View Information Collection Request (ICR) Package

OMB Control No: 2125-0676	ICR Reference No: 202305-2125-003
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No:
Agency/Subagency: DOT/FHWA	Agency Tracking No: This ICR is ready for OST Review
Title: Strategic Innovation for Revenue Collection (SIRC) Program Grant Application
Type of Information Collection: New collection (Request for a new OMB Control Number)	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Emergency	Approval Requested By: 06/12/2023
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved with change	Conclusion Date: 06/09/2023
	Date Received in OIRA: 06/08/2023
Terms of Clearance:

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	12/31/2023	6 Months From Approved
Responses	55	0	0
Time Burden (Hours)	1,377	0	0
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

Abstract: The collection of information will support implementation of Title III - Research, Technology, and Education Sec. 13001. Strategic Innovation for Revenue Collection (a) and (b) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law No: 117-58, or also referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-BIL (see Exhibit A page 12). The Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has coordinated on the development of public information to solicit responses to a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the SIRC Program. Awarded funds to eligible applicants will test the feasibility of a road usage fee and other user-based alternative revenue mechanisms (referred to in this section as ‘‘user based alternative revenue mechanisms’’) to help maintain the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund.

Emergency Justfication: Critical Nature of the Information Collection Request The collection of information is necessary to receive applications for grant funds, evaluate the effectiveness of projects that have been awarded grant funds, and monitor project financial conditions and project progress pursuant to Section 133001 (b) (3) as prescribed in Exhibit A of this document. FY 2023 – FY 2024 is the first year of implementation for the SIRC Program. FHWA implemented a similar predecessor program, the Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives (STSFA) program authorized by section 6020 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, Pub. L. No. 114-94, FY 2016 – 2021, which was repealed with the passage of BIL. Information about awards funded under the STSFA program is available at: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/stsfa/index.htm. The Strategic Innovation for Revenue Collection (SIRC) Program seeks to fund pilot projects that test the implementation of user-based alternative revenue mechanisms that utilize a road user fee structure. The statutory requirements of the SIRC Program are found under section 13001(b) (3) of the BIL and codified at 23 U.S.C. § 503(c)(4)(F). In BIL, Congress authorized $75 million for Fiscal Years (FY) 2022 through 2026 to provide financial assistance to SIRC eligible applicants, which includes State, Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), and local government agencies or a group of eligible entities to test the feasibility of the program objectives outlined in Section 133001 (b) (3). Grant awards test innovative ways to replace or supplement the Federal gas tax to maintain the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund. This is a multi-year NOFO for FY 2022 – 2024, which includes a total of $45 million. Due to the Administration’s tight deadline to issue the NOFO and begin making awards in FY 2023, DOT developed application templates for SIRC. The templates are designed to help streamline the application process and submission of the information requested in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Need for Emergency Approval The issuance of the FY 2023 - 2024 SIRC NOFO is a high priority for the Administration so work can begin as soon as possible to provide competitive grant awards to eligible entities to test the design, acceptance, equity, and implementation of user-based alternative revenue mechanisms that utilize a road user fee structure to assist in maintaining the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund. The Administration is anticipating a FY 2022 – FY 2023 NOFO issuance soon, and the FHWA has worked diligently since the enactment of BIL to develop the NOFO and application templates to implement the SIRC Program as quickly as possible. The DOT would like to issue the NOFO on within the next six months. The use of normal clearance procedures for ICR approval will prevent the Department from meeting the Administration’s deadline. If the Department does not receive emergency approval for this ICR, implementation of the SIRC Program will be delayed. Due to the urgency of executing the newly enacted Act, the Department respectfully asks OMB for emergency approval of the ICR within 10 days of receipt of this letter.

Authorizing Statute(s): PL: Pub.L. 117 - 58 13001 Name of Law: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-BIL

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

Federal Register Notices & Comments
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 2

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
Application and Grant Agreement Stage
Project Management Stage

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Change Due to Agency Discretion
Annual Number of Responses	55	55
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	1,377	1,377
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Changing Regulations

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: This is a new collection.

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $52,440

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. No

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? No

Agency Contact: Michael Howell 202 366-5262 michael.howell@dot.gov

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