Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping Requirements; Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping Requirements; Agency Information

Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information

Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR

describes the nature of the information collection and its expected

burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period

soliciting comments on the following collection of information was

published on August 28, 1997 (62 FR 45694-45695).

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 1, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. James D. McCauley, Department of

Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, 400 Seventh Street,

SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15

p.m., E.T., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

Title: Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP).

OMB Number: 2125-0536.

Type of Request: Reinstatement, with change, of a previously

approved collection for which approval has expired.

Affected Public: State MCSAP lead agencies.

Abstract: Sections 401-404 of the Surface Transportation Assistance

Act of 1982 (STAA) established a program of financial assistance to the

States' implementation of programs for the enforcement of (a) Federal

rules, regulations, standards, and orders applicable to commercial

motor vehicle

[[Page 10257]]

safety and (b) compatible State rules, regulations, standards, and

orders. This grant-in-aid program is known as the Motor Carrier Safety

Assistance Program (MCSAP). The Intermodal Surface Transportation

Safety Act of 1991 (ISTEA) added programs, such as drug interdiction,

traffic enforcement, and size and weight activities to the core program

established by the STAA. Pursuant to the STAA, in order to qualify for

a grant, participating States must submit a plan which is adequate to

promote the objectives of Section 402 and meet a number of specified

requirements. Section 402(c) of the STAA requires that the Secretary,

on the basis of reports submitted by the State agency and the

Secretary's own inspections make a continuing evaluation of the manner

in which each State is carrying out its approved plan. This provision

is implemented in 49 CFR 350.19 and Appendix B, paragraph G. In order

for the Secretary (i.e. Federal Highway Administration) to make this

evaluation, it is necessary for the State to provide and/or maintain

information concerning past, present, and future enforcement activity.

The application by a State for a grant must contain the information

required by 49 CFR 350.9 or 350.11, 250.13 and 250.15. This information

is necessary to enable the FHWA to determine whether a State meets the

statutory and administrative criteria to be eligible for a grant. It is

necessary that a State's work activities and accomplishments be

reported so that FHWA may monitor and evaluate a State's progress under

its approved plan and make the determinations and decisions required of

49 CFR 350.19, 350.23, and 350.25.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 14,498 hours.

Addresses: Send comments to the Office of Information and

Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725-17th Street,

NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention FHWA Desk Officer. Comments are

invited on: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary

for the proper performance of the functions of the Department,

including whether the information will have practical utility; the

accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the proposed

information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility and

clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information on respondents, including the

use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information

technology.

Issued in Washington, DC, on February 20, 1998.

Vanester M. Williams,

Clearance Officer, United States Department of Transportation.

[FR Doc. 98-5279 Filed 2-27-98; 8:45 am]

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