[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 120 (Wednesday, June 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35874-35875]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-15108]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
[FTA Docket No. FTA-2010-0025]
Notice of Request for Reinstatement of Information Collection
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces the intention of the Federal Transit Administration
(FTA) to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to reinstate
the following new information collections:
(1) Nondiscrimination as it Applies to FTA Grant Programs.
(2) Title VI as it Applies to FTA Grant Programs.
The collections involve FTA's Nondiscrimination and Title VI
Programs. The information to be collected for the Nondiscrimination
Program is necessary to ensure that any employee or applicant for
employment is not discriminated against on the basis of race, color,
creed, sex, national origin, age or disability. The information to be
collected for the Title VI Program is necessary to ensure that service
and benefits are provided nondiscriminatorily without regard to race,
color, or national origin.
DATES: Comments must be submitted before August 23, 2010.
ADDRESSES: To ensure that your comments are not entered more than once
into the docket, submit comments identified by the docket number by
only one of the following methods:
1. Web site: www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for
submitting comments on the U.S. Government electronic docket site.
(Note: The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT's) electronic
docket is no longer accepting electronic comments.) All electronic
submissions must be made to the U.S. Government electronic docket site
at www.regulations.gov. Commenters should follow the directions below
for mailed and hand-delivered comments.
2. Fax: 202-493-2251.
3. Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue,
SE., Docket Operations, M-30, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-
140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
4. Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue, SE., Docket Operations, M-30, West Building, Ground
Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001 between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.
Instructions: You must include the agency name and docket number
for this notice at the beginning of your comments. Submit two copies of
your comments if you submit them by mail. For confirmation that FTA has
received your comments, include a self-addressed stamped postcard. Note
that all comments received, including any personal information, will be
posted and will be available to Internet users, without change, to
www.regulations.gov. You may review DOT's complete
[[Page 35875]]
Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published April 11, 2000,
(65 FR 19477), or you may visit www.regulations.gov. Docket: For access
to the docket to read background documents and comments received, go to
www.regulations.gov at any time. Background documents and comments
received may also be viewed at the U.S. Department of Transportation,
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Docket Operations, M-30, West Building,
Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001 between 9 a.m.
and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
--Ms. Anita Heard, FTA Office of Civil Rights, (202) 493-0318, or
e-mail: [email protected] (Nondiscrimination).
--Ms. Amber Ontiveros, FTA Office of Civil Rights, (202) 366-5130,
or e-mail: [email protected] (Title VI).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Interested parties are invited to send comments regarding any
aspect of this information collection, including: (1) The necessity and
utility of the information collection for the proper performance of the
functions of the FTA; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3)
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the collected
information; and (4) ways to minimize the collection burden without
reducing the quality of the collected information. Comments submitted
in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the
request for OMB approval of this information collection.
Title: Nondiscrimination as it Applies to FTA Grant Programs .
Background: All entities receiving federal financial assistance
from FTA are prohibited from discriminating against any employee or
applicant for employment because of race, color, creed, sex, national
origin, age, or disability. To ensure that FTA's equal employment
opportunity (EEO) procedures are followed, FTA requires grant
recipients to submit written EEO plans to FTA for approval. FTA's
assessment of this requirement shows that formulating, submitting, and
implementing EEO programs should minimally increase costs for FTA
applicants and recipients.
To determine a grantee's compliance with applicable laws and
requirements, grantee submissions are evaluated and analyzed based on
the following criteria. First, an EEO program must include an EEO
policy statement issued by the chief executive officer covering all
employment practices, including recruitment, selection, promotions,
terminations, transfers, layoffs, compensation, training, benefits, and
other terms and conditions of employment. Second, the policy must be
placed conspicuously so that employees, applicants, and the general
public are aware of the agency's EEO commitment.
The data derived from written EEO and affirmative action plans will
be used by the Office of Civil Rights in monitoring grantees'
compliance with applicable EEO laws and regulations. This monitoring
and enforcement activity will ensure that minorities and women have
equitable access to employment opportunities and that recipients of
federal funds do not discriminate against any employee or applicant
because of race, color, creed, sex, national origin, age, or
disability.
Respondents: FTA grant recipients.
Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: 25 hours for each of the 97
EEO submissions.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 2,416 hours.
Frequency: On occasion, every 3 years, annually.
Title: Title VI as it Applies to FTA Grant Programs.
Background: Section 601 of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
states: ``No person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race,
color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied
the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or
activity receiving Federal financial assistance.'' This information
collection is required by the Department of Justice (DOJ) Title VI
Regulation, 28 CFR Part 42, Subpart F (Section 42.406), and DOT Order
1000.12. FTA policies and requirements are designed to clarify and
strengthen these regulations. This requirement is applicable to all
applicants, recipients, and subrecipients receiving federal financial
assistance. Experience has demonstrated that a program requirement at
the application stage is necessary to assure that benefits and services
are equitably distributed by grant recipients. The requirements
prescribed by the Office of Civil Rights accomplish that objective
while diminishing possible vestiges of discrimination among FTA grant
recipients. FTA's assessment of this requirement indicated that the
formulation and implementation of the Title VI program should occur
with a decrease in costs to such applicants and recipients. All FTA
grant applicants, recipients, and subrecipients are required to submit
applicable Title VI information to the FTA Office of Civil Rights for
review and approval. If FTA did not conduct pre-award reviews,
solutions would not be generated in advance and program improvements
could not be integrated into projects. FTA's experience with pre-award
reviews for all projects and grants suggests this method contributes to
maximum efficiency and cost effectiveness of FTA dollars and has kept
post-award complaints to a minimum. Moreover, the objective of the
Title VI statute can be more easily attained and beneficiaries of FTA
funded programs have a greater likelihood of receiving transit services
and related benefits on a nondiscriminatory basis.
Respondents: FTA grant recipients.
Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: 23 hours for each of the
316 Title VI programs.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 5,332 hours.
Frequency: Annual.
Issued: June 17, 2010.
Ann M. Linnertz,
Associate Administrator for Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-15108 Filed 6-22-10; 8:45 am]
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