Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection Publication: Federal Register Agency: Federal Highway Administration Byline: Jazmyne Lewis Date: 4 December 2023 Subjects: American Government , Roads & Highways

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 231 (Monday, December 4, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 84183-84184]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26511]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No. FHWA-2023-0051]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments 
for a New Information Collection

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA has forwarded the information collection request 
described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
to renew an information collection. We published a Federal Register 
Notice with a 60-day public comment period on this information 
collection on September 26, 2023. We are required to publish this 
notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Please submit comments by January 3, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number 
0051 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janelle Hinton, (202) 941-6744/janelle.hinton@dot.gov; Martha Kenley, (202) 604-6979/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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Supportive Services (DBE/
SS).
    Background: The DBE/SS regulations (23 CFR 230.204(c)) require 
State DOT recipients to provide a detailed Statement of Work (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 they 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 DBE/SS regulations (23 CFR 230.204(h)) require State DOT 
recipients to provide reports to FHWA as a condition of receiving 
federal funding.

[[Page 84184]]

Although the regulations require reporting, there is no prescribed 
format for reporting this information to FHWA. Thus, FHWA receives 
varied reports that often lack the critical information necessary to 
evaluate whether the metrics identified in the State DOT's SOW have 
been met, and the number and demographic breakdown of DBEs that have 
participated in the program. Without this data provided in a manner 
that can easily be converted into national reports, FHWA is unable 
provide meaningful stewardship and oversight or to measure the 
effectiveness of DBE/SS Programs nationally. The national picture 
created by this report will enable HCR to indicate notable 
implementation efforts and improve its deployment of technical 
assistance to FHWA divisions offices. Also, standardized data will 
improve FHWA's ability to meaningfully respond to stakeholder 
inquiries, including Congress, regarding program accomplishments. 
Further, with standardized data of program results, FHWA can better 
support requests for additional funding.
    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 the 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. 
The information FHWA proposes to collect in its DBE/SS Accomplishment 
Report is based on existing reporting requirements found in 23 CFR 230, 
subpart B and the State DOT's individual detailed statement of work; 
therefore, State DOTs should have this information readily available. 
In addition, the fillable format will streamline the State's reporting 
process by eliminating the States' need to duplicate language from the 
SOW into the Annual Report.
    While the requirements will not change, use of the SOW template and 
Accomplishment Report form will benefit State DOTs and FHWA by making 
the submissions more uniform in size and content, streamlining the 
submission and review process, and pair the performance metrics more 
easily with their accomplishments. By providing the SOW template along 
with this reporting format, FHWA aims to improve its stewardship and 
oversight of the DBE/SS Program, while ensuring State DOTs are 
effectively administering these discretionary grants for the benefit of 
DBEs.
    Respondents: State Departments of Transportation Agencies 
responsible for submitting DBE/SS Statement of Work for the purpose of 
increasing the capacity and to improve the overall business practices 
of DBEs.
    Frequency: DBE/SS SOW are submitted annually (upon funding 
availability); Accomplishment Reports are submitted 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.
    Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of 
this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed 
collection is 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 burden could be minimized, including the 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 this information collection.
    Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. chapter 
35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.

    Issued On: November 28, 2023.
Jazmyne Lewis,
Information Collection Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023-26511 Filed 12-1-23; 8:45 am]
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