Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection

AGENCY:

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for a new information collection, which is summarized below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES:

Please submit comments by October 12, 2018.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID 2018-0041 by any of the following methods:

Website: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

Fax: 1-202-493-2251.

Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001.

Hand Delivery or Courier: U.S. Department of Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Melissa Corder, 202-366-5853, melissa.corder@dot.gov; Office of Real Estate Services, Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation, New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001. Office hours are from 6:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Fixed Residential Moving Cost Schedule.

Background: Relocation assistance payments to owners and tenants who move personal property for a Federal or federally-assisted program or project are governed by the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended (Uniform Act). 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), part 24, is the implementing regulation for the Uniform Act. 49 CFR 24.301 addresses payments for actual and reasonable moving and related expenses. The fixed residential moving cost schedule is an administrative alternative to reimbursement of actual moving costs. This option provides flexibility for the agency and affected property owners and tenants. The FHWA requests the State Departments of Transportation (State DOTs) to analyze moving cost data periodically to assure that the fixed residential moving cost schedules accurately reflect reasonable moving and related expenses. The regulation allows State DOTs flexibility in determining how to collect the cost data in order to reduce the burden of government regulation. Updated State fixed residential moving costs are submitted to the FHWA electronically.

Respondents: State Departments of Transportation (52, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico).

Frequency: Once every 3 years.

Estimated Average Burden per Response: 24 hours per respondent.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 24 hours for each of the 52 State Departments of Transportation. The total is 1,248 burden hours, once every 3 years, or 416 hours annually.

Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed collection is necessary for the FHWA's performance; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burdens; (3) ways for the FHWA to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that the burden could be minimized, including the use of electronic technology, without reducing the quality of the collected information. The agency will summarize and/or include your comments in the request for OMB's clearance of this information collection.

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.