TIFIA 30 Day FR Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2013 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 8547]

30-Day Notice of Proposed Information
Collection: Exchange Programs
Alumni Web Site Registration
Notice of request for public
comment and submission to OMB of
proposed collection of information.

ACTION:

The Department of State has
submitted the information collection
described below to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
approval. In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 we
are requesting comments on this
collection from all interested
individuals and organizations. The
purpose of this Notice is to allow 30
days for public comment.
DATES: Submit comments directly to the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) up to January 15, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Direct comments to the
Department of State Desk Officer in the
Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs at the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB). You may submit
comments by the following methods:
• Email: oira_submission@
omb.eop.gov. You must include the DS
form number, information collection
title, and the OMB control number in
the subject line of your message.
• Fax: 202–395–5806. Attention: Desk
Officer for Department of State.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Direct requests for additional
information regarding the collection
listed in this notice, including requests
for copies of the proposed collection
instrument and supporting documents,
to Chang Suh, Alumni Outreach
Specialist, Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs; U.S. Department of
State; SA–5, Room C2–C20;
Washington, DC 20522–0503, who may
be reached on 202–632–6183 or at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
• Title of Information Collection:
Exchange Programs Alumni Web site
Registration.
• OMB Control Number: 1405–0192.
• Type of Request: Extension of an
Approved Request.
• Originating Office: Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs, ECA/
P/A.
• Form Number: DS–7006.
• Respondents: Exchange program
alumni and current participants of U.S.
government-sponsored exchange
programs.
• Estimated Number of Respondents:
20,000.

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SUMMARY:

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• Estimated Number of Responses:
20,000.
• Average Time per Response: 10
minutes.
• Total Estimated Burden Time: 3,333
hours.
• Frequency: One time per
respondent.
• Obligation to Respond: Required to
Obtain or Retain a Benefit.
We are soliciting public comments to
permit the Department to:
• Evaluate whether the proposed
information collection is necessary for
the proper functions of the Department.
• Evaluate the accuracy of our
estimate of the time and cost burden for
this proposed collection, including the
validity of the methodology and
assumptions used.
• Enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected.
• Minimize the reporting burden on
those who are to respond, including the
use of automated collection techniques
or other forms of information
technology.
Please note that comments submitted
in response to this Notice are public
record. Before including any detailed
personal information, you should be
aware that your comments as submitted,
including your personal information,
will be available for public review.
Abstract of proposed collection: The
International Exchange Alumni Web site
requires information to process users’
voluntary request for participation in
the International Exchange Alumni Web
site. Other than contact exchange
program information, which is required
for Web site registration, all other
information is provided on a voluntary
basis. Participants also have the option
of restricting access to their information.
Respondents to this information
collection are U.S. governmentsponsored exchange program
participants and alumni. Alumni Affairs
collects data from users to not only
verify their status or participation in a
program, but to help alumni network
with one another and aid embassy staff
in their alumni outreach.
Methodology: Information provided
for registration is collected
electronically via the Alumni Web site,
alumni.state.gov.
Additional Information: International
Exchange Alumni is a secure, encrypted
Web site.
Dated: December 4, 2013.
Tania Chomiak-Salvi,
Director, Office of Policy and Evaluation,
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs,
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2013–29865 Filed 12–13–13; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
Transportation Infrastructure
Financing and Innovation Act (TIFIA)
Program; Agency Information
Collection Activities and Request for
Comments
Office of the Secretary of
Transportation (OST), DOT.
SUMMARY: The Department of
Transportation (DOT) received no
public comments following the
publication of its 60-day notice of
proposed information collection. As
identified in the 60-day notice, the
information is currently being collected
under an approved Information
Collection Request. OST requests that
the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) renew an Information Collection
Request (OMB Control Number 2105–
0569) in accordance with the
requirements of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13,
44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), and requests
additional comments and
recommendations.
On July 6, 2012, the President of the
United States signed the Moving Ahead
for Progress in the 21st Century Act of
2012 (MAP–21). MAP–21 authorized
$750 million in FY 2013 and $1 billion
in FY 2014 for the Transportation
Infrastructure Financing and Innovation
Act (TIFIA) program to pay the subsidy
cost of supporting Federal credit. The
TIFIA program will provide Federal
credit assistance in the form of direct
loans, loan guarantees, and standby
lines of credit to eligible surface
transportation projects. This
information collection relates to the
collection of information from entities
interested in TIFIA credit assistance and
assists DOT in evaluating projects and
project sponsors for program eligibility
and creditworthiness.
A 60-day Federal Register notice was
published on September 27, 2013, 2013
(78 FR 59751). Since the publication of
the 60-day Federal Register notice, no
comments were received to the Docket
(DOT–OST–2013–0173) and therefore
no review of comments was required, so
none was performed by the Department.
DATES: Written comments should be
submitted by January 15, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be submitted by January 15, 2014 and
submitted to the attention of the DOT/
OST Desk Officer, Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget, Docket
Library, Room 10102, 725 17th Street
NW., Washington, DC 20503 or by email
at [email protected] with
AGENCY:

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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2013 / Notices

the associated OMB Control Number
2105–0569. Comments are invited on:
(a) The need for the proposed collection
of information for the proper
performance of the functions of the
agency, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(b) The accuracy of the agency’s
estimate of the burden of the proposed
collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and
assumptions used; (c) Ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (d)
Ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, including the use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The
TIFIA program manager via email at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Transportation Infrastructure
Financing and Innovation Act program
or TIFIA program .
OMB Control Number: 2105–0569.
Affected Public: State and local
governments, transit agencies, railroad
companies, special authorities, special
districts, and private entities.
Estimated Total Annual Number of
Responses: 50 letters of interest and 50
applications.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 6,000 hours. Based on the
number and type of interested
stakeholders that have contacted the
Department about this program, OST
estimates that it will receive 50
applications and letters of interest and
that it will generally not take applicants
more than 100 person-hours to assemble
individual applications and 20 personhours to assemble individual letters of
interest. Therefore, the total annual hour
burden of this collection of applications
is 6,000 hours.
Frequency of Collection: The
Department expects that this
information collection will occur on a
rolling basis as interested entities seek
TIFIA credit assistance.
Background: This is an existing
information collection that was
originally approved through the
emergency approval process on August
7, 2013. DOT has published a notice in
the Federal Register (also available at:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/pdfs/tifia/
fy2013_tifia_nofa_073112.pdf) to give
project sponsors an opportunity to
submit Letters of Interest and
applications for the newly authorized
funding as soon as possible. However,
in addition to authorizing more funding
for TIFIA credit assistance, MAP–21

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made some significant changes to the
TIFIA program’s structure, including the
terms and conditions pursuant to which
DOT can provide TIFIA credit
assistance. DOT is required to solicit
letters of interest and applications for
TIFIA credit assistance from interested
applicants. DOT has developed forms
that provide a way for interested
applicants to submit information
required by DOT in order for DOT to
evaluate that interested applicant’s
application for TIFIA credit assistance.
The forms for the letter of interest and
application are available for review at
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/tifia/
guidance_applications/tifia_
applications.htm. DOT will use the
collected information to evaluate and
select recipients for credit assistance as
authorized under MAP–21. Applicants
may be asked to provide additional
supporting evidence or to quantify
details during the review and
negotiation process on a case-by-case
basis.
MAP–21 establishes a multi-step
application process for TIFIA credit
assistance. This process begins with the
submission of a letter of interest and
determination of eligibility. Only after a
project sponsor has submitted a letter of
interest and met all statutory eligibility
requirements will the project sponsor be
invited to submit an application.
The letter of interest must (i) describe
the project and the location, purpose,
and cost of the project, (ii) outline the
proposed financial plan, including the
requested credit assistance and the
proposed obligor; (iii) provide a status
of environmental review; and (iv)
provide information regarding
satisfaction of other eligibility
requirements of the TIFIA credit
program. Letters of Interest will be
submitted using the form on the TIFIA
Web site: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/
tifia/guidance_applications/index.htm.
DOT has revised the form for the letter
of interest to reflect changes made to the
TIFIA program by MAP–21. The letter of
interest form requires project sponsors
to provide information demonstrating
satisfaction (or expected satisfaction if
permitted by the statute) of each of the
eligibility requirements included in
MAP–21. DOT estimates that the letter
of interest would require approximately
20 hours in each instance to complete.
If a project sponsor is invited to
submit an application, DOT estimates
that each application will require
approximately 100 hours to complete.
DOT uses the application to seek a
project sponsor’s contact information for
the applicant entity; project information
including name, location, description,
rural project description (if applicable),

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purpose (quantitative/qualitative
details), cost and TIFIA credit assistance
request, project management and
compliance monitoring plan,
maintenance and operations plan. DOT
also expects project sponsors to submit
information confirming that the project
satisfies eligibility requirements
including creditworthiness (rate
covenant, coverage requirements,
investment grade rating(s)), fosters
partnerships that attract public and
private investment, demonstrates that
TIFIA assistance would enable the
project to proceed at an earlier date or
with reduced lifecycle costs and that
TIFIA assistance would reduce the
contribution of Federal grant assistance.
Sponsors also must report in the
application the status of project
environmental review (NEPA), permits
and approvals, transportation planning
and programming process approvals
(STIP and TIP), construction contracting
process readiness, and expected project
schedule. Project sponsors are required
to produce a financial plan including
estimated capital project cost, amount
and type of credit assistance requested,
amount of TIFIA assistance requested, a
summary table detailing sources and
uses of funds, cash flow pro forma, a
supplementary narrative detailing other
borrowed funds and revenue sources
(including pledged repayment source).
Finally, a project sponsor must
indicate in the application the proposed
terms for the requested TIFIA credit
instrument, reasons for selecting the
proposed type(s) of credit instrument,
flexibility in financial plan to support a
reduced percentage-share of TIFIA
credit assistance, risks and mitigation
strategies, details on the applicant’s
organizational structure, including
background information and legal
authority, organization and
management, identity of the entity that
will serve as the applicant (public-sector
agency or private-sector firm),whether
the applicant the same entity as the
borrower (detail project team members),
prior experience, financial condition,
and litigation and/or conflicts.
Issued in Washington, DC, on December 6,
2013.
Patricia Lawton,
Departmental PRA Clearance Officer, Office
of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013–29782 Filed 12–13–13; 8:45 am]
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