Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection Publication: Federal Register Agency: Federal Highway Administration Byline: Jazmyne Lewis Date: 18 September 2024 Subjects: American Government , Crime, Roads & Highways

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 181 (Wednesday, September 18, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76621-76622]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21253]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No. FHWA-2024-0064]


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 approve a new information collection. We are required to publish 
this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995.

DATES: Please submit comments by October 18, 2024.

[[Page 76622]]


ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number 
0064 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: Mr. Michael Dougherty, (667) 668-1781, 
Office of Policy and Governmental Affairs, Office of Highway Policy 
Information, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Office 
hours are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We published a Federal Register Notice with 
a 60-day public comment period on this information collection on June 
21, 2024, at [89 FR 52200]. There were no comments received.
    Title: Highway Use Tax Evasion Discretionary Grant Program.
    Background: The Highway Use Tax Evasion Projects (HUTE) program 
provides funding to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the States 
to carry out intergovernmental enforcement efforts, along with training 
and research, to reduce evasion of payment of motor fuel and other 
highway use taxes, which are the principal sources for Federal and 
State highway funding. Under the current Surface Transportation 
Authorization, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), $2 
million is available to make grants for intergovernmental enforcement 
efforts, including research and training. The intergovernmental 
enforcement efforts grants are awarded to State agencies through a 
competitive application process from which FHWA and the IRS make 
selections based on the most innovative, intergovernmental proposals. 
The States then perform various tasks, including increased enforcement, 
enhancement of data systems, and coordination with other State 
agencies.
    The remaining funding may, at the discretion of the Secretary of 
Transportation, either be awarded for intergovernmental enforcement 
efforts grants, or allocated to the IRS for their enforcement efforts.
    While the statute allows for the IRS to determine the use of their 
allocations, they must be used in some fashion related to the 
identification and elimination of highway use tax evasion. For both the 
States and the IRS, the initiatives may include, but are not limited 
to, office examinations, refinery and terminal examinations, and on-
road enforcement in areas such as the illegal use of dyed diesel fuel 
by motor vehicles.
    Respondents: There are 51 respondents, including 50 State 
Transportation Departments, and the District of Columbia. While the 
applications are open to all those organizations, on average, about 16 
applications are received each year for grant requests, some of which 
include multiple States, which brings the total individual projects to 
around 30.
    Frequency: On an on-going basis as grant opportunities are 
announced.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: There are an average of 16 
applications filed each cycle. It takes approximately 40 hours to 
gather the information and upload it through the grants.gov system.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: Total estimated average annual 
burden is 800 hours.
    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: September 13, 2024.
Jazmyne Lewis,
Information Collection Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-21253 Filed 9-17-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P