[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 181 (Wednesday, September 18, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76621-76622]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21253]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[Docket No. FHWA-2024-0064]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments
for a New Information Collection
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The FHWA has forwarded the information collection request
described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
to approve a new information collection. We are required to publish
this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995.
DATES: Please submit comments by October 18, 2024.
[[Page 76622]]
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number
0064 by any of the following methods:
Website: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery or Courier: U.S. Department of Transportation, West
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael Dougherty, (667) 668-1781,
Office of Policy and Governmental Affairs, Office of Highway Policy
Information, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Office
hours are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We published a Federal Register Notice with
a 60-day public comment period on this information collection on June
21, 2024, at [89 FR 52200]. There were no comments received.
Title: Highway Use Tax Evasion Discretionary Grant Program.
Background: The Highway Use Tax Evasion Projects (HUTE) program
provides funding to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the States
to carry out intergovernmental enforcement efforts, along with training
and research, to reduce evasion of payment of motor fuel and other
highway use taxes, which are the principal sources for Federal and
State highway funding. Under the current Surface Transportation
Authorization, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), $2
million is available to make grants for intergovernmental enforcement
efforts, including research and training. The intergovernmental
enforcement efforts grants are awarded to State agencies through a
competitive application process from which FHWA and the IRS make
selections based on the most innovative, intergovernmental proposals.
The States then perform various tasks, including increased enforcement,
enhancement of data systems, and coordination with other State
agencies.
The remaining funding may, at the discretion of the Secretary of
Transportation, either be awarded for intergovernmental enforcement
efforts grants, or allocated to the IRS for their enforcement efforts.
While the statute allows for the IRS to determine the use of their
allocations, they must be used in some fashion related to the
identification and elimination of highway use tax evasion. For both the
States and the IRS, the initiatives may include, but are not limited
to, office examinations, refinery and terminal examinations, and on-
road enforcement in areas such as the illegal use of dyed diesel fuel
by motor vehicles.
Respondents: There are 51 respondents, including 50 State
Transportation Departments, and the District of Columbia. While the
applications are open to all those organizations, on average, about 16
applications are received each year for grant requests, some of which
include multiple States, which brings the total individual projects to
around 30.
Frequency: On an on-going basis as grant opportunities are
announced.
Estimated Average Burden per Response: There are an average of 16
applications filed each cycle. It takes approximately 40 hours to
gather the information and upload it through the grants.gov system.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: Total estimated average annual
burden is 800 hours.
Public Comments Invited: 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 burdens; (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.
The agency will summarize and/or include your comments in the request
for OMB's clearance of this information collection.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. chapter
35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued on: September 13, 2024.
Jazmyne Lewis,
Information Collection Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-21253 Filed 9-17-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P