[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 61 (Wednesday, March 30, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17782-17786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07132]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
[Docket No. DOT-OST-2015-0255]
Request for Comments
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT) will forward the Information Collection Request
(ICR) abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for
clearance. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection
and its expected cost and burden hours. The Federal Register Notice,
with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the questionnaire,
was published on December 30, 2015, [FR Vol. 80, No. 250, page 81671].
One comment was received.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by April 29, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding
this proposal to 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 to
[email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sam Brooks, Equal Opportunity
Specialist (S-33), Departmental Office of Civil Rights, Office of the
Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue
SE., Washington, DC 20590, 202-366-7145.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Form Title(s): Voluntary Web-Based Questionnaire of Airport
Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprises and Disadvantaged
Business Enterprise Firms.
Form Number: None.
OMB Control Number: None.
Abstract: The DOT's Operating Administrations distribute
substantial funds each year to finance construction projects initiated
by state and local governments, public transit and airport agencies.
The DOT has the important responsibility of ensuring that firms
competing for DOT-assisted contracts for these projects are not
disadvantaged by unlawful discrimination. The DOT's most important tool
for meeting this requirement has been its Disadvantaged Business
Enterprise (DBE) program, which originally began in 1980 as a minority/
women's business enterprise program established by regulation under the
authority of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other
nondiscrimination statutes that apply to DOT financial assistance
programs. The DBE program was reauthorized by Congress several times
since its inception; most recently in the ``Fixing America's Surface
Transportation Act'' or the ``FAST-ACT,'' (P.L. 114-94, December 4,
2015), See more at: https://www.transportation.gov/civil-rights/disadvantaged-business-enterprise#sthash.67nZv63S.dpuf, which funded
surface transportation programs for highways, highway safety, and
transit. Section 1101(b) of the Act describes Congress's findings
regarding the continued need for the DBE program due to the
discrimination and related barriers that pose significant obstacles for
minority and women-owned businesses seeking federally-assisted surface
transportation work. The DBE program focuses primarily on construction
and professional services contracts, while the airport concession
disadvantaged business enterprise (ACDBE) program focuses on lease and
supplier agreements for food, beverage, retail, and car rental
services. Congress raised concerns that discrimination and related
barriers continue to pose obstacles to disadvantaged firms seeking to
do business at U.S. airports. The information requested will assist DOT
in measuring whether both programs are achieving the objectives to
create a level playing field on which ACDBEs/DBEs can compete fairly
and assist in the development of ACDBE/DBE firms to compete
successfully in the marketplace.
The single comment that was received by DOT during the 60-day
comment period was provided by a trade association and had four
components. The association (1) asked DOT to use the data collection
measure to address the issue of out-of-date DBE directories; (2)
observed that prime contractors need better information on the types of
construction work DBEs are able to perform; (3) requested that the
questionnaire ``query DBE firms on the issue of training;'' and (4)
asked DOT to evaluate the responses regarding perceived barriers or
challenges from the perspective of all parties. After careful
consideration, DOT makes due note of all four components. Only items
(1) and (3) appear to request changes to proposed questions. However,
as these items are not strictly germane to the stated purpose
(measuring the objective of creating a level playing field) of the
questionnaire, the Department respectfully declines to alter the
content of the questions.
The questionnaire will be for the use of ACDBE and DBE certified
firms, so that they can provide information regarding the nature of
their business and bidding history, and perceived barriers/challenges
that may have prevented them from receiving a contract or successfully
competing in DOT's ACDBE/DBE program. A link to the questionnaire will
be made available by DOT's Departmental Office of Civil Rights for use
by the Department's state and local recipients, which can in turn post
this link on their own Web sites.
[[Page 17783]]
The information collected will be used to assist DOT in measuring
whether the ACDBE/DBE program is achieving its objectives. The DOT
estimates that it takes an individual approximately 10 minutes to
complete the questionnaire.
Type of Request: New information collection.
Affected Public: Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business
Enterprises and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises certified under the
authority of 49 CFR parts 23 and 26.
Total Annual Estimated Burden: 628 hours.
Frequency of Collection: An individual's completion of the
questionnaire is solely voluntary.
Comments are Invited on: Any aspect of this information collection,
including
(a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for
the proper performance of DOT's ACDBE/DBE program; (b) the accuracy of
the estimated burden; (c) ways for the Department to enhance the
quality, utility and clarity of the information collection; and (d)
ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of
the collected information. Comments should be sent to the address in
the preamble. All responses to this notice will be summarized and
included in the request for Office of Management and Budget approval.
All comments will also become a matter of public record.
Issued in Washington, DC, on March 23, 2016.
Habib Azarsina,
OST Privacy and PRA Officer, U.S. Department of Transportation.
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[FR Doc. 2016-07132 Filed 3-29-16; 8:45 am]
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