[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 139 (Friday, July 19, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43261-43262]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-17406]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary of Transportation
Transportation Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act
(TIFIA) Program; Agency Information Collection Activities and Request
for Comments
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST).
SUMMARY: The Department of Transportation (DOT) invites public comments
on a request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve an
Emergency Information Collection Request in accordance with the
requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44
USC 3501 et seq). This request is being submitted to OMB via an
Emergency Information Collection Request.
On July 6, 2012, the President of the United States signed the
Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act of 2012 (MAP-21).
MAP-21 authorized $750 million in FY 2013 and $1 billion in FY 2014 for
the Transportation Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act (TIFIA)
program to pay the subsidy cost of supporting Federal credit. The TIFIA
program will provide Federal credit assistance in the form of direct
loans, loan guarantees, and standby lines of credit to eligible surface
transportation projects. This information collection relates to the
collection of information from entities interested in TIFIA credit
assistance and assists the DOT in evaluating projects and project
sponsors for program eligibility and creditworthiness.
DATES: Written comments should be submitted by August 5, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: (a) The need for the proposed
collection of information for the proper performance of the functions
of the agency, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (b) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c) Ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) Ways
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who
are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques. You may
submit comments identified by Docket No. DOT-OST-2013-0138 through one
of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket Management Facility, U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West
Building, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m., Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The TIFIA program manager via email at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Transportation Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act
program or TIFIA program.
OMB Control Number: 2105-New.
Affected Public: State and local governments, transit agencies,
railroad companies, special authorities, special districts, and private
entities.
Estimated Total Annual Number of Responses: 50 letters of interest
and 50 applications.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 6,000 hours. Based on the
number and type of interested stakeholders that have contacted the
Department about this program, OST estimates that it will receive 50
applications and letters of interest and that it will generally not
take applicants more than 100 person-hours to assemble individual
applications and 20 person-hours to assemble individual letters of
interest. Therefore, the total annual hour burden of this collection of
applications is 6,000 hours.
Frequency of Collection: The Department expects that this
information collection will occur on a rolling basis as interested
entities seek TIFIA credit assistance.
Background: This is an existing information collection without an
OMB Control Number. DOT has published a notice in the Federal Register
(also available at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/pdfs/tifia/fy2013_tifia_nofa_073112.pdf) to give project sponsors an opportunity to
submit Letters of Interest and applications for the newly authorized
funding as soon as possible. However, in addition to authorizing more
funding for TIFIA credit assistance, MAP-21 made some significant
changes to the TIFIA program's structure, including the terms and
conditions pursuant to which DOT can provide TIFIA credit assistance.
DOT is required to solicit letters of interest and applications for
TIFIA credit assistance from interested applicants. DOT has developed
forms that provide a way for interested applicants to submit
information required by DOT in order for DOT to evaluate that
interested applicant's application for TIFIA credit assistance. The
forms for the letter of interest and application are available for
review at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/tifia/guidance_applications/tifia_applications.htm. The DOT will use the collected information to
evaluate and select recipients for credit assistance as authorized
under MAP-21. Applicants may be asked to provide additional supporting
evidence or to quantify details during the review and negotiation
process on a case-by-case basis, but completion of the letter of
interest and application.
MAP-21 establishes a multi-step application process for TIFIA
credit assistance. This process begins with the submission of a Letter
of Interest and determination of eligibility. Only after a project
sponsor has submitted a Letter of Interest and met all statutory
eligibility requirements will the project sponsor be invited to submit
an application.
[[Page 43262]]
The Letter of Interest must (i) describe the project and the
location, purpose, and cost of the project, (ii) outline the proposed
financial plan, including the requested credit assistance and the
proposed obligor, (iii) provide a status of environmental review, and
(iv) provide information regarding satisfaction of other eligibility
requirements of the TIFIA credit program. Letters of Interest will be
submitted using the form on the TIFIA Web site: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/tifia/guidance_applications/index.htm. DOT has
revised the form for the Letter of Interest to reflect changes made to
the TIFIA program by MAP-21. The Letter of Interest form requires
project sponsors to provide information demonstrating satisfaction (or
expected satisfaction if permitted by the statute) of each of the
eligibility requirements included in MAP-21. DOT estimates that the
letter of interest would require approximately 20 hours in each
instance to complete.
If a project sponsor is invited to submit an application, DOT
estimates that each application will require approximately 100 hours to
complete. The information that DOT seeks through the application
includes: Contact information for the applicant entity; project
information including name, location, description, rural project
description (if applicable), purpose (quantitative/qualitative
details), cost and TIFIA credit assistance request, project management
and compliance monitoring plan, maintenance and operations plan,
satisfaction of eligibility requirements including creditworthiness
(rate covenant, coverage requirements, investment grade rating(s)),
fostering partnerships that attract public and private investment, how
TIFIA assistance would enable the project to proceed at an earlier date
or with reduced lifecycle costs, how TIFIA assistance would reduce the
contribution of federal grant assistance, environmental review (NEPA),
permits and approvals, transportation planning and programming process
approvals (STIP and TIP), construction contracting process readiness,
project schedule, a financial plan including estimated capital project
cost, amount and type of credit assistance requested, amount of TIFIA
assistance requested, a summary table: Detailing sources and uses of
funds, cash flow pro forma, a supplementary narrative detailing other
borrowed funds and revenue sources (including pledged repayment
source), proposed terms for the requested TIFIA credit instrument,
reasons for selecting the proposed type(s) of credit instrument,
flexibility in financial plan to support a reduced percentage-share of
TIFIA credit assistance, risks and mitigation strategies, details on
the applicant's organizational structure, including background
information and legal authority, organization and management, identity
of the entity that will serve as applicant (public-sector agency or
private-sector firm), whether the applicant the same entity as the
borrower (detail project team members), prior experience, financial
condition, and litigation and/or conflicts.
Issued in Washington, DC on July 16, 2013.
Patricia Lawton,
Departmental PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-17406 Filed 7-18-13; 8:45 am]
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