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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 177 / Thursday, September 16, 2021 / Notices
In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Information Collection Request ICR abstracted below is being forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget OMB for review and comments. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following information collection was published June 24, 2021, and the comment period ended August 23, 2021.
One comment related to the ICR was submitted into the docket. The comment proposed striking the existing requirement that an original Application should be provided in three-hole punch binders as part of the application process. The Build America Bureau has accepted this comment and removed the requirement that an original Application should be provided in three-hole punch binders for each loan application.
DATES: Written comments should be submitted directly to the OMB by October 18, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to the attention of the DOT/OST Desk Officer, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Docket Library, Room 10102, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503 or by email at OIRA_submission@
omb.eop.gov with the associated OMB
Control Number 21050569.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Approval No.: 21380013.
Title: Letter of Interest and Application Forms for the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing and Transportation Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act Credit Programs.
Type of Review: Modification of existing information collection.
Background: The RRIF credit program has its origins in Title V of the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976, 45 U.S.C. 821 et seq., which authorized the Federal Railroad Administration to provide railroads certain financial assistance. This Title V
financing program was replaced by the RRIF program under section 7203 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century of 1998, Public Law 105178
1998 TEA 21. RRIF was subsequently amended by: The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, Public Law 10959 2005 SAFETEALU; the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, Division A of Public Law 110432; and the Fixing Americas Surface Transportation Act Pub. L. 11494
2015 FAST Act. All applicants for RRIF credit program assistance are SUMMARY:

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required to submit a completed application. 45 U.S.C. 823a. The information collection activity request for the RRIF credit program application was most recently approved in 2018
OMB Control Number 21050569. See 83 FR 23525 and 83 FR 35534.
The Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 1998 was enacted as part of TEA 21. The TIFIA
program was subsequently amended by SAFETEALU, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act Pub.
L. 112141 2012 MAP21, and the FAST Act. All applicants for TIFIA
credit program assistance are required to submit a completed Letter of Interest LOI and application. 23 U.S.C.
602a1A. The existing information collection activity request for the TIFIA
credit program letter of interest and application was most recently approved in 2018 OMB Control Number 2105
0569. See 83 FR 23525 and 83 FR
35534.
The National Surface Transportation and Innovative Finance Bureau referenced hereafter as the Build America Bureau or the Bureau, established by the Secretary on July 20, 2016, in accordance with the FAST Act, was created to streamline and improve access to the Departments Federal credit programs, including RRIF and TIFIA. The Bureau was made responsible for administering the application processes for the TIFIA and RRIF credit programs. To streamline and conform these application processes, the Bureau created a single LOI form and a single application form that can be used by applicants of either credit program.
Both the LOI form and the application form have been updated to reflect efficiencies in the application process adopted by the Department, provide clarifying information, and make the forms easier for applicants to use.
Because some key statutory differences exist between the two programs application processes and eligibility criteria, the forms have been reorganized to clearly identify where an item of information applies only for one of the programs and need not be answered by applicants of the other program. The Department seeks OMB
approval to modify the LOI and application. The forms have also been reviewed to ensure that all information requested is necessary for the Department to properly perform its functions in administering its credit programs and updated to reflect the current statutory requirements.
The LOI asks the applicant to describe, among other things, the project and its location, purpose and cost; the proposed financial plan, the status of
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environmental review, and certain information regarding satisfaction of other eligibility requirements under the applicable credit program. The application serves as the official request for credit and, therefore, requires the same information required of the LOI, plus detailed information about the applicants legal and management structure, its financial health, the revenue stream pledged to repay the loan, and other information regarding satisfaction of eligibility requirements.
TIFIA and RRIF credit assistance is awarded based on a projects satisfaction of TIFIA and RRIF as applicable eligibility requirements. The Department is authorized to prescribe the form and contents of the LOI and application. 45 U.S.C. 823 and 23 U.S.C.
601a6.
Respondents: State and local governments, transit agencies, government-sponsored authorities, special authorities, special districts, ports, private railroads, and certain other private entities.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: Based on the number and type of interested stakeholders that have contacted the Department about the RRIF and TIFIA programs in fiscal years FY 20182021, the Department estimates that it will receive, on an annual basis, eight 8 RRIF LOIs, twelve 12 TIFIA LOIs, eight 8 RRIF
applications, and twelve 12 TIFIA
applications.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: The Department estimates that it will generally take applicants not fewer than twenty 20 person-hours to assemble a single LOI for either credit program and not fewer than one hundred 100 person-hours to assemble a single application for either credit program. Person-hour estimates provided for a RRIF application assume that the applicant will initially submit an LOI, reducing the number of personhours spent on the application. Based on the anticipated annual total number of respondents, the total annual hour burden of this collection for RRIF LOIs and applications is 960 and for TIFIA
LOIs and applications is 1,440 hours.
Frequency of Collection: This information collection will occur on a rolling basis as interested entities seek RRIF or TIFIA credit assistance.
Public Comments Invited: The Department invites interested respondents to comment on a proposed information collection activity summarized below with respect to: i Whether the information collection activities are necessary for the Department to properly execute its functions, including whether the
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