Commercial Driver's License: Application for Exemption; American Public Transportation Association, 105175-105177 [2024-30737]
Download as PDF
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 247 / Thursday, December 26, 2024 / Notices
Real Estate Services, Federal Highway
Administration, Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
Office hours are from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We
published a Federal Register Notice
with a 60-day public comment period
on this information collection on
September 27, 2024, at 89 FR 79333.
There were no comments received.
Title: Relocation Assistance Personal
Interviews for FHWA Federal and
Federally Assisted Programs under the
Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real
Property Acquisition Polies Act of 1970,
as amended (Uniform Act).
Background: This program
implements 42 U.S.C. 4602, concerning
acquisition of real property and
relocation assistance for persons
displaced by FHWA Federal and
federally assisted programs. It requires
the provision of relocation assistance
and payments to U.S. citizens and
persons legally present in the United
States. The information collected
consists of a personal interview of
affected persons to establish eligibility
for relocation assistance and payments.
Displacing agencies will request each
person who is to be displaced by a
FHWA Federal or federally assisted
project to voluntarily assist the agency
in determining the benefits that their
household, business, farm, or non-profit
organization may be eligible to receive
through the personal interview to
determine their needs and preferences
related to the move. This information is
not required from the displaced person
for the agency to proceed.
Respondents: Any of the 56 State
Departments of Transportations (52,
including the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico), and the United States
territories of American Samoa, Guam, N.
Mariana Is., and the Virgin Islands of
the United States (4 territories), local
government agencies, persons
administering projects or programs
receiving financial assistance for
expenditures of Federal funds on
acquisition and relocation payments
and required services to displaced
persons that are subject to the
Relocation Assistance and Real Property
Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as
amended, (Uniform Act) for
determination of Uniform Act relocation
program benefit amounts, and file
maintenance.
Frequency: The information will be
collected once per displacement of a
household, business, farm, or non-profit
organization.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:37 Dec 23, 2024
Jkt 265001
Estimated Average Burden per
Response: 1 hour per respondent per
personal interview.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: It is expected that there is an
estimated total of 4,600 annual burden
hours.
Public Comments Invited: You are
asked to comment on any aspect of this
information collection, including: (1)
Whether the proposed collection is
necessary for the FHWA’s performance;
(2) the accuracy of the estimated
burdens; (3) ways for the FHWA to
enhance the quality, usefulness, and
clarity of the collected information; and
(4) ways that the burden could be
minimized, including the use of
electronic technology, without reducing
the quality of the collected information.
The agency will summarize and/or
include your comments in the request
for OMB’s clearance of this information
collection.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. chapter 35, as
amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued on: December 18, 2024.
Jazmyne Lewis,
Information Collection Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024–30638 Filed 12–23–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration
[Docket No. FMCSA–2024–0293]
Commercial Driver’s License:
Application for Exemption; American
Public Transportation Association
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA), Department
of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of application for
exemption; request for comments.
AGENCY:
FMCSA announces that it has
received an application for an
exemption from the American Public
Transportation Association (APTA), on
behalf of public transit agencies and
their contractor partners, to allow State
Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) to
waive the ‘‘under-the-hood’’ portion of
the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills test
requirement for commercial driver’s
license (CDL) applicants seeking to
operate vehicles in public
transportation, including interstate
commerce. FMCSA requests public
comment on APTA’s request for an
exemption.
SUMMARY:
Comments must be received on
or before January 27, 2025.
DATES:
PO 00000
Frm 00211
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
105175
You may submit comments
identified by Federal Docket
Management System (FDMS) Number
FMCSA–2024–0293 by any of the
following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal:
www.regulations.gov. See the Public
Participation and Request for Comments
section below for further information.
• Mail: Dockets Operations, U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building,
Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590–
0001.
• Hand Delivery or Courier: West
Building, Ground Floor, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE, between 9 a.m. and
5 p.m. E.T., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays.
• Fax: (202) 493–2251.
Each submission must include the
Agency name and the docket number
(FMCSA–2024–0293) for this notice.
Note that DOT posts all comments
received without change to
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information included in a
comment. Please see the Privacy Act
heading below.
Docket: If you do not have access to
the internet, you may view the docket
by visiting Docket Operations on the
ground floor of the DOT West Building,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m.
and 5 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays. To be sure
someone is there to help you, please call
(202) 366–9317 or (202) 366–9826
before visiting Dockets Operations.
Privacy Act: In accordance with 49
U.S.C. 31315(b), DOT solicits comments
from the public to better inform its
regulatory process. DOT posts these
comments, including any personal
information the commenter provides, to
www.regulations.gov described in the
system of records notice DOT/ALL–14
FDMS, which can be reviewed under
the ‘‘Department Wide System of
Records Notices’’ at https://
www.transportation.gov/individuals/
privacy/privacy-act-system-recordsnotices. The comments are posted
without edit and are searchable by the
name of the submitter.
ADDRESSES:
Mr.
Richard Clemente, Driver and Carrier
Operations Division; Office of Carrier,
Driver and Vehicle Safety Standards,
FMCSA; (202) 366–2722;
richard.clemente@dot.gov. If you have
questions on viewing or submitting
material to the docket, contact Dockets
Operations at (202) 366–9826.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
E:\FR\FM\26DEN1.SGM
26DEN1
105176
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 247 / Thursday, December 26, 2024 / Notices
I. Public Participation and Request for
Comments
FMCSA encourages you to participate
by submitting comments and related
materials.
Submitting Comments
If you submit a comment, please
include the docket number for this
notice (FMCSA–2024–0293), indicate
the specific section of this document to
which the comment applies, and
provide a reason for your suggestions or
recommendations. You may submit
your comments and material online or
by fax, mail, or hand delivery, but
please use only one of these means.
FMCSA recommends that you include
your name and a mailing address, an
email address, or a phone number in the
body of your document so the Agency
can contact you if it has questions
regarding your submission.
To submit your comment online, go to
www.regulations.gov and put the docket
number ‘‘FMCSA–2024–0293’’ in the
‘‘Keyword’’ box, and click ‘‘Search.’’
When the new screen appears, click on
the ‘‘Comment’’ button and type your
comment into the text box in the
following screen. Choose whether you
are submitting your comment as an
individual or on behalf of a third party
and then submit. If you submit your
comments by mail or hand delivery,
submit them in an unbound format, no
larger than 81⁄2 by 11 inches, suitable for
copying and electronic filing. If you
submit comments by mail and would
like to know that they reached the
facility, please enclose a stamped, selfaddressed postcard or envelope. FMCSA
will consider all comments and material
received during the comment period.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Confidential Business Information (CBI)
CBI is commercial or financial
information that is both customarily and
actually treated as private by its owner.
Under the Freedom of Information Act
(5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from
public disclosure. If your comments
responsive to the notice contain
commercial or financial information
that is customarily treated as private,
that you actually treat as private, and
that is relevant or responsive to the
notice, it is important that you clearly
designate the submitted comments as
CBI. Please mark each page of your
submission that constitutes CBI as
‘‘PROPIN’’ to indicate it contains
proprietary information. FMCSA will
treat such marked submissions as
confidential under the Freedom of
Information Act, and they will not be
placed in the public docket of the
notice. Submissions containing CBI
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:37 Dec 23, 2024
Jkt 265001
should be sent to Brian Dahlin, Chief,
Regulatory Evaluation Division, Office
of Policy, FMCSA, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590–
0001 or via email at brian.g.dahlin@
dot.gov. At this time, you need not send
a duplicate hardcopy of your electronic
CBI submissions to FMCSA
headquarters. Any comments FMCSA
receives not specifically designated as
CBI will be placed in the public docket
for this notice.
II. Legal Basis
FMCSA has authority under 49 U.S.C.
31136(e) and 31315(b) to grant
exemptions from Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). FMCSA
must publish a notice of each exemption
request in the Federal Register (49 CFR
381.315(a)). The Agency must provide
the public an opportunity to inspect the
information relevant to the application,
including the applicant’s safety
analyses. The Agency must provide an
opportunity for public comment on the
request.
The Agency reviews safety analyses
and public comments submitted and
determines whether granting the
exemption would likely maintain a level
of safety equivalent to, or greater than,
the level that would be achieved by the
current regulation (49 CFR 381.305(a)).
The Agency must publish its decision in
the Federal Register (49 CFR
381.315(b)). If granted, the notice will
identify the regulatory provision(s) from
which the applicant will be exempt, the
effective period, and all terms and
conditions of the exemption (49 CFR
381.315(c)(1)). If the exemption is
denied, the notice will explain the
reasons for the denial (49 CFR
381.315(c)(2)). The exemption may be
renewed (49 CFR 381.300(b)).
III. Current Regulatory Requirements
The CDL regulations at 49 CFR
383.113(a) require that applicants for a
CDL possess basic pre-trip vehicle
inspection skills for the vehicle class
that they operate or expect to operate.
Applicants must be able to identify each
safety-related part on the test vehicle
and explain what needs to be examined
during a pre-trip vehicle inspection to
ensure the safe operation of the
commercial motor vehicle. Under 49
CFR 383.113(a)(1)(i), applicants must
possesses this skill for the engine
compartment of the vehicle. This
portion of the test is known as the
‘‘under-the-hood’’ testing component.
IV. Applicant’s Request
APTA, on behalf of public transit
agencies and their contractor partners,
applied for an exemption from the
PO 00000
Frm 00212
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
‘‘under-the-hood’’ portion of the pre-trip
inspection segment of the CDL skills
test. The exemption would allow SDLAs
to waive the engine compartment
component of the pre-trip vehicle
inspection skills test required under 49
CFR 383.113(a)(1)(i) for CDL applicants
seeking to operate vehicles in public
transportation, including interstate
transportation.
According to the applicant, the public
transit industry continues to experience
a severe shortage of drivers and is
struggling to maintain its workforce.
APTA has identified the ‘‘under-thehood’’ testing requirement as a
significant impediment to hiring bus
operators, leading to reduced transit
service, missed trips, and increased
costs for public transit agencies. APTA
believes that the CDL ‘‘under-the-hood’’
test is completely unrelated to transit
bus operators’ job responsibilities;
creates equity concerns and serves as a
deterrent to certain individuals who
would otherwise thrive in this career;
and is increasingly becoming obsolete
with the transition to zero-emission
vehicles. The applicant further adds that
its members’ bus operator hiring issues
are similar to those faced by the school
bus industry and that FMCSA has
granted similar relief allowing States to
waive the ‘‘under-the-hood’’ test for
CDL applicants intending to become
school bus operators.
In support of its application, APTA
submitted a research report it
commissioned entitled, ‘‘Impact of CDL
Under-the-Hood Testing Requirement
on Public Transit Agencies’ Ability to
Hire Bus Operators,’’ dated November 1,
2024.
A copy of APTA’s application for
exemption and its research report are
available for review in the docket for
this notice.
V. Request for Comments
In accordance with 49 U.S.C.
31315(b), FMCSA requests public
comment from all interested persons on
the APTA’s application for an
exemption. All comments received
before the close of business on the
comment closing date indicated at the
beginning of this notice will be
considered and will be available for
examination in the docket at the
location listed under the ADDRESSES
section of this notice. Comments
received after the comment closing date
will be filed in the public docket and
will be considered to the extent
practicable. In addition to late
comments, FMCSA will also continue to
file, in the public docket, relevant
information that becomes available after
the comment closing date. Interested
E:\FR\FM\26DEN1.SGM
26DEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 247 / Thursday, December 26, 2024 / Notices
persons should continue to examine the
public docket for new material.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2024–30737 Filed 12–23–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Multiple
Departmental Offices Information
Collection Requests
Departmental Offices, U.S.
Department of the Treasury.
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:
The Department of the
Treasury, as part of its continuing effort
to reduce paperwork and respondent
burden, invites the general public and
other federal agencies to comment on
the proposed information collections
listed below, in accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before February 24, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding
the burden estimate, or any other aspect
of the information collection, including
suggestions for reducing the burden, to
Treasury PRA Clearance Officer, 1750
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 8100,
Washington, DC 20220, or email at
PRA@treasury.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Copies of the submissions may be
obtained from Spencer W. Clark by
emailing PRA@treasury.gov, calling
(202) 927–5331, or viewing the entire
information collection request at
www.reginfo.gov.
SUMMARY:
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Title: Solicitation of Proposal
Information for Award of Public
Contracts.
OMB Control Number: 1505–0081.
Type of Review: Extension without
change of a currently approved
collection.
Description: Treasury Bureaus and the
Office of the Procurement Executive
collect information when inviting firms
to submit proposals for public contracts
for supplies and services. The
information collection is necessary for
compliance with the Federal Property
and Administrative Services Act (41
U.S.C. 251 et seq.), the Federal
Acquisition Regulation (FAR) (48 CFR
Chapter 1) and applicable acquisition
regulations.
Form: None.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:37 Dec 23, 2024
Jkt 265001
Affected Public: Businesses or other
for-profits.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
20,946.
Frequency of Response: On occasion.
Estimated Total Number of Annual
Responses: 20,946.
Estimated Time per Response: Varies
depending on proposal type and
proposal requirements. Average burden
estimate is 10.48 hours per submission.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 217,812.
2. Title: Coronavirus Economic Relief
for Transportation Services (CERTS).
OMB Control Number: 1505–0273.
Type of Review: Extension without
change of a currently approved
collection.
Description: On December 27, 2020,
the President signed the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2021. Division N,
Title IV, Subtitle B, Section 421 of the
Act provides $2 billion for the U.S.
Department of the Treasury to provide
grants to eligible providers of
transportation services (‘‘Recipients’’)
under the Coronavirus Economic Relief
for Transportation Services (‘‘CERTS’’)
Program. Recipients include motorcoach
companies, school bus companies,
passenger vessel companies, and
pilotage companies. Under Section 421
of the Act, Recipients must demonstrate
significant revenue losses as a result of
COVID–19, and must use grant funds for
payroll costs and for other eligible
operating expenses. At this point, all
funds have been distributed and
reporting requirements have been
completed. Recipients are required to
retain records for three years after funds
are expended or returned to Treasury.
Form: None.
Affected Public: Businesses or other
for-profits.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
1,460.
Frequency of Response: On occasion.
Estimated Total Number of Annual
Responses: 1,460.
Estimated Time per Response: 15
minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 365.
Request for Comments: Comments
submitted in response to this notice will
be summarized and included in the
request for Office of Management and
Budget approval. All comments will
become a matter of public record.
Comments are invited on: (a) whether
the collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the agency, including
whether the information shall have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
collection of information; (c) ways to
PO 00000
Frm 00213
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
105177
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the information to be collected; (d)
ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on
respondents, including through the use
of technology; and (e) estimates of
capital or start-up costs and costs of
operation, maintenance, and purchase
of services required to provide
information.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.
Spencer W. Clark,
Treasury PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024–30783 Filed 12–23–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810–AK–P
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS
[OMB Control No. 2900–0629]
Agency Information Collection
Activity: Application for Extended Care
Services
Veterans Health
Administration, Department of Veterans
Affairs.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Veterans Health
Administration (VHA), Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an
opportunity for public comment on the
proposed collection of certain
information by the agency. Under the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of
1995, Federal agencies are required to
publish notice in the Federal Register
concerning each proposed collection of
information, including each proposed
extension of a currently approved
collection, and allow 60 days for public
comment in response to the notice.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before February 24, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Comments must be
submitted through www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Program-Specific information:
Rebecca Mimnall, 202–695–9434,
vhacopra@va.gov.
VA PRA information: Maribel Aponte,
202–461–8900, vacopaperworkreduact@
va.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the
PRA of 1995, Federal agencies must
obtain approval from the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for each
collection of information they conduct
or sponsor. This request for comment is
being made pursuant to Section
3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA.
With respect to the following
collection of information, VHA invites
comments on: (1) whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\26DEN1.SGM
26DEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 247 (Thursday, December 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 105175-105177]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-30737]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
[Docket No. FMCSA-2024-0293]
Commercial Driver's License: Application for Exemption; American
Public Transportation Association
AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Department
of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of application for exemption; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: FMCSA announces that it has received an application for an
exemption from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA),
on behalf of public transit agencies and their contractor partners, to
allow State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) to waive the ``under-the-
hood'' portion of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills test
requirement for commercial driver's license (CDL) applicants seeking to
operate vehicles in public transportation, including interstate
commerce. FMCSA requests public comment on APTA's request for an
exemption.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 27, 2025.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Federal Docket
Management System (FDMS) Number FMCSA-2024-0293 by any of the following
methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. See the
Public Participation and Request for Comments section below for further
information.
Mail: Dockets Operations, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor,
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building, Ground Floor,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. E.T., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Fax: (202) 493-2251.
Each submission must include the Agency name and the docket number
(FMCSA-2024-0293) for this notice. Note that DOT posts all comments
received without change to www.regulations.gov, including any personal
information included in a comment. Please see the Privacy Act heading
below.
Docket: If you do not have access to the internet, you may view the
docket by visiting Docket Operations on the ground floor of the DOT
West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, between
9 a.m. and 5 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 366-9317 or
(202) 366-9826 before visiting Dockets Operations.
Privacy Act: In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31315(b), DOT solicits
comments from the public to better inform its regulatory process. DOT
posts these comments, including any personal information the commenter
provides, to www.regulations.gov described in the system of records
notice DOT/ALL-14 FDMS, which can be reviewed under the ``Department
Wide System of Records Notices'' at https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/privacy/privacy-act-system-records-notices. The comments
are posted without edit and are searchable by the name of the
submitter.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Richard Clemente, Driver and
Carrier Operations Division; Office of Carrier, Driver and Vehicle
Safety Standards, FMCSA; (202) 366-2722; [email protected]. If
you have questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket,
contact Dockets Operations at (202) 366-9826.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 105176]]
I. Public Participation and Request for Comments
FMCSA encourages you to participate by submitting comments and
related materials.
Submitting Comments
If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this
notice (FMCSA-2024-0293), indicate the specific section of this
document to which the comment applies, and provide a reason for your
suggestions or recommendations. You may submit your comments and
material online or by fax, mail, or hand delivery, but please use only
one of these means. FMCSA recommends that you include your name and a
mailing address, an email address, or a phone number in the body of
your document so the Agency can contact you if it has questions
regarding your submission.
To submit your comment online, go to www.regulations.gov and put
the docket number ``FMCSA-2024-0293'' in the ``Keyword'' box, and click
``Search.'' When the new screen appears, click on the ``Comment''
button and type your comment into the text box in the following screen.
Choose whether you are submitting your comment as an individual or on
behalf of a third party and then submit. If you submit your comments by
mail or hand delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no larger than
8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for copying and electronic filing. If you
submit comments by mail and would like to know that they reached the
facility, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or
envelope. FMCSA will consider all comments and material received during
the comment period.
Confidential Business Information (CBI)
CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily
and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of
Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public disclosure.
If your comments responsive to the notice contain commercial or
financial information that is customarily treated as private, that you
actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to the
notice, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted
comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission that
constitutes CBI as ``PROPIN'' to indicate it contains proprietary
information. FMCSA will treat such marked submissions as confidential
under the Freedom of Information Act, and they will not be placed in
the public docket of the notice. Submissions containing CBI should be
sent to Brian Dahlin, Chief, Regulatory Evaluation Division, Office of
Policy, FMCSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001 or
via email at [email protected]. At this time, you need not send a
duplicate hardcopy of your electronic CBI submissions to FMCSA
headquarters. Any comments FMCSA receives not specifically designated
as CBI will be placed in the public docket for this notice.
II. Legal Basis
FMCSA has authority under 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315(b) to grant
exemptions from Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs).
FMCSA must publish a notice of each exemption request in the Federal
Register (49 CFR 381.315(a)). The Agency must provide the public an
opportunity to inspect the information relevant to the application,
including the applicant's safety analyses. The Agency must provide an
opportunity for public comment on the request.
The Agency reviews safety analyses and public comments submitted
and determines whether granting the exemption would likely maintain a
level of safety equivalent to, or greater than, the level that would be
achieved by the current regulation (49 CFR 381.305(a)). The Agency must
publish its decision in the Federal Register (49 CFR 381.315(b)). If
granted, the notice will identify the regulatory provision(s) from
which the applicant will be exempt, the effective period, and all terms
and conditions of the exemption (49 CFR 381.315(c)(1)). If the
exemption is denied, the notice will explain the reasons for the denial
(49 CFR 381.315(c)(2)). The exemption may be renewed (49 CFR
381.300(b)).
III. Current Regulatory Requirements
The CDL regulations at 49 CFR 383.113(a) require that applicants
for a CDL possess basic pre-trip vehicle inspection skills for the
vehicle class that they operate or expect to operate. Applicants must
be able to identify each safety-related part on the test vehicle and
explain what needs to be examined during a pre-trip vehicle inspection
to ensure the safe operation of the commercial motor vehicle. Under 49
CFR 383.113(a)(1)(i), applicants must possesses this skill for the
engine compartment of the vehicle. This portion of the test is known as
the ``under-the-hood'' testing component.
IV. Applicant's Request
APTA, on behalf of public transit agencies and their contractor
partners, applied for an exemption from the ``under-the-hood'' portion
of the pre-trip inspection segment of the CDL skills test. The
exemption would allow SDLAs to waive the engine compartment component
of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills test required under 49 CFR
383.113(a)(1)(i) for CDL applicants seeking to operate vehicles in
public transportation, including interstate transportation.
According to the applicant, the public transit industry continues
to experience a severe shortage of drivers and is struggling to
maintain its workforce. APTA has identified the ``under-the-hood''
testing requirement as a significant impediment to hiring bus
operators, leading to reduced transit service, missed trips, and
increased costs for public transit agencies. APTA believes that the CDL
``under-the-hood'' test is completely unrelated to transit bus
operators' job responsibilities; creates equity concerns and serves as
a deterrent to certain individuals who would otherwise thrive in this
career; and is increasingly becoming obsolete with the transition to
zero-emission vehicles. The applicant further adds that its members'
bus operator hiring issues are similar to those faced by the school bus
industry and that FMCSA has granted similar relief allowing States to
waive the ``under-the-hood'' test for CDL applicants intending to
become school bus operators.
In support of its application, APTA submitted a research report it
commissioned entitled, ``Impact of CDL Under-the-Hood Testing
Requirement on Public Transit Agencies' Ability to Hire Bus
Operators,'' dated November 1, 2024.
A copy of APTA's application for exemption and its research report
are available for review in the docket for this notice.
V. Request for Comments
In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31315(b), FMCSA requests public
comment from all interested persons on the APTA's application for an
exemption. All comments received before the close of business on the
comment closing date indicated at the beginning of this notice will be
considered and will be available for examination in the docket at the
location listed under the ADDRESSES section of this notice. Comments
received after the comment closing date will be filed in the public
docket and will be considered to the extent practicable. In addition to
late comments, FMCSA will also continue to file, in the public docket,
relevant information that becomes available after the comment closing
date. Interested
[[Page 105177]]
persons should continue to examine the public docket for new material.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2024-30737 Filed 12-23-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P