30-Day Bus Testing Program FRN

52930
ACTION:

Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 192 / Thursday, October 3, 2019 / Notices
Notice of request for comments.

In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces that the Information
Collection Requirements (ICRs)
abstracted below have been forwarded
to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review and comment. The
ICR describe the nature of the
information collection and their
expected burdens.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on
or before November 4, 2019.
ADDRESSES: All written comments must
refer to the docket number that appears
at the top of this document and be
submitted to the Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget, 725 17th
Street NW, Washington, DC 20503,
Attention: FTA Desk Officer.
Alternatively, comments may be sent
via email to the Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of
Management and Budget, at the
following address: oira_submissions@
omb.eop.gov.
Comments are Invited On: Whether
the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance
of the functions of the Department,
including whether the information will
have practical utility; the accuracy of
the Department’s estimate of the burden
of the proposed information collection;
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on respondents, including the use of
automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
A comment to OMB is best assured of
having its full effect if OMB receives it
within 30 days of publication of this
notice in the Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tia
Swain, Office of Administration,
Management Planning Division, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, Mail Stop TAD–
10, Washington, DC 20590 (202) 366–
0354 or tia.swain@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), Public Law 104–13, Section 2,
109 Stat. 163 (1995) (codified as revised
at 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520), and its
implementing regulations, 5 CFR part
1320, require Federal agencies to issue
two notices seeking public comment on
information collection activities before
OMB may approve paperwork packages.
44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.5,
1320.8(d)(1), 1320.12. On June 18, 2019,
FTA published a 60-day notice (84 FR
28383) in the Federal Register soliciting
comments on the ICR that the agency
SUMMARY:

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was seeking OMB approval. FTA
received no comments after issuing this
60-day notice. Accordingly, DOT
announces that these information
collection activities have been reevaluated and certified under 5 CFR
1320.5(a) and forwarded to OMB for
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR
1320.12(c).
Before OMB decides whether to
approve these proposed collections of
information, it must provide 30 days for
public comment. 44 U.S.C. 3507(b); 5
CFR 1320.12(d). Federal law requires
OMB to approve or disapprove
paperwork packages between 30 and 60
days after the 30-day notice is
published. 44 U.S.C. 3507 (b)–(c); 5 CFR
1320.12(d); see also 60 FR 44978, 44983,
Aug. 29, 1995. OMB believes that the
30-day notice informs the regulated
community to file relevant comments
and affords the agency adequate time to
digest public comments before it
renders a decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug.
29, 1995. Therefore, respondents should
submit their respective comments to
OMB within 30 days of publication to
best ensure having their full effect. 5
CFR 1320.12(c); see also 60 FR 44983,
Aug. 29, 1995.
The summaries below describe the
nature of the information collection
requirements (ICRs) and the expected
burden. The requirements are being
submitted for clearance by OMB as
required by the PRA.
Title: Public Transportation
Emergency Relief Program.
OMB Control Number: 2132–0575.
Type of Request: Renewal of a
previously approved information
collection.
Abstract: Since the authorization of
the Public Transportation Emergency
Relief Program in 2012, Congress has
appropriated funds three times for
transit agencies affected by disaster.
The first appropriation of funds for
the program was in 2013 following
Hurricane Sandy, for which the
President declared a major disaster for
areas of 12 States and the District of
Columbia. Under the Disaster Relief
Appropriations Act (Pub. L. 113–2),
Congress provided $10.9 billion for
FTA’s Emergency Relief Program for
recovery, relief, and resilience efforts in
the counties specified in the disaster
declaration. Approximately $10.0
billion remained available after
implementation of the Balanced Budget
and Emergency Deficit Control Act of
2011 (Pub. L. 112–25) and after
intergovernmental transfers to other
bureaus and offices within DOT. FTA
has allocated the full amount in
multiple tiers for response, recovery and
rebuilding; for locally prioritized

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resilience projects, and for
competitively selected resilience
projects.
The second appropriation of funds for
the Emergency Relief Program was in
2018 following Hurricanes Harvey,
Irma, and Maria, for which the President
declared major disasters in areas of
Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Puerto Rico,
South Carolina, Texas, and the U.S.
Virgin Islands. Under the Bipartisan
Budget Act of 2018 (Pub. L. 115–123),
Congress provided $330 million for
FTA’s Emergency Relief Program for
transit systems affected by Hurricanes
Harvey, Irma, and Maria. On May 31,
2018 FTA allocated $277.5 million for
response, recovery, rebuilding, and
resilience projects.
The third appropriation of funds for
the Emergency Relief Program was in
2019. Under the Additional
Supplemental Appropriations for
Disaster Relief Act of 2019, Congress
appropriated $10.5 million for FTA’s
Emergency Relief Program for transit
systems affected by major declared
disasters occurring in calendar year
2018.
Respondents: States, local
governmental authorities, Indian tribes
and other FTA recipients impacted by
Hurricane Sandy which affected midAtlantic and northeastern states in
October 2012; Hurricane Harvey which
affected areas of Texas and Louisiana in
August 2017; and Hurricanes Irma and
Maria which affected the southeastern
states and the territories of the Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in
September 2017, and by major declared
disasters occurring in calendar year
2018.
Estimated Annual Number of
Respondents: 26.
Estimated Total Annual Burden:
4,680 hours.
Frequency: Annually.
Nadine Pembleton,
Director Office of Management Planning.
[FR Doc. 2019–21546 Filed 10–2–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
[FTA Docket No. FTA 2019–0018]

Agency Information Collection Activity
Under OMB Review
AGENCY:

Federal Transit Administration,

DOT.
ACTION:

Notice of request for comments.

In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

SUMMARY:

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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 192 / Thursday, October 3, 2019 / Notices
notice announces that the Information
Collection Requirements (ICRs)
abstracted below have been forwarded
to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review and comment. The
ICR describe the nature of the
information collection and their
expected burdens.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on
or before November 4, 2019.
ADDRESSES: All written comments must
refer to the docket number that appears
at the top of this document and be
submitted to the Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget, 725 17th
Street NW, Washington, DC 20503,
Attention: FTA Desk Officer.
Alternatively, comments may be sent
via email to the Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of
Management and Budget, at the
following address: oira_submissions@
omb.eop.gov.
Comments are Invited On: Whether
the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance
of the functions of the Department,
including whether the information will
have practical utility; the accuracy of
the Department’s estimate of the burden
of the proposed information collection;
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on respondents, including the use of
automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
A comment to OMB is best assured of
having its full effect if OMB receives it
within 30 days of publication of this
notice in the Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tia
Swain, Office of Administration,
Management Planning Division, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, Mail Stop TAD–
10, Washington, DC 20590 (202) 366–
0354 or tia.swain@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), Public Law 104–13, Section 2,
109 Stat. 163 (1995) (codified as revised
at 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520), and its
implementing regulations, 5 CFR part
1320, require Federal agencies to issue
two notices seeking public comment on
information collection activities before
OMB may approve paperwork packages.
44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.5,
1320.8(d)(1), 1320.12. On July 2, 2019,
FTA published a 60-day notice (84 FR
31657) in the Federal Register soliciting
comments on the ICR that the agency
was seeking OMB approval. FTA
received one comment after issuing this
60-day notice. The comment was from
the Michigan Department of

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Transportation (MDOT) Docket #FTA–
0008–0001. The comment states:
‘‘MDOT supports the continued
collection of bus testing information by
the Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania
Transportation Institute (LTI) with the
following concerns: (1) Timeliness of
testing on new or updated bus bodies
and OEM vehicle chassis, test
completion can take up to a year or
more in some instances; (2)
Communication of testing delays to
recipients. Explanation of delays doesn’t
seem to be provided to bus
manufacturers or chassis OEMs; (3)
Increased testing capacity. With the
increase in Federal emissions and fuel
economy standards, OEMs are
continually introducing new engine and
transmission combinations that require
new tests. Adding staff or opening
additional test facilities may help
alleviate this issue. The LoNo test
facilities at Ohio State University and
Auburn University may be an option to
help assist in the testing of traditional
buses if allowed, which would shorten
test delays.’’ FTA’s responded by
stating, ‘‘FTA acknowledges that
improvements can be made in the
application response process. In an
effort to address these issues, this
information is working on a web-based
test form for bus testing determinations
and approvals with the purpose of not
only improving request turn arounds,
but increasing transparency where
submitters will be provided real-time
updates with the status of their
applications. The purpose of the PRA is
to provide an estimate of time burdens
associated with the preparation of a
determination and/or and approval
request. The time burdens consider all
the technical and legal advisors
involved in the process of gathering
information to prepare and submit an
application. Unfortunately, addressing
the duration of tests, how many tests are
performed, and any modification to 49
CFR 665 is outside of the scope of this
document. We appreciate MDOT’s
comments and encourage to submit any
suggestions and/or recommended
amendments following applicable
protocols established in 49 CFR 601,
‘‘Organization, Functions, and
Procedures’’. In addition, FTA will be
hosting a Bus Maintenance and Bus
Testing Peer-to-Peer Exchange in
October 2019, to engage the vehicle
manufacturers industry, encourage an
open dialogue, and address areas of
improvement within the Bus Testing
Program. Accordingly, DOT announces
that these information collection
activities have been re-evaluated and
certified under 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and

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52931

forwarded to OMB for review and
approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12(c).
Before OMB decides whether to
approve these proposed collections of
information, it must provide 30 days for
public comment. 44 U.S.C. 3507(b); 5
CFR 1320.12(d). Federal law requires
OMB to approve or disapprove
paperwork packages between 30 and 60
days after the 30-day notice is
published. 44 U.S.C. 3507(b)–(c); 5 CFR
1320.12(d); see also 60 FR 44978, 44983,
Aug. 29, 1995. OMB believes that the
30-day notice informs the regulated
community to file relevant comments
and affords the agency adequate time to
digest public comments before it
renders a decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug.
29, 1995. Therefore, respondents should
submit their respective comments to
OMB within 30 days of publication to
best ensure having their full effect. 5
CFR 1320.12(c); see also 60 FR 44983,
Aug. 29, 1995.
The summaries below describe the
nature of the information collection
requirements (ICRs) and the expected
burden. The requirements are being
submitted for clearance by OMB as
required by the PRA.
Title: Bus Testing Program.
OMB Control Number: 2132–0550.
Type of Request: Renewal of a
previously approved information
collection.
Abstract: 49 U.S.C. Section 5318(e)
provides that Federal funds
appropriated or otherwise made
available under 49 U.S.C. Chapter 53
[FTA funding] may not be obligated or
expended for the acquisition of a new
bus model unless a bus of that model
has been tested for maintainability,
reliability, safety, performance
(including braking performance),
structural integrity, fuel economy,
emissions, and noise at a bus testing
facility authorized under 49 U.S.C.
Section 5318(a).
At this time, there is one active Bus
Testing Center operated by the Thomas
D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation
Institute of the Pennsylvania State
University (LTI). LTI operates and
maintains the Center under a
cooperative agreement with FTA, and
establishes and collects fees for the
testing of the vehicles at the facility.
Two additional bus testing facilities
authorized to test low and no-emission
(LoNo) buses have been authorized by
Congress. FTA is working with Auburn
University and The Ohio State
University to establish those facilities,
which are not yet operational. The
nature and quantity of the information
that must be collected to operate the Bus
Testing Program will not change
significantly when these additional

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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 192 / Thursday, October 3, 2019 / Notices

centers become operational. Auburn and
Ohio State separately received
appropriations to conduct testing of
components for LoNo buses. Those
projects are separate from Bus Testing
and FTA does not expect them to affect
the paperwork burden for the Bus
Testing Program. Upon completion of
the testing of the vehicle at the Center
with a passing test score, a draft Bus
Testing Report is provided to the
manufacturer of the new bus model. If
the manufacturer approves the Report
for publication, the bus model becomes
eligible for FTA funding. 49 CFR 665.7
requires a recipient of FTA funds to
certify that a bus model has been tested
at the bus testing facility, that the bus
model received a passing score, and that
the recipient has a copy of the
applicable Bus Testing Report(s) on a
bus model before final acceptance of
any buses of that model. Recipients are
strongly encouraged to review the Bus
Testing Report(s) relevant to a bus
model before final acceptance and/or
selection of that bus model.
Respondents: Bus manufacturers and
recipients of FTA funds.
Estimated Annual Number of
Respondents: 60 (40 testing
determination requirements requests at
32 hours each, 20 testing authorization
requests at 32 hours each, 16 tests
scheduled at 10 hours each, and 3 retest
requests at 17 hours each).
Estimated Total Annual Burden:
2,131 hours.
Frequency: On Occasion.
Nadine Pembleton,
Director, Office of Management Planning.
[FR Doc. 2019–21545 Filed 10–2–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–57–P

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS
VA Standards for Quality
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Notice.

AGENCY:
ACTION:

The Secretary of the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
establishes these standards for quality to
satisfy the requirements in section
1703C of title 38, United States Code
(U.S.C.), as added by section 104 of the
VA MISSION Act of 2018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Joseph Francis, Office of Reporting,
Analytics, Performance, Improvement,
and Deployment (RAPID), 10A8,
Veterans Health Administration,
Department of Veterans Affairs, 810
Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20420, (202) 461–5833. This is not a
toll-free number.
SUMMARY:

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Section
1703C of 38 U.S.C., as added by section
104 of the VA MISSION Act of 2018
requires VA to establish standards for
quality regarding hospital care, medical
services, and extended care services
furnished by the Department, including
through non-Department health care
providers pursuant to section 1703 of
this title. Starting in August 2018, VA
began consulting with various
stakeholders and experts including the
Department of Defense (DoD) Defense
Health Agency, the Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Services, the Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS),
Veterans Insight Panel focus groups
selected from a standing veteran
consumer panel (maintained by a
neutral third-party) that is
demographically representative of
veterans served by VA, regulatory and
accreditation groups, Veterans Service
Organizations, Federal employee
representatives, and health care
specialty associations and organizations.
VA also solicited comments from the
public through a Notice in the Federal
Register on August 24, 2018, (83 FR
42983), and held a public meeting on
September 24, 2018, inviting the public
to discuss and provide input regarding
what VA should consider when
developing the standards for quality. VA
submitted a report to Congress on the
proposed VA standards for quality on
March 13, 2019. This Notice formally
establishes VA’s standards for quality.
In defining VA’s standards for quality
established by the Secretary, VA
incorporated findings from a review of
existing standards, stakeholder
feedback, and the framework for quality
put forth by the National Academy of
Medicine in its report, ‘‘Crossing the
Quality Chasm’’. The standards for
quality consist of Quality Domains and
Quality Measures.
• Quality Domains—broad categories
of quality used to describe the desired
characteristics of care received by
veterans, whether furnished by VA or
community-based providers.
• Quality Measures—an evolving
series of numeric indicators that
evaluate clinical performance within
each of the quality domains.
These standards for quality are:
• Timely Care—provided without
inappropriate or harmful delays.
• Effective Care—based on scientific
knowledge of what is likely to provide
benefits to veterans.
• Safe Care—avoids harm from care
that is intended to help veterans.
• Veteran-Centered Care—anticipates
and responds to veterans’ and their
caregivers’ preferences and needs and

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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ensures that veterans have input into
clinical decisions.
The initial quality measures for each
standard for quality are:
• Timely Care
Æ Patient-reported measures on
getting timely appointments, care,
and information
Æ Wait times for outpatient care
• Effective Care
Æ Risk adjusted mortality rate for
heart attack
Æ Risk adjusted mortality rate for
pneumonia
Æ Risk adjusted mortality rate for
heart failure
Æ Risk adjusted mortality rate for
chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease
Æ Smoking and tobacco use
cessation—advising smokers to quit
Æ Immunization for influenza
Æ Controlling high blood pressure
Æ Beta-blocker treatment after a heart
attack
Æ Comprehensive diabetes care—
blood pressure control
Æ Comprehensive diabetes care—
Hemoglobin A1c poor control
Æ Breast cancer screening
Æ Cervical cancer screening
Æ Improvement in function (shortstay skilled nursing facility
patients)
Æ Newly received antipsychotic
medications (short-stay skilled
nursing facility patients)
• Safe Care
Æ Catheter associated urinary tract
infection rate
Æ Central line associated bloodstream
infection rate
Æ Clostridioides difficile infection
rate
Æ Death rate among surgical patients
with serious treatable complications
Æ New or worse pressure ulcer (shortstay skilled nursing facility
patients)
Æ Falls with major injury (long-stay
skilled nursing facility patients)
Æ Physical restraints (long-stay
skilled nursing facility patients)
• Veteran-Centered Care
Æ Hospital Consumer Assessment of
Health Providers and Systems
(HCAHPS) overall summary star
rating
Æ HCAHPS Care Transition summary
star rating
Æ Patient’s overall rating of the
provider on the Consumer
Assessment of Health Providers and
Systems (CAHPS) survey
Æ Patient’s rating of coordination of
care on the CAHPS survey
These standards for quality were
selected based on availability of

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