DOT’s February 3, 2010 Federal Register Notice (FRN) on DBE Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in Financial Assistance Programs indicating a switch from annual DBE goal setting to 3-year DBE goal setting
[Federal Register: February 3, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 22)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 5535-5536]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03fe10-14]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
49 CFR Part 26
[Docket No. OST-2010-0021]
RIN 2105-AD76
Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in Department
of Transportation Financial Assistance Programs
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (OST), DOT.
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This final rule changes the Department of Transportation
(Department) regulation concerning how often recipients of DOT
financial assistance are required to submit to the appropriate DOT
operating administration for approval the methodology and process used
to establish their overall disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) goal
for federally funded contracting opportunities. Under the rule,
recipients will submit overall goals for review every three years,
rather than annually.
DATES: Effective Date: This rule is effective March 5, 2010.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert C. Ashby, Deputy Assistant
General Counsel for Regulation and Enforcement, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Room W94-302, Washington,
DC 20590, 202 366-9310, <A HREF="mailto:Bob.Ashby@dot.gov">Bob.Ashby@dot.gov</A>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 8, 2009, the Department published
in the Federal Register at 74 FR 15910, a notice of proposed rulemaking
(NPRM) inviting public comment on a proposal to establish a staggered
three-year schedule for the submission by DOT recipients subject to the
regulations at 49 CFR part 26 of their overall goal for DBE
participation on DOT-assisted contracts. Recipients are currently
required to make a DBE goal submission each year on August 1st. This
proposed rule change was modeled largely on the comparable provision in
the airport concessions DBE rule in Part 23 of this Title, with which
the Department has had successful experience.
The Department received approximately 27 comments from state
departments of transportation, airports, transit authorities, DBEs,
contractor associations, and transportation consultants. This final
rule responds to the substantive concerns raised in the comments from
those who supported or opposed the adoption of the proposed rule.
The majority of commenters supported the proposed rule change as
long as recipients are either required to conduct annual reviews to
account for changes that may warrant a modification of the overall goal
or are simply allowed to make adjustments to the overall goal during
the three-year period based on changed circumstances without
necessarily requiring annual reviews. Some of the circumstances or
conditions that may indicate the need for an adjustment include, but
are not limited to, the collection of new data, a significant change in
the recipient's DOT assisted contracting program (e.g., new contracting
opportunities presented by the availability of new or different grant
opportunities), a marked increase or decrease in the availability of
DBEs in the recipient's contracting market, or a significant change in
the legal standards governing the DBE program. Some supporters also
thought it advisable to give recipients the flexibility to request a
waiver to set their own schedule or to submit an overall goal that
covers a one-, two-, or three-year period as appropriate due to the
nature of the recipient's contracting program. The ability to maintain
the status quo--i.e., set annual overall goals--was an approach
strongly endorsed by some airports, some representatives of the
aviation industry, and some representatives of general contractors.
The commenters opposed to the proposed rule change raised several
concerns about moving to a three-year cycle: (1) The difficulty in
estimating a DBE goal beyond one year given the changes in the
political landscape or changes in the kind of projects that are funded;
(2) locking in goals for three years undermines the ability to assess
market conditions and DBE availability; (3) requiring annual reviews
during the three-year period defeats the purpose of reducing the
administrative burden associated with the annual goal setting process
since an annual review will likely result in the need for an adjustment
and thereby trigger the annual goal setting process; and (4) it fails
to achieve a level playing field or ensure narrow tailoring.
Having considered the comments, the Department believes going to a
system of staggered three-year overall DBE goal submissions would not
compromise the ability of recipients to implement a narrowly tailored
program and would enable recipients to improve the data collection,
analysis, and consultation required to establish an overall goal that
truly aims to reflect the level of DBE participation one would expect
absent the effects of discrimination. Since the DBE program rules were
substantially revised in 1999, generally we have not seen huge
variances in the annual DBE goal submissions made by recipients over
the last ten years. Thus, we do not assume that requiring an annual
review would necessarily lead to annual adjustments resulting from a
process that mimics the current yearly process. That said, we do not
think it necessary to mandate annual reviews. Instead, we believe
recipients or operating administrations should be allowed, based on
changed circumstances, to initiate mid-course reviews as needed to
determine if adjustments to the overall goal are warranted. Also, we do
not think it prudent to allow each recipient to establish a different
schedule for submission. Such a series of exceptions would likely
swallow the rule. It also would make it much more difficult for
operating administrations to manage reviews and oversee compliance.
However, in those cases where a recipient believes its situation
differs from other similarly situated recipients, the existing program
waiver process offers the recipient the opportunity to seek an
exception. These program waivers, unlike the general program waiver
provisions of 49 CFR 26.15, could be granted by an operating
administration and would not have to be approved by the Secretary.
Under the final rule, each operating administration is required to
establish a schedule for submissions to be posted on its Web site. The
schedules are intended to be posted no later than 30 days after the
effective date of this rule. During the transition to this new system,
specific notice of the deadline for overall goal submissions and the
consequences of failing to meet the deadline should be provided to
recipients. The schedules established by the operating administrations
should include each year a proportionate or representative number of
recipients from all regions of the country (e.g., north, south, east,
and west). During the transition to the new scheduling system,
recipients should continuing using or operating under the goals last
approved by the operating administration.
Regulatory Analyses and Notices
Executive Order 12866 and Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Department has determined that this action is not a significant
regulatory
[[Page 5536]]
action for purposes of Executive Order 12866 or the Department's
regulatory policies and procedures. The rule would not impose any costs
or burdens on grantees or other parties. It would reduce burdens on
recipients by reducing the frequency of goal submissions to the
Department. For these reasons, the Department certifies that the rule
would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of
small entities.
Paperwork Reduction Act
This rule does not create any information collection requirements
covered by the Paperwork Reduction Act.
List of Subjects in 49 CFR Part 26
Administrative practice and procedures, Airports, Civil rights,
Government contracts, Grant programs--transportation, Minority
business, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
Issued this 20th day of January 2010, at Washington, DC.
Ray LaHood,
Secretary of Transportation.
0
For the reasons stated in the preamble, the Department amends 49 CFR
part 26 as follows:
PART 26--PARTICIPATION BY DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES IN
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
0
1. The authority for 49 CFR part 26 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 23 U.S.C. 324; 42 U.S.C. 2000d, et seq.; 49 U.S.C
1615, 47107, 47113, 47123; Sec. 1101(b), Pub. L. 105-178, 112 Stat.
107, 113.
Subpart C--Goals, Good Faith Efforts, and Counting
0
2. Revise Sec. 26.45(e) and (f) to read as follows:
Sec. 26.45 How do recipients set overall goals?
* * * * *
(e) Once you have determined a percentage figure in accordance with
paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, you should express your overall
goal as follows:
(1) If you are an FHWA recipient, as a percentage of all Federal-
aid highway funds you will expend in FHWA-assisted contracts in the
forthcoming three fiscal years.
(2) If you are an FTA or FAA recipient, as a percentage of all FTA
or FAA funds (exclusive of FTA funds to be used for the purchase of
transit vehicles) that you will expend in FTA- or FAA-assisted
contracts in the three forthcoming fiscal years.
(3) In appropriate cases, the FHWA, FTA or FAA Administrator may
permit you to express your overall goal as a percentage of funds for a
particular grant or project or group of grants and/or projects.
(f)(1) If you set overall goals on a fiscal year basis, you must
submit them to the applicable DOT operating administration by August 1
at three-year intervals, based on a schedule established by the FHWA,
FTA, or FAA, as applicable, and posted on that agency's Web site. You
must submit to the operating administration for approval any
significant adjustment you make to your goal during the three-year
period based on changed circumstances. The operating administration may
direct you to undertake a review of your goal if necessary to ensure
that the goal continues to fit your circumstances appropriately.
(2) If you are an FHWA, FTA, or FAA recipient and set your overall
goal on a project or grant basis, you must submit the goal for review
at a time determined by the FHWA, FTA, or FAA Administrator.
(3) Timely submission and operating administration approval of your
overall goal is a condition of eligibility for DOT financial
assistance.
(4) If you fail to establish and implement goals as provided in
this section, you are not in compliance with this part. If you
establish and implement goals in a way different from that provided in
this part, you are not in compliance with this part. If you fail to
comply with this requirement, you are not eligible to receive DOT
financial assistance.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2010-2294 Filed 2-2-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
</PRE>
