Supporting Statement A 500-Series Data Reporting Guidebook

Department of Transportation (DOT)

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

The Supporting Statement A

500-Series Data Reporting Guidebook

OMB Control No. 2125-XXXX

Introduction: 500-Series Data Reporting Guidebook. This is a request for the reinstatement of the previous / expired OMB number for the Guide to Reporting Highway Statics.

Part A. Justification.

1. Circumstances that make collection of information necessary:

The FHWA needs specific data to meet its responsibilities to Congress and the pubic including “information required for: preparing proposed legislation and reports to Congress; evaluating the extent, performance, condition, and use of the Nation’s transportation systems; analyzing existing and proposed Federal-aid funding methods and levels and the assignment of user-cost responsibility; maintaining a critical information base on fuel availability, use, and revenues generated; and calculating apportionment factors” (23 CFR. §420.105(b)). The FHWA recognized that many State planners and analysts who complete reporting forms are responsible for several reporting areas and need to understand how the different reports interrelate, why certain forms require reconciliation, and how to reconcile these forms. A broad understanding of the national reporting system is also needed to ensure effective coordination between State and local agencies involved in compiling highway statistics. The forms and instructions in this 500-Series Data Reporting Guidebook are designed to address this data collection need.

2. How, by whom, and for what purpose is the information used:

The FHWA uses the data for recording historical information for developing datasets, which are used to perform analysis of highway investment needs, highway deterioration, and Highway Transportation Fund monitoring, including Federal-aid Highway Program funding apportionment to States. The FHWA also uses data from the 500-Series forms to compile tables for the annual Highway Statistics Series publication. The FHWA analysts and other analysts at the national and State levels use the data in multiple ways. Some of the uses of this data include but are not limited to forecasting tax revenue, highway deterioration, and fuel consumption, transportation planning, determining conformance with air quality standards, multimodal design analysis, and roadway safety analysis. Various external users including members of academia, researchers, and insurance agencies use the 500-Series Forms data.

3. Extent of automated information collection:

In coordination with the State DOTs, FHWA developed the 500-Series forms to facilitate submission of the data required by State DOTs to be submitted to FHWA annually in accordance with 23 CFR. §420.105. The State DOTs are required to submit all the 500-Series forms using Fuels and Financial Analysis System for Highways (FASH) and the Policy Information Data (PDIP) system located in User Profile and Access Control System (UPACS).

4. Efforts to identify duplication:

This information collection does not impact identification of duplication.

5. Efforts to minimize the burden on small businesses:

This information collection does not impact small businesses or other small entities.

6. Impact of less frequent collection of information:

States that do not meet annual data submission requirements are subject to potential enforcement of penalties stipulated in 23 CFR §420.105(a) and §420.105(a)(1), which could result in a loss of flexibility in how States can use their State Planning & Research (SP&R) Federal-aid Highway Program funds.

7. Special circumstances:

There are no special circumstances related to this information collection.

8. Compliance with 5 CFR 1320.8:

The FHWA published the 60-day notice to the Federal Register on September 20, 2024, at [89 FR 77222], to request comments from the public. There were 3 comments received.

One comment received was a test. The second comment received was voicing support of this product by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The third comment was a duplicate submitted of this support by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

FHWA published the 30-day notice to the Federal Register on December 30, 2024, at [89 FR 106728], to notify the public of submission of this information collection to OMB for review and approval.

9. Payments or gifts to respondents:

No payments or gifts to respondents are involved.

10. Assurance of confidentiality:

The information to be collected is not confidential in nature.

11. Justification for collection of sensitive information:

The information to be collected is not sensitive in nature.

12. Estimate of burden hours for information requested:

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to vary from four hours to 380 hours per form, with an average of 22.4 hours per form, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering, and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. This estimation of burden is a product of survey answers provided by our State partners.

Table 1. Estimated Public Reporting Burden per Form

Form	Description of Form	Estimated Annual Reporting Burden
Form 531	State Highway Income	40 hours
Form 532	State Highway Expenditures	40 hours
Form 534	State Highway Capital Outlay and Maintenance Expenditures	9 hours
Form 536	Local Highway Finance Report	380 hours
Form 541	State Transportation Obligations Issued During Year and Allotment of Proceeds	5 hours
Form 542	Status of State Transportation Debt	4 hours
Form 551M	Monthly Motor Fuel Consumption	6 hours
Form 556	State Motor Fuel Tax Receipts and Initial Distribution by Collection Agencies	12 hours
Form 561	State Motor Vehicle Registrations, Registration Fees, and Miscellaneous Receipts	32 hours
Form 562	State Driver Licenses and Fees	15 hours
Form 566	State Motor Vehicle Registration Fees and Other Receipts: Initial Distribution by Collecting Agencies	24 hours
Form 571	Receipts from State Taxation of Motor Vehicles Operated for Hire and Other Motor Carriers	12 hours

Form	Number of Respondents	Hours per Form	Total Burden Hours
Form 531	51	40	2040
Form 532	51	40	2040
Form 534	51	9	459
Form 536	51	380	19380
Form 541	51	5	255
Form 542	51	4	204
Form 551M	52	6	312
Form 556	52	12	624
Form 561	51	32	1632
Form 562	51	15	765
Form 566	51	24	1224
Form 571	51	12	612
TOTAL			29,574 hours

The 51 respondents include all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The 52 respondents are all 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

13. Estimate of total annual costs to respondents:

Other than the salaries associated with the number of burden hours described in Question 12, there is no annual costs to respondents.

14. Estimate of cost to the Federal government:

The estimated cost to the FHWA is based on the staff time 1FTE (GS-13S8) 1FTE (GS13S4) 1 FTE (GS14S3) and 1 FTE (GS13S4) to review and process the monthly and annual 500-Series Data Reports by each State. It is computed as follows:

15. Explanation of program changes or adjustments:

This is a new collection request operating without an OMB control number.

16. Publication of results of data collection:

The FHWA uses data from the 500-Series forms to compile tables for the annual Highway Statistics Series publication.¹

17. Approval for not displaying the expiration date of OMB approval:

The FHWA is not seeking this type of approval for this information collection.

18. Exceptions to certification statement:

There are no exceptions to the certification statement.

1 https://usdot.sharepoint.com/:b:/r/teams/fhwa-community-motorfuelhighwayfinance/500%20Series%20Data%20Reporting%20Guidebook/500-Series%20Data%20Reporting%20Guidebook%20Final%202024.pdf?csf=1&web=1&e=ObfWzC