FRA's retrospective review required by Executive Order 13579 and DOT's Paperwork Reduction Act Initiative identified the hours of service recordkeeping requirements as an existing regulation FRA could modify to reduce the economic burden on the rail industry without having an impact on safety. This rule is needed to implement those modifications. This rule would reduce the paperwork burden on the rail industry by allowing railroads with less than 400,000 employee hours per year to create and maintain hours of service records in a less complex automated system than the existing requirements. Automated records would be quicker and easier to complete and manage, saving time and increasing efficiency and accuracy. The rule would not require the use of electronic or automated recordkeeping.