E6-4099. Notice of Request for Extension of Currently Approved Information Collection: Certification of Enforcement of Vehicle Size and Weight Laws

AGENCY:

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The FHWA has forwarded the information collection request described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to renew an information collection. We published a Federal Register Notice with a 60-day public comment period on this information collection on January 13, 2006. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES:

Please submit comments by April 21, 2006.

ADDRESSES:

You may send comments, within 30 days, to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention DOT Desk Officer. 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 burden; (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. All comments should include the Docket number FHWA-2006-23551.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Bob Davis, Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Freight Management and Operations, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Certification of Enforcement of Vehicle Size and Weight Laws.

OMB Control Number: 2125-0034 (Expiration Date: July 31, 2006).

Background: Title 23, U.S.C., 141, requires each State, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to file an annual certification that they are enforcing their size and weight laws on Federal-aid highways and that their Interstate System weight limits are consistent with Federal requirements to be eligible to receive an apportionment of Federal highway trust funds. Section 141 also authorizes the Secretary to require States to file such information as is necessary to verify that their certifications are accurate. To determine whether States are adequately enforcing their size and weight limits, each must submit an updated plan for enforcing their size and weight limits to the FHWA at the beginning of each fiscal year. At the end of the fiscal year, they must submit their certifications and sufficient information to verify that their enforcement goals established in the plan have been met. Failure of a State to file a certification, adequately enforce its size and weight laws and enforce weight laws on the Interstate System that are consistent with Federal requirements, could result in a specified reduction of its Federal highway fund apportionment for the next fiscal year. In addition, section 123 of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-599, 92 Stat. 2689, 2701) requires each jurisdiction to inventory (1) its penalties for violation of its size and weight laws, and (2) the term and cost of its oversize and overweight permits.

Respondents: The State Departments of Transportation (or equivalent) in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: The estimated total annual burden for all respondents is 4,160 hours.

Frequency: The reports must be submitted annually.

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

James R. Kabel,

Chief, Management Programs and Analysis Division.