Justification for Emergency Processing

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20220

TO:

Alex Goodenough, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

FROM:

Spencer W. Clark, Acting Director for
Records and Information Management

6/17/2021

SUBJECT: Justification for Emergency Processing: Coronavirus Economic Relief for
Transportation Services, OMB Control No. 1505-XXXX
Pursuant to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) procedures established at 5 C.F.R. §
1320.13, the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) requests emergency processing for the
Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (“CERTS”) information collection
request.
On December 27, 2020, the President signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the
“Act”). Division N, Title IV, Subtitle B, Section 421 of the Act provides $2 billion for the U.S.
Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”) to provide grants to eligible providers of transportation
services (“Recipients”) under the Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services
(“CERTS”) Program. Recipients include motorcoach companies, school bus companies,
passenger vessel companies, and pilotage companies. Under Section 421 of the Act, Recipients
must demonstrate significant revenue losses as a result of COVID-19 and must use grant funds
for payroll costs and for other eligible operating expenses. Treasury requests that OMB approve
the CERTS application by June 17, 2021.
Due to the need to make payments expeditiously to the eligible grantees under section 421, it is
not possible to follow normal clearance procedures. Given the inability to seek public comment
during such a short timeframe, Treasury requests a waiver from the requirement to publish notice
in the Federal Register seeking public comment during the period of OMB review.