Overview
Title
Agency Information Collection Activities: Notice of Request for Reinstatement of a Previously Approved Information Collection
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) wants to ask people what they think about starting up a rule again where it collects and reports certain information each year. They want to know if this is important and if it works well, and people can share their thoughts until February 3, 2025.
Summary AI
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is asking for public feedback on their intention to resume a previously approved information collection. This information collection, linked to the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, requires federal agencies to provide annual reports on property acquisition activities. It involves 56 respondents and is set to occur annually, with an estimated 5-hour burden per response. Public comments are welcome until February 3, 2025, particularly on the necessity and efficiency of this data collection process.
Abstract
The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for reinstatement of an existing information collection that is summarized below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The recent notice from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), outlined in the Federal Register, seeks public comments on reinstating a previously approved information collection related to real property acquisition. Aimed at complying with the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), this initiative requires federal agencies to submit annual summary reports detailing property acquisition activities. With a focus on 56 respondents, including state transportation departments and U.S. territories, this process is designed to occur on an annual basis.
General Summary
The notice invites public engagement regarding the necessity and efficiency of this information collection process. It aims to gather perspectives on whether the data collection is crucial for the FHWA's operations, if the estimated time burdens are accurate, and how the process's quality and efficacy could be enhanced. The notice emphasizes that any public feedback will help refine the planned request for approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Significant Issues and Concerns
While the document outlines the basic framework of the data collection, several significant areas warrant a closer examination:
Purpose and Utilization: The document lacks detailed insight into how the FHWA will specifically utilize the collected data. Understanding the broader import of these data points could help the public and other stakeholders grasp the collection exercise's full necessity.
Cost Implications: The notice omits information concerning any financial or budgetary impacts associated with collecting and processing this data. Insight into these factors would aid in assessing potential fiscal efficiency or wasteful expenditures.
Legal Justifications: Clarification around why these particular data requirements are mandated under MAP-21 and how they fit into FHWA’s strategic goals is not provided.
Data Security and Privacy: There is no discussion on how respondents’ data will be safeguarded, leaving potential gaps in addressing privacy concerns.
Burden and Respondents: The estimated burdens and respondent count appear straightforward but could benefit from additional justification, especially considering the assumption that a total of about 280 burden hours is sufficient.
Impact on the Public and Stakeholders
Broadly, the impact on the public will hinge on how effectively the FHWA can assure stakeholders of the practical benefits aligned with the data collection. For instance, if this exercise ultimately enhances transportation infrastructure planning through better land acquisition insights, the public at large may experience improvements in infrastructure development timelines and quality.
For the specific stakeholders, namely state transportation departments and territories required to participate, this notice holds both potential burdens and opportunities. On one hand, there are administrative burdens associated with compiling and submitting the necessary reports, which could stretch limited resources. On the other hand, the structured collection and assessment of data can foster improved cooperation among federal and state agencies, positioning them to tackle land acquisition challenges more effectively.
The FHWA’s move invites stakeholders to suggest ways to refine this process, including leveraging technology to ease the reporting burden. This approach introduces a pathway for innovation, potentially leading to streamlined operations and reduced administrative load on respondents.
Overall, while this notice initiates a crucial discussion on property acquisition data's necessity and efficiency, it also highlights several areas requiring further clarity to comprehensively understand its value to the agency and stakeholders alike.
Issues
• The document requests public comments on the necessity and effectiveness of the information collection but does not provide detailed information on how the data collected will be used by the FHWA.
• There is no information provided on any budget or cost implications related to the collection and processing of this data, which could help assess potential wasteful spending.
• The document does not clarify why the data collection is specifically required under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), section 1521(d), and how it aligns with the agency's overall objectives.
• The language used in the description of the respondents and the estimated burden hours is clear, but it lacks a rationale for how the number of expected respondents and the average burden per response were determined.
• The notice lacks any discussion on potential privacy concerns or data security measures for handling the state or territory specific acquisition data.
• There is an assumption that the collection of data from all respondents will result in only approximately 280 total burden hours, which could be questioned for accuracy or feasibility.
• Suggestions for minimizing burden, including electronic technology use, are invited, but no specifics are provided on what current technology use exists or what future enhancements are planned.