This regulation establishes safe,
uniform procedures covering the use of radio and other wireless
communications for specified classifications of railroad operations
and roadway workers. FRA amended its railroad communications
regulation by restrictiing the use of cellular phones and other
electronic devices. The information collected is used by FRA to
promote safety in rail operations and to ensure compliance by
railroads and their employees with the requirements of this Part.
Non-Substantive Change Request: While working on the renewal
Supporting Justification for this information collection (expires
02/28/2017), FRA discovered that there was a typo in the totals for
the previously approved submission regarding the total number of
hours and total number of responses. Instead of the approved
337,717 hours and 14,277,567 responses, the correct numbers total
337,711 hours and 14,277,561 responses. So, FRA is requesting
approval of this non-substantive change of a decrease of 6 hours
and 6 responses in the OMB inventory for this collection.
Due to the change in
presidential administrations, FRA was unable to publish a Federal
Register notice in a timely manner to provide a 30-day comment
period upon renewal of this control number. FRA will be forwarding
the 30-day notice to the Office of the Federal Register tomorrow..
FRA seeks an emergency 30-day extension to March 31, 2017, of OMB
control number 2130-0524 so that the agency has an opportunity to
submit a renewal for this information collection request without
the disruption caused by an expired OMB control number.
Accordingly, the FRA is seeking emergency clearance for this
information collection pursuant to 5 CPR § 1320.13. The information
collection is needed prior to the time periods established in 5 CPR
part 1320 and is essential to the FRA mission of providing national
rail safety. The agency cannot comply with the normal Paperwork
Reduction Act clearance procedures because doing so would disrupt
the collection of information currently conducted under OMB control
number 2130-0524 as this control number will expire prior to
publication of the 30-day Federal Register notice. This would cause
public harm by adversely affecting the FRA’s ability to continue to
monitor and enforce railroad operations and communications
throughout the country. To ensure that FRA has the continued
capability to collect essential information, it is imperative that
FRA receive a 30-day extension from the OMB for OMB control number
2130-0524.
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.