Transit COVID-19 Response Program

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
FINAL - Supporting Statement Transit COVID-19 Response Program.docx Supporting Statement A	2021-03-03
30-Day Final FRN Transit COVID-19 Response Program.docx Supplementary Document	2021-03-03
Signed Memo to OMB Requesting Approval for Trtansit COVID-19 Response Program.pdf Supplementary Document	2021-03-03

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Document Title	Status
246031	Section 5310	New
246030	Section 5311 Tribal Transit Providers	New
246024	Section 5311 Rural Public Transportation Providers	New
246019	Section 5307 Public Transportation Agencies	New

ICR Details

OMB Control No:	ICR Reference No: 202102-2132-001
Status: Received in OIRA	Previous ICR Reference No:
Agency/Subagency: DOT/FTA	Agency Tracking No:
Title: Transit COVID-19 Response Program
Type of Information Collection: New collection (Request for a new OMB Control Number)	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Emergency	Approval Requested By: 03/08/2021
Date Submitted to OIRA: 03/03/2021

	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	6 Months From Approved
Responses	28,680	0
Time Burden (Hours)	10,356	0
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0

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Abstract: To ensure compliance with Executive Order (E.O.) 13998, Promoting COVID-19 Safety in Domestic and International Travel and the Order requiring the wearing of masks by travelers, including on public transportation, to prevent spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 FTA is seeking the approval of an emergency information collection. This collection will require bi-weekly mandatory reporting pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 5334 and in response to the CDC Order and TSA Security Directive, from recipients and subrecipients of FTA funds under the Urbanized Area Formula Funding program or the Formula Grants for Rural Areas program that operate transit systems or pass through funds to subrecipients that operate transit systems. Recipients of FTA funds under the Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities program are requested to provide this information on a voluntary basis. To address this immediate information need, FTA is seeking emergency clearance to require applicable FTA grant recipients to report data in three categories: (1) Transit Worker Counts: Total number of transit operators, other frontline essential personnel, and other workers during the reporting period; (2) COVID-19 Impacts on Transit Agency Service Levels: Yes or no responses to indicate if the agency suspended service, reduced service, or operated at normal levels during the reporting period; and (3) COVID-19 Impacts on Transit Workforce: Cumulative counts of transit worker COVID-19 positives, fatalities, recoveries, and unvaccinated employees during the reporting period, to the extent that the grant recipient is able to compile such information consistent with applicable privacy laws, and yes or no responses on whether the agency is requiring workers to be vaccinated and whether the agency is implementing the CDC Order that requires workers and passengers to wear masks.This data is not currently available to the Federal Government. This information is critical to understanding agency-level COVID-19 risk to transit workers and passengers, and the follow-on effects of worker shortages on operational capacity.

Emergency Justfication: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, FTA is requesting the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) emergency approval for a new information collection. The collection of information is associated with COVID-19 and supports compliance with Executive Order (E.O.) 13998, Promoting COVID-19 Safety in Domestic and International Travel. The data collected will be used to support transit workforce vaccine distribution and implementation of Federal mask requirements for public modes of transportation. COVID-19 poses significant risk to the Nation’s communities and transit providers. Yet, throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency, transit agencies across the country continue to provide millions of trips to lifeline services, including transporting healthcare personnel and other essential workers on the front line of the Nation’s COVID-19 response. Accordingly, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency designates transit workers as essential critical infrastructure workers. However, FTA’s review of State vaccination plans indicates that many states have prioritized transit workers differently than CDC/ACIP guidance and placed another group ahead of transit workers. It may take many months before all frontline transit workers can be vaccinated, though their communities will continue to rely on them to provide critical transportation services every day—including transportation to vaccination sites. Without emergency clearance to collect needed information, FTA is ill-equipped to assess the transit industry’s compliance with the Federal mask requirements and provide risk-based guidance and support for the COVID-19 recovery efforts of the transit industry. This information collection is essential to FTA’s safety oversight and grant-making roles—both critical to the Agency’s mission of improving public transportation for America's communities. Delay in acquiring this information may hinder recovery efforts including vaccination and thereby increase the risk of COVID-19 to transit workers and passengers, potentially resulting in additional morbidity and mortality in America’s communities.

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Authorizing Statute(s): EO: EO 13998 Name/Subject of EO: Promoting COVID-19 Safety in Domestic and International Travel
   US Code: 49 USC 5334 Name of Law: Transportation Administrative Provisions
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments

Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 4

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
Section 5311 Rural Public Transportation Providers
Section 5311 Tribal Transit Providers
Section 5310
Section 5307 Public Transportation Agencies

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Request	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	28,680	0	0	28,680	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	10,356	0	0	10,356	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: This is a new request for an emergency information collection.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $370,600

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     No

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Yes

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Common Form ICR:  No

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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:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(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;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

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.

Certification Date: 03/03/2021

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