Overview
Title
Request for Comments on the Reinstatement of a Previously Approved Collection: United States Marine Highway Program
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The Maritime Administration is asking people to share what they think about a special program that gives money to make transportation on water better. They want to make sure everyone knows what is happening, but some people are worried about how fair the process is and how they decide who gets the money.
Summary AI
The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is seeking public comments on its plan to renew an information collection for the United States Marine Highway Program. This collection, designated as OMB 2133-0541, will help evaluate applications for grant funding. Changes made by the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for 2023 removed the need for MARAD to pre-designate a project for grant competition. A public notice was issued to gather feedback in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Abstract
The Maritime Administration (MARAD) invites public comments on our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew an information collection in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The proposed collection OMB 2133-0541 (United States Marine Highway Program) (the Program) will be used to evaluate and review applications being submitted for grant award consideration. The James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 made substantive changes to the Program, including eliminating the requirement for MARAD to designate projects before they are eligible to compete from grants. As a result, on August 28, 2023, MARAD discontinued this collection. The Maritime Administration intends to reinstate this collection to facilitate operation of the Program, which provides funding to develop, expand, or promote marine highway transportation or shipper use of marine highway transportation, this collection is being reinstated. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The document from the Maritime Administration (MARAD), part of the Department of Transportation, announces a request for public comments regarding the renewal of an information collection under the United States Marine Highway Program. The collection, known as OMB 2133-0541, is intended to support the evaluation and review of grant applications to promote marine highway transportation. Key changes brought by the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 have simplified the process by eliminating the previous requirement for MARAD to pre-designate projects before they could compete for grants.
General Overview
The announcement seeks feedback from the public as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This act mandates that any request for collecting information from the public undergo a process of public commentary, ensuring transparency and accountability. MARAD has published this notice to gather opinions and suggestions, inviting contributions from various stakeholders.
Significant Issues and Concerns
A couple of issues arise from the document that could be of concern:
Lack of Detailed Evaluation Criteria: The document does not provide specific details on how grant applications will be evaluated. This absence could lead to concerns about the transparency and fairness of the selection process.
Sentence Clarity: The abstract includes a particularly long sentence that could be more reader-friendly if it was simplified and broken into shorter, clearer statements.
Criteria for Application Prioritization: There is minimal detail regarding criteria for prioritizing one application over another. Without explicit criteria, there's a risk of perceived favoritism or bias, which could undermine trust in the program.
Oversight and Accountability: The document lacks mention of any mechanisms for external oversight or accountability in the allocation and use of grant funds. This absence might leave room for inefficiencies or misuse.
Stakeholder Exclusion: While the document identifies specific respondents and affected public, it raises questions as to whether other potential stakeholders might be overlooked or affected, especially considering the recent legislative changes.
Potential Impact of Legislative Changes: There is a need for clarification on whether the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act introduced any new stakeholders or exiled existing ones from the program's scope.
Impact on the Public and Stakeholders
Broad Public Impact: The reinstated information collection could positively impact the public by potentially enhancing the marine transportation infrastructure. This infrastructure improvement could lead to economic growth, improved supply chain efficiency, and potentially lower transportation costs.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders: The main stakeholders, namely states, local governments, port authorities, tribal governments, and private operators, stand to benefit from more straightforward access to federal grants. This could foster innovation and expansion in marine transport services. However, the lack of detailed evaluation criteria and accountability measures could lead to disputes or dissatisfaction among stakeholders who may feel their applications were not fairly considered.
In conclusion, while the initiative to renew this collection supports potentially valuable advancements in marine transport, key aspects such as transparency, accountability, and inclusivity remain areas needing further development and clarity. These elements are crucial to ensuring the program not only achieves its logistical aims but also maintains the trust and engagement of all stakeholders involved.
Issues
• The document does not provide detailed information on how the grant applications will be evaluated, which could lead to concerns about transparency and fairness.
• The abstract contains a long sentence that could be broken down for clarity: 'The Maritime Administration intends to reinstate this collection to facilitate operation of the Program, which provides funding to develop, expand, or promote marine highway transportation or shipper use of marine highway transportation, this collection is being reinstated.'
• The document does not specify any specific criteria for prioritizing applications, which might lead to perceptions of favoritism or bias.
• The document does not detail any mechanisms for external oversight or accountability in the allocation and use of grant funds.
• The language describing the respondents and affected public, while concise, might leave out other potential stakeholders that could be impacted by the program.
• Clarification is needed on whether any new stakeholders were included or excluded as a result of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023.