Federal Transit Administration 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On December 16, 2014, President Obama signed the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (FY 2015 Appropriations) which provided $11.008 billion in new budget authority including a full fiscal year's funding for the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) programs funded from the General Fund of the Treasury, which funds its administrative expenses as well as its Research, Technical Assistance and Training programs, Capital Investment Grants program, and Grants to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The FY 2015 Appropriations Act follows several continuing resolutions that provided funds for these programs through December 15, 2014. The Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 extended FTA's contract (budget) authority to carry out its formula assistance programs only through May 31, 2015. The act pro-rated the amount of budget authority available for the period October 1, 2014 through May 31, 2015 based on an anticipated full FY 2015 total of $8.595 billion. As a result, FTA may apportion only 8/12th or $5.722 billion in contract authority at this time. When combined with the full-year funding from the General Funded programs listed above, FTA is apportioning or allocating in this notice a total of $8.136 billion of the $11.008 billion of new budget authority provided in the FY 2015 Appropriations. Congress will have to extend the authorization for public transportation beyond May 31, 2015, before additional contract authority can be provided for the formula assistance programs. FTA annually publishes one or more notices apportioning funds appropriated by law. This notice apportions and provides information on the FY 2015 funding currently available for FTA assistance programs, provides program guidance and requirements, and information on several program issues important in the current year. This notice also provides information on FTA's discretionary programs and forthcoming program guidance.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has placed in the docket and on its Web site proposed guidance on FTA's Emergency Relief (ER) Program for states and transit agencies that may be affected by a declared emergency or disaster and that may seek funding under FTA's ER Program. The proposed guidance is contained in the newly revised Reference Manual for States & Transit Agencies on Response and Recovery from Declared Disasters and FTA's Emergency Relief Program, which replaces ``Response and Recovery from Declared Emergencies and Disasters: A Reference for Transit Agencies,'' last updated in June 2013. In addition to proposed guidance on the ER Program, this document provides information on other disaster relief resources available through FTA and from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). By this notice, FTA seeks public comment on the proposed ER Program guidance.

FTA has placed guidance in the docket and on its Web site, in the form of a circular, to assist recipients of financial aid under the 49 U.S.C. 5337 State of Good Repair (``SGR'') Grants Program. The circular provides instructions and guidance on program administration and the grant application process.

This notice announces final environmental actions taken by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for a project in Douglas County, CO. The purpose of this notice is to announce publicly the environmental decisions by FTA on the subject project and to activate the limitation on any claims that may challenge these final environmental actions.