Supporting Statement A for 2133-0552 10.7.2024

Department of Transportation

Maritime Administration

Information Collection Request (ICR)

2133-0552

Port Infrastructure Development Program

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

INTRODUCTION

This submission is to request a three-year approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the information collection entitled OMB 2133-0552 (Port Infrastructure Development Program), which expires on October 31, 2024. This collection is being updated to reflect the elimination of the MA-1083 Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) Project Information Form, which is no longer needed. The public burden has also reduced since this collection was implemented in 2019. Consequently, this collection will be submitted as an extension, with change of a currently approved collection.

1. JUSTIFICATION

1. Circumstances Making the Collection of Information Necessary

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Pub. L. 117-58, November 15, 2021) (“Bipartisan Infrastructure Law” or “BIL”) appropriated $450 million to the PIDP for FY 2024 to make discretionary grants for eligible projects. On March 9, 2024, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Pub. L. 118-42) (“FY 2024 Appropriations Act”) appropriated an additional $120,460,124 for the FY 2024 PIDP grant program. Of that amount, $50 million is available to be awarded as discretionary grants. Altogether, a total $500 million in funding is now available to be awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation (Department) for the Port Infrastructure Development Program (Program). This appropriations act allows the Department to make discretionary grants to improve port facilities at or near coastal seaports. The purpose of the Program is to accept applications to make grants. Submitted applications will be reviewed to determine if respondents meet the criteria for selection as grant recipients.

This Program supports the Department’s strategic goal of infrastructure investment. Investment in infrastructure will ensure safety and stimulate economic growth, productivity and competitiveness for American workers and businesses. The Department seeks to work effectively with State, local, Tribal, and private partners, to guide investments that will stimulate economic growth, improve the condition of transportation infrastructure, and enable the efficient and safe movement of people and goods. To achieve this goal, the Department will provide guidance, technical assistance, and research that leverages Federal funding, accelerates project delivery, reduces project lifecycle costs, and optimizes the operation and performance of existing facilities. The Department can maximize the returns to the Nation’s economy and citizens, by using innovative forms of project delivery, encouraging partnerships between the public and private sectors, and strategically balancing investments across various modes of transportation, to promote greater efficiencies.

2. Purpose and Use of the Information Collection

The Port Infrastructure Development Program was established to provide grants for the development of port facilities. To carry out a project under this program, the Department may provide financial assistance, including grants to port authorities or commissions, or to their subdivisions and agents for port and intermodal infrastructure-related projects.

The Department requests applications that seek funds to improve facilities at coastal seaports, inland river ports, and Great Lakes ports. Department personnel will review applications to determine if they meet criteria for potential grant awards for projects that will advance outcomes that support previously stated goals.

The Program seeks applications to provide financial assistance, including grants, to port authorities or commissions or their subdivisions and agents for port and intermodal infrastructure-related projects. The Department seeks projects that will: advance Departmental priorities of safety, equity and Justice40, climate and sustainability, and workforce development, job quality, and wealth creation as described in the USDOT Strategic Plan and in executive orders. The Maritime Administration (MARAD) encourages applicants to propose projects that, in addition to improving the safety, efficiency, or reliability of the movement of goods through ports and intermodal connection to ports, will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector, create proportional impacts to all populations in a project area and increase equitable access to project benefits, and support the creation of good-paying jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union, and include the incorporation of strong labor standards and training and placement programs, especially registered apprenticeships.

3. Automation or Use of Information Technology (IT)

The Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) calls for applications to be submitted through Grants.gov (www.maritime.dot.gov/PIDPgrants) 120 days after publication. All completed applications can be submitted electronically for review and a decision. The Department will host webinars and provide technical assistance to applicants prior to the application deadline to address questions about the Program.

4. Efforts to Identify Duplication

There is no duplication of this collection.

5. Impact on Small Businesses or Other Small Entities
   
   

The Program seeks the minimum information needed from an applicant to meet statutory requirements for determination of grant eligibility and funding. There is minimal impact on small businesses and other small entities.

6. Impact of Not Conducting or Less Frequent Collection of Information

Without this collection of information, there would not be access to funding opportunities that can be used to improve the nation’s port infrastructure, which are critical for import and export activities. Without access to suitable port facilities business owners and members of the general public would have to pay higher prices or wait longer for goods.

7. Special Circumstances Relating to the Guidelines 5 CFR 1320.5

All information submitted as part of or in support of any application shall use publicly available data. Likewise, collected data and methodologies that are accepted by industry practice and standards can be made public to the extent possible. If the applicant submits information that is considered to be a trade secret, confidential, commercial, or financial data, they must provide that information in a separate document, or cross-reference this data from the application narrative or other portions of the application. To submit a separate document containing confidential information, the applicant must do the following: (1) state on the cover of that document that it “Contains Confidential Business Information (CBI),” (2) mark each page that contains confidential information with “CBI,” (3) highlight or otherwise denote the confidential content on each page, and (4) at the end of the document, explain how disclosure of the confidential information would cause substantial competitive harm.

There are no other special circumstances that require this collection of information to be conducted in any other manner as described below:

• Requiring respondents to report information to MARAD more often than quarterly;

• Requiring respondents to prepare a written response in fewer than 30 days after receipt of a collection instrument;

• Requiring respondents to submit more than one original copy of any document;

• Requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records for more than three years;

• Requiring the use of any statistical data that is not designed to produce valid and reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study;

• Requiring the use of a statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB;

• Requiring any pledge of confidentiality; or

8. Public Comments in Response to the Federal Register Notice and Outside Consultation

MARAD published a 60-day notice and request for comments on this information collection in the Federal Register (FR 60966, Vol. 89, No. 145) on July 29, 2024, indicating comments should be submitted on or before September 27, 2024. All comments will receive a response. A 30-day notice will now be published in the Federal Register to solicit public comments.

9. Explanation of Any Payments or Gifts to Respondents
   
   

No payments or gifts are provided to respondents.

10. Assurance of Confidentiality and Protection of Privacy

The Department will protect confidential information by complying with Confidentiality and Privacy requirements to the extent required under applicable law. If DOT receives a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the information that the applicant has marked in accordance with this section, DOT will follow the procedures described in its FOIA regulations at 49 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) Section (§) 7.29. Only information that is in a separate document, marked in accordance with this section, and ultimately determined to be confidential under § 7.29 will be exempt from disclosure under FOIA.

11. Justification for Sensitive Questions

There are no questions of a sensitive nature.

12. Estimate of Annualized Burden Hours and Cost

1. Estimated Annualized Burden Hours:

There are approximately 300 ports in the United States. However, MARAD receives approximately 200 applications for the Port Infrastructure Development Program annually. Therefore, a total estimated 200 respondents will respond once to this information collection each year. Each applicant will take a combined 160 hours to complete all tasks related to this application process (i.e., project review (20 hours), proposal writing (120 hours), proposal editing (16 hours), completion of SF-424 Form (1 hour) and application submission via grants.gov (3 hours)), for a total combined 32,000 hours, which can be calculated as shown in the table below:

Form Name/ Type of Action	Total Respondents		Total Responses per Respondent		Total Responses		Time Taken to Respond (Hours)		Total Annualized Burden Hours
Project Review	200		1		200	*	20	=	4,000
Proposal Writing							120		24,000
Proposal Editing		*		=			16		3,200
Form SF 424							1		200
Online Application Process							3		600
TOTAL	200		1		200		160		32,000

2. Estimated Annualized Burden Costs

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS)¹ estimates that the average hourly wage for the following professionals are: General and Operation Manager (11-1021) is $62.18, Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants (43-6011 is $ 35.42 and Secretaries and Administrative Assistants (43-6010) is $ 23.95.

When combined the total compensation rate of 29%², the annualized hourly rate for each professional is as follows: General and Operation Manager (11-1021) is $80.21, Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants (43-6011 is $ 45.70 and Secretaries and Administrative Assistants (43-6010) is $ 30.90. Therefore, the total annualized cost burden for all individuals associated with preparing and submitting data in response to this collection is $ 1,672,640.01, which can be calculated as show in the table below:

Title and Code of Respondents	Hourly Wage	Compensation Rate of 29%	Number of Employees	Total Compensation Rate for Each Respondent	Total Annualized Burden Hours	Total Annualized Cost Burden
General and Operation Manager (11-1021)	$ 62.18	$ 80.21	1	$ 80.21	10,666.6667	$ 855,573.34
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants (43-6011	$ 35.42	$ 45.70	1	$ 45.70	10,666.6667	$ 487,466.67
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants (43-6010	$ 23.95	$ 30.90	1	$ 30.90	10,666.6667	$ 329,600.00
TOTAL					32000.00	$ 1,672,640.01

13. Estimate of Total Annual Cost Burden to Respondents and/or Record Keepers

There are no operational, maintenance, purchase or service costs to respondents and/or record keepers associated with this information collection.

14. Estimate of Federal Government Costs

The total Federal Government Costs associated with this collection is $157,836.40.

According to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)³ the hourly wages for the following Federal Employees to complete program related tasks for PIPD are as follows: GS 14 (Step 5): Develop/review/post Notice of Funding Opportunity is $ 75.70, GS 13 (Step 5): Receive/sort/review 200 applications is $64.06, and GS 15 (Step 5): Prepare/review/post list of awards. When combined with the Federal Employee Compensation rate of 31%⁴, the total hourly wage rates are as follows: GS 14 (Step 5) is $ 99.17, GS 13 (Step 5) is $ 83.92, and GS 15 (Step 5) is $ 116.64. Therefore, the total combined Federal Governments wages for all tasks associated with this program, can be calculated as shown in the table below:

FTE Grade and Step & Program Related Task	Hourly Wage		Average Hourly Wage Rate with 31% Compensation		Total Employees		Total Time for Program Related Task (Hours)		Total Federal Government Wages
GS 14 (Step 5): Develop/review/post Notice of Funding Opportunity	$ 75.70	*	$ 99.17	*	1	*	120	=	$ 11,900.40
GS 13 (Step 5): Receive/sort/review 200 applications @ (8hrs/application)	$ 64.06		$ 83.92		1		1,600		$ 134,272.00
GS 15 (Step 5): Prepare/review/post list of awards:	$ 89.04		$ 116.64		1		100		$ 11,664.00
TOTAL COMBINED FEDERAL WAGES									$ 157,836.40

15. Explanation of Program Changes or Adjustments

This collection is being updated to remove MA-1083 Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) Project Information Form, which is no longer needed. The total respondents, responses, and public burden have also reduced since this collection was implemented in 2019 from 250 to 200 and from 40,00 hours to 32,000 hours respectively.

16. Publication of Data Collection Results

There are no plans to publish the results of this information collection.

17. Displaying of the OMB expiration Date

MARAD is not seeking approval to omit displaying the OMB expiration date for this

collection.

18. Exceptions to the Certification Statement

There are no exceptions to the certificate statement.

1 The hourly wage estimate is taken from current BLS tables: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm.

2 Per BLS Employee Compensation Memo, the total compensation rate for the private sector is 29%, :https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecec.pdf

3 OPM 2024 wage tables for Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA is as follows: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2024/DCB_h.pdf

4 Per BLS Employee Compensation Memo, the total compensation rate for the Federal Government is 31%, :https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecec.pdf

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