2014-05408. Proposed Information Collection Request; Notice of Requirements and Procedures for Grant Payment Request Submission

AGENCY:

Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Transportation (DOT), Office of the Secretary (OST) will be submitting the following request for extension to the previously approved information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on December 27, 2013, allowing for a 60-day public comment period.

DATES:

April 14, 2014.

ADDRESSES:

Direct comments to the Department of Transportation Desk Officer in the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). You may submit comments by the following methods:

• Email: [e-mail]. Include the information collection title and OMB control number in the subject line of your message.
• Fax: [phone]. Attn: Desk Officer for Department of Transportation.
• Send comments regarding the information collection to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 Seventeenth Street NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: OST Desk Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

You may obtain copies of the proposed information collection and supporting documents from US Department of Transportation, Office of Financial Management, B-30, Room W93-431, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001, [phone], [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Notice of Requirements and Procedures for Grant Payment Request Submission.

OMB Control Number: 2105-0564.

Type of Request: Extension to the previously approved information collection.

Background: This notice sets forth requirements and procedures for grantees that receive payments from DOT OAs,^[1] with the exception of DOT grant recipients requesting payment electronically through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Grant Tracking System (GTS), the Federal Highway Administration's Rapid Approval State Payment System (RASPS), or Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant recipients requesting payment through the Electronic Clearing House Operation System (ECHO-Web).

The proposed procedures provide that—

• Grantees will now be required to have electronic internet access to register in the Delphi eInvoicing system.
• Grantees will be required to submit payment requests electronically and DOT OAs must process payment requests electronically.
• The identities of system users must be verified prior to receiving access to the Delphi eInvoicing system. Users must complete a user request form and provide the following information: Full name, work address, work phone number, work email address, home address and home phone number. Once completed, this form must be presented to a Notary Public for verification. Once notarized, the prospective grantee user will return the form to receive their login credentials.
• DOT Office of Financial Management officials may allow exceptions to the requirement that grantees register and submit payment requests through the Delphi eInvoicing system under limited circumstances. Recipients may apply for an exemption by submitting an electronic Waiver Request Form to the DOT Office of Financial Management. The exceptions will be considered on a case by case basis via Waiver Request Form.

Affected Public: DOT Grant Recipients.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 3,000.

Estimated Number of Responses: 3,000.

Annual Estimated Total Burden Hours: 6,000 (est. 2 hours to complete process × 3,000 recipients).

Frequency of Collection: One time.

Comments: 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.

Issued in Washington, DC on March 6, 2014.

Patricia Lawton,

Paperwork Reduction Act Clearance Officer, Department of Transportation.

Footnotes

1.  The DOT OAs are: Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA),Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Maritime Administration (MARAD), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Inspector General (OIG), Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) and Surface Transportation Board (STB).