit State DOTs and FHWA by making the submissions more uniform 
in size and content and streamlining the submission and review process. 
This will ultimately allow HCR to allocate funding in a more timely 
manner that will directly benefit DBEs, an important piece of the 
Department's and FHWA's equity initiative.
    Respondents: State Departments of Transportation Agencies 
responsible submitting DBE Statement of Work for designing and 
maintaining highway bridges.
    Frequency: Every year by July 31st.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: The estimated number of 
hours for each of the 52 recipients to compile and submit the requested 
data is estimated to be no more than four employee hours annually.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: The estimated total annual 
burden for 53 recipients is 212 hours annually.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janelle Hinton, (202) 366-1604/janelle.hinton@dot.gov; Martha Kenley, 202-604-6879/martha.kenley@dot.gov, Department of Transportation, Federal Highway 
Administration, Office of Civil Rights, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 
Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.

Public Comments Invited

    You are asked to comment on any aspect of these information 
collections, including: (1) Whether the proposed collections are 
necessary for the FHWA's performance; (2) the accuracy of the estimated 
burdens; (3) ways for the FHWA to enhance the quality, usefulness, and 
clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that the burdens 
could be minimized, including use of electronic technology, without 
reducing the quality of the collected information. The agency will 
summarize and/or include your comments in the request for OMB's 
clearance of these information collections.
    Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Ch. 35, 
as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.

    Issued On: February 3, 2023.
Michael Howell,
Information Collection Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023-02640 Filed 2-7-23; 8:45 am]
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