The collection of information is mandatory, and is associated with FRA's rule 49 CFR part 228. Entities required to respond include Class I, Class II, and Class III railroads as well as 40 signal employee contractors. The collection of information includes occasional reporting and recordkeeping requirements. Covered employers are required to keep Hours of Duty records of their employees, and must produce them upon request to FRA representatives. The Hours of Service Act specifies the maximum hours and conditions of proper rest for employees engaged in one or more critical categories of work. FRA uses the information collected to both monitor compliance with and to enforce these safety regulations. This revised rule is part of FRAâs broader initiative to reduce the paperwork burden of its regulations on small railroads/contractors while still supporting compliance with the Federal Hours of Service laws and regulations. Current regulations require employees covered by those laws or regulations (covered service employees) to create and retain Hours of Service records by hand (paper) or certify the record using a compliant computerized system with program logic (electronic system). This rule and associated information collection provides a simplified method of computerized recordkeeping (an automated system) for eligible smaller railroads (and eligible contractors and subcontractors) to reduce burden. Reporting and recordkeeping Information is collected on occasion, monthly, and annually. Besides Hours of Duty data, railroads must also provide reports of excess service to FRA and employee training information.
The burden for this collection of information has decreased by 93,515 hours from the last approved submission. The change in burden is to due seven (7) program changes and one (1) adjustment. The program changes are listed in the table provided in the answer to question number 15 of the attached Supporting Justification. Program changes then decreased the burden by 93,505 hours and increased the number of responses by 108,728.
There was also one adjustment listed in the table provided in the answer to question number 15 of the attached Supporting Justification. This adjustment decreased the burden by 10 hours and decreased the number of responses by one (1).
The current OMB inventory for this information collection shows a total burden of 3,514,805 hours, while the present submission reflects a total burden of 3,421,290 hours. Hence, there is a burden decrease of 93,515 hours.
The cost to respondents has increased by $562,500 from the previously approved submission. The increase in cost is due to program changes. FRA estimates that hardware, software, and training costs associated with the proposed ruleâs automated recordkeeping provisions will increase the burden by $430,000 per year. Additionally, the cost to respondents will increase by $158,500 due to program changes resulting from the new requirements under new Subpart F that reflect programming costs for railroads to modify computer software for the bio-mathematical models of fatigue that they will use for work schedule analyses. Further, the increase in cost reflects training and support costs for employees from the railroad who will be performing the work schedule analysis. The total revised cost to respondents amounts to $588,500. The previously approved cost to respondents came to $26,000. Hence, the change in cost to respondents resulting from this final rule is $562,500.
$124,645
No
No
No
No
No
No
Uncollected
Rick Huggins 202 493-0635
No
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.
Form FRA F 6180.3 Hours of Service Regulations
drfHrsServAutomatedRcdFNLRE.doc
Hours of Service Final Rule 8-29-18.pdf
Hours of Service Regulations