Emergency ICR Memo

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460

MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:

Emergency Review of the Information Collection for the Clean School Bus
Rebate Program: Application and Close-out Form (OMB Control Number 2060NEW; EPA ICR Number 2780.01)

FROM:

Karl Simon, Director
Transportation and Climate Division
Office of Transportation and Air Quality

THRU:

Courtney Kerwin, Director
Regulatory Support Division
Office of Mission Support

TO:

OMB Desk Officer for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Office of Management and Budget

KARL
SIMON

Digitally signed by KARL
SIMON
Date: 2023.08.01
12:41:21 -04'00'

Pursuant to section 3507(j) of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), as
implemented in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR §1320.13,
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hereby requesting emergency processing of a
proposed information collection, the Clean School Bus Rebate Program.
Information Collection is Essential to the Mission of the Agency
The Clean School Bus (CSB) Program allows EPA to fund the replacement of school buses with
cleaner buses via grants, rebates, and contracts. The program is authorized by Title XI, Section
71101 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58).
The CSB Rebates Program currently collects information under an existing ICR; namely the
Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) and Clean School Bus (CSB) Rebate Program ICR No.
2060-0686. The Environmental Protection Agency currently uses ICR No. 2060-0686 to collect
information for the CSB Program, but the Agency now needs additional information to ensure
successful administration and management of the Clean School Bus Program. This ICR is
requesting emergency clearance to cover these additional components. Within six months of
approval, EPA intends to submit a revision ICR under the base control number to consolidate all
components of this collection.
EPA uses approved procedures and forms to collect necessary information to operate a rebate
program and has been providing rebates under CSB since 2022. EPA is preparing to launch the

2023 CSB Rebate Application for new potential applicants, as well as launch the 2022 CSB
Rebate Close-out Form for existing program participants. EPA is requesting an emergency ICR
for additional data to be collected on the 2023 Application and 2022 Close-out Form; these
additional data are needed to operate the rebate program as authorized by Congress under the
CSB statute. Additionally, new data fields in the Application and Close-out Form are needed for
EPA to verify that rebate recipients use the program funds consistent with program requirements,
and to gather performance data that can inform future research and policy decisions.
EPA requires the collection of additional Application data fields to collect information in three
areas: 1) funding amounts, 2) partnership agreements, and 3) existing bus details. The additional
Close-out Form information includes applicant organization identification, fleet size, disposition
of replaced buses, replacement bus characteristics (e.g., information on batteries and warranties),
electric charger details, proof of delivery/installation/invoices, and contact information for
telematics data (if voluntarily provided).
Information Collection Activities Involved in this Emergency Request
The new data fields on the Clean School Bus Application that are covered by this emergency
ICR include:
•

•

•

Checkboxes Related to Funding Amount:
o Cost Share acknowledgement: certification that the applicant will identify other
external funds that offset cost of electric school buses or supporting infrastructure,
and thus is applying for a lower funding amount than eligible for
o American Disabilities Act (ADA) equipment: indicating installation of ADA
Equipment by bus line item
o Shipping bus(es) to non-lower 48 states and territories: indicating funds are
needed to ship one or more buses to non-lower 48 states and territories
Partnership Agreements
o Document one (Utility Agreement): acknowledges and certifies utility planning
requirements and coordination
o Document two (School Board Agreement): applicant certifies school board is
aware of the applicant pursuing the new bus project.
o Document two (third party Vendor only): certifies that served school district is
aware of third party applying on behalf of the served school district.
o Labor/Workforce training: (Checkmark) allow applicants to indicate awareness of
program requirements for electrician training and the importance of developing a
workforce development plan
Existing Buses to Be Replaced
o Scrappage: checkbox per bus line item to attest to meeting eligibility requirements
for an exception to the scrappage requirement for the CSB Rebate Program.

The new data fields on the Close-out Form that are covered by this emergency ICR include:
• Organization and point of contact (name, title, phone number and email) information to
include the following organizations:
o Scrap yards
o Organization selling, donating, or scrapping old equipment
o Organization purchasing and receiving any (old or new) bus and/or infrastructure
• # of buses in the fleet that are electric, propane, and/or Compressed Natural Gas
• The odometer readings of old buses to be scrapped/donated or sold
• Type of fuel or charger type for a new bus to include charger capacity
• Replacement bus (Propane/CNG) Estimated annual fuel consumption
• Replacement bus estimated annual mileage
• Replacement bus estimated idling hours (Propane or CNG)
• Zero Emission Battery Capacity
• Electrical Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) and/or is bus capable of Bi-directional or
Vehicle-To- Grid (V2G) charging
• Replacement bus auxiliary heater presence and type (electric, propane, diesel, gas, or
other)
• Replacement bus warranty information to include years and miles covered for powertrain
(CNG/Propane & Zero Emission) and Zero Emission bus Batteries to include battery
discharge threshold
• Awardees utilizing other funding opportunities to include State, Federal, City, Non-profit,
and any other type of funding opportunity and including the amount and type of funding
used to complete project
• For infrastructure projects, the location (street address, city, county, state, and postal
code) of new Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) to include chargers, pedestals,
and utility meters
• Willingness to share telematics data with the EPA and/or its affiliates for analysis and use
in future policy decisions.
• Point of Contact (primary and alternate name(s), title, email, and phone number)
information for voluntary telematics data submission
• New bus EPA Certification or CARB Certification
• New bus Certification number
EPA Cannot Reasonably Comply with the Normal Clearance Procedures
EPA is requesting an emergency approval of this ICR because delays to the collection of this
application and close-out data will result in delayed close-out of the current (FY22) funding
round and a delayed launch of the next (FY23) funding round of these bus replacement projects;
these delays would result in the potential for delayed scrappage of existing buses, which may
lead to greater levels of emissions that impact children’s health.

Agency Has Taken All Practicable Steps to Consult with Affected Parties in Order to
Minimize Burden
As part of the current OMB-approved ICR renewal for the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act
(DERA) and Clean School Bus (CSB) Rebate Programs (OMB Control Number: 2060-0686;
EPA ICR Number: 2461.04), EPA contacted entities that had applied in the past for rebates to
replace school buses under DERA to receive feedback on their burden. These entities were also
potential beneficiaries of the CSB rebates, and their feedback was used to reduce burden for both
programs. For the new data fields in the Application and Close-out Form, rebate recipients enter
data directly into the Application or Close-out Form, which is a webform application with a userfriendly interface. The webform ensures that all required data fields are completed. The design
and use of this webform reduces the burden on rebate recipients and EPA staff. Because this
webform auto-populates information throughout the application process from Application
through to Close-out Form, the burden on rebate recipients is minimized.
Requested Approval Date
EPA requests that OMB please provide an approval/disapproval determination of this request to
collect information under an emergency clearance by August 30, 2023.
If you have any questions or need anything further, please contact Courtney Kerwin
([email protected]) or Timothy Thomas ([email protected]).