OMB notes there
was a minimal gap in approval for this collection due to technical
difficulties. DOT is granted an emergency review due to that
circumstance and the additional, unanticipated time required to
complete disbursement of the funds.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
10/31/2009
6 Months From Approved
46
0
0
4,875
0
0
0
0
0
The collection of information will be
used by FRA (and potentially contractors) to review grant
applications to determine whether they fulfill the requirements and
criteria established by statute and agency guidelines concerning
the awarding of $20 million in grant funds to repair and
rehabilitate rail infrastructure throughout the country damaged by
recent hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters.
The current approval for
this collection of information expires June 30,2009, and FRA needs
to keep this collection active so that it can continue to accept
applications for the remaining disater grant funds that were
mandated by Congress under the Consolidated Security, Disaster
Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act of 2009. There is
high Congressional interest, paricularly among the North Dakota
delegation, that FRA move expeditiously to award the remaining
grant funds to help communities throughout the country that have
been severely adversely affected by recent natural disasters. FRA
requests this emergency approval so that it can comply both the
letter of the law and the will of Congress.
PL:
Pub.L. 110 - 329 Ch. 10 Name of Law: The Consolidated Security,
Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009
PL: Pub.L. 110 - 329 Ch. 10 Name of Law: The
Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2009
FRA discovered several days
before the June 30, 2009, expiration of the initial Emergency
Clearance that not all grant funds available under the Railroad
Rehabilitation and Repair Grant Program had been used and that this
required an extension of the current approval. FRA notified OST/OMB
of this at once and of its publication of a renewal Notice in the
Federal Register, but was unable to submit the re-approval package
late yesterday afternoon in ROCIS because the FRA Safety
Information Clearnce Officer who would do this had gone home for
the day. Thus, FRA is requesting a reinstatement without change of
the previous OMB approval. Thanks!
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.