E7-20839. Agency Information Collection Activities: Notice of Request for Renewal of a Previously Approved Information Collection

AGENCY:

Office of the Secretary (OST).

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The OST invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for renewal of a previously approved information collection that 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 December 24, 2007.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments identified by Docket ID Number FHWA-2007-0006 by any of the following methods:

Web Site: 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: [phone].

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:

David Walterscheid, 720-963-3073, Office of Real Estate Services, Federal Highway Administration, 12300 West Dakota Ave., Room 175, Lakewood, CO 80228, between 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Regulations for Federal and Federally Assisted Programs.

OMB Control #: 2105-0508.

Background: This program implements 42 U.S.C. 4602, concerning acquisition of real property and relocation assistance for displaced persons for Federal and federally-assisted programs. It prohibits the provision of relocation assistance and payments to persons not legally in the United States (with certain exceptions). The information collected consists of a certification of residency status from affected persons to establish eligibility for relocation assistance and payments. Displacing agencies will require each person who is to be displaced by a Federal or federally-assisted project, as a condition of eligibility for relocation payments or advisory assistance, to certify that he or she is lawfully present in the United States.

Respondents: Federal agencies, State highway agencies, local government highway agencies, and airport sponsors receiving financial assistance for expenditures of Federal funds on acquisition and relocation payments and required services to displaced persons.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,460 for file maintenance and 52 state highway agencies for statistical reports.

Estimated Average Burden per Response: The average burden per response is 16.5 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 25,000 hours.

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.

Issued On: October 17, 2007.

James R. Kabel,

Chief, Management Programs and Analysis Division.