FRA Seeks Comment on Railroad Police Officers Information Collection

Content

ACTION:

Notice of information collection; request for comment.

SUMMARY:

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information Collection
Request (ICR) summarized below. Before submitting this ICR to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA
is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified in the ICR.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before June 22, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR should be submitted on https://www.regulations.gov to Docket No. FRA-2026-0037. All comments received will be posted without change to the docket, including any personal information
provided. Please refer to the assigned OMB control number (2130-0537) in any correspondence submitted. FRA will summarize
comments received in response to this notice in a subsequent notice, made available to the public, and include them in its
information collection submission to OMB for approval.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ms. Joanne Swafford, Information Collection Clearance Officer, at email: joanne.swafford@dot.gov or telephone: (757) 897-9908.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, and its implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 1320, require Federal agencies to provide 60 days'
notice to the public to allow comment on information collection activities before seeking OMB approval of the activities. See 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 through 1320.12. Specifically, FRA invites interested parties to comment on the following
ICR regarding: (1) whether the information collection activities are necessary for FRA to properly execute its functions,
including whether the activities will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of FRA's estimates of the burden of the information
collection activities, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used to determine the estimates; (3) ways
for FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information being collected; and (4) ways for FRA to minimize
the burden of information collection activities on the public, including the use of automated collection techniques or other
forms of information technology. See 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1).

FRA believes that soliciting public comment may reduce the administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the collection
of information that Federal regulations mandate. In summary, comments received will advance three objectives: (1) reduce reporting
burdens; (2) organize information collection requirements in a “user-friendly” format to improve the use of such information;
and (3) accurately assess the resources expended to retrieve and produce information requested. See 44 U.S.C. 3501.

The summary below describes the ICR that FRA will submit for OMB clearance as the PRA requires:

Title: Railroad Police Officers.

OMB Control Number: 2130-0537.

Abstract: Title 49 CFR part 207 requires railroads to notify States of all designated police officers who perform duties in their respective
jurisdictions who were commissioned as police officers by another State or States. This is necessary to verify proper police
authority. In addition, if a railroad or police officer certified or commissioned as a police officer under the laws of a
State or jurisdiction transfers primary employment or residence from the certifying or commissioning State to another one,
the railroad police officer must apply to be certified or commissioned as a police officer under the laws of the State of
new primary employment or residence not later than one year after the date of transfer.

In this 60-day notice, after a thorough review, FRA is making multiple adjustments to its estimates that decrease the currently
approved burden hours from 18 hours to 15 hours. This burden decrease is the result of changes summarized below.

Section 207.4 requires railroads to provide written notice of a railroad police officer's commission to each State in which
the railroad police officer will protect the railroads' property, personnel, passengers, and cargo. Railroads are also required
to keep copies of these written notices. The revised estimate of 52 responses was calculated by applying a 10% employment
turnover to the 525 annual commissions reported by the Association of American Railroads (AAR). In addition, after further
clarification from OMB, § 207.4(c) verification by States for receipt of written notices was determined to be excluded from
coverage under the PRA.

Lastly, § 207.6 requires commissioned railroad police officers who transfer primary employment or residence from one State
to another State or jurisdiction to apply to be commissioned as a police officer under the laws of the State of the new primary
State of employment or residence. FRA revised this estimate from 50 transfers annually to 8 transfers annually to reflect
more accurately the expected number of transfers over the next three-year information collection period.

Overall, these adjustments reduced the annual burden by three hours.

Type of Request: Extension without change (with changes in estimates) of a currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Railroads and States.

Form(s): N/A.

Respondent Universe: 768 railroads.

Frequency of Submission: On occasion.

| CFR Section | Respondent
universe(railroads) | Total annual
responses | Average time
per response | Total annual
burden hours | Wage rate 1 | Total annual
dollar costequivalent |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| (A) | (B) | (C) = A * B | | (D) = C * wage rates |
| 207.4 Notice to State officials |
| —(a) Written notice of railroad (RR) police officer's commission to each State in which the RR police officer shall protect
the RR's property, personnel, passengers, and cargo | 768 | 52 written notices | 15 | 13 | $90.19 | $1,172.47 |
| —(b) RR copy of written notices to State officials | 768 | 52 records | 2 | 1.73 | 90.19 | 156.03 |
| 207.6 Transfers |
| —Application by RR police officers for new State certification/commission when transferring primary employment or residence
from one State to another | 768 | 8 records | 2 | 0.27 | 90.19 | 24.35 |
| Total 2 | 768 | 112 responses | | 15 | | 1,352.85 |
| 1 The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the 2024 Surface Transportation Board Full Year Wage A&B data series using employee
group 200 (Professional Administrative Staff) hourly wage rate of $51.54. The total burden wage rate (straight time plus 75%)
used in the table is $90.19 ($51.54 × 1.75 = $90.19). |
| 2 Totals may not add up due to rounding. |
Total Estimated Annual Responses: 112 responses.

Total Estimated Annual Burden: 15 hours.

Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $1,352.85.

FRA informs all interested parties that it may not conduct or sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, a collection
of information that does not display a currently valid OMB control number.

(Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.)

Christopher S. Van Nostrand, Deputy Chief Counsel. [FR Doc. 2026-07887 Filed 4-22-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-06-P

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