# Office of the Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs; U.S. Department of Transportation Learning Agenda: Fiscal Years 2024-2026, Response to Comments Received
**AGENCY:**
Office of the Secretary (OST), Department of Transportation (DOT).
**ACTION:**
Notice of availability of the learning agenda.
**SUMMARY:**
This document provides the public with responses to the comments received for *Federal Register* Request for Information “Office of the Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs; U.S. Department of Transportation Learning Agenda Supplement: Fiscal Years 2024-2026” (Docket No. DOT-OST-2024-0005).
**DATES:**
November 29, 2024.
**ADDRESSES:**
For access to DOT Docket Number DOT-OST 2024-0005 to read background document and comments received, go to *www.regulations.gov* at any time or to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Please email *[email protected]* or call John D. Giorgis at (202) 366-6513 for further information. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT, Monday through Friday, except for Federal holidays.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) systematically plans for building evidence to inform policy, regulatory, and operational decisions. This systematic plan, known as a learning agenda, is developed in accordance with Title I of the *Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018.*<sup>1</sup>
In March 2022, DOT published the first Department-wide *Learning Agenda: Fiscal Years (FY) 2022-2026,* in conjunction with the Department's *Strategic Plan: FY 2022-2026.*<sup>2</sup> DOT reviews and assesses the *Learning Agenda* on an annual basis in accordance with Section 290.8 of Office of Management and Budget's Circular A-11 and OMB Memoranda M-19-23 and M-21-27. <sup>3</sup> Upon reaching the mid-point of the *Learning Agenda: FY 2022-2026,* the Department determined it was beneficial to update it and issue the *Learning Agenda: FY 2024-2026.*
As part of the development process for the *Learning Agenda: FY 2024-2026,* DOT's Office of the Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs issued a Request for Information (RFI). <sup>4</sup> The RFI sought public comment regarding potential updates to DOT's first Learning Agenda in three main areas:
• Whether there were new priority learning questions;
• Whether there were new priority data needs; and
• Whether the learning questions or data needs in the *Learning Agenda: FY 2022-2026* needed to be adjusted.
The RFI was published on February 13, 2024, and accepted responses during a 60-day comment period.
DOT received eight comments through the Request for Information and took them into consideration when developing the *Learning Agenda: FY 2024-2026.* Most comments offered broad input. One comment sent by the Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University School of Law focused on the Corporate Annual Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards; it was forwarded to the appropriate office within the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for their consideration.
DOT published the *Learning Agenda: FY 2024-2026* on November 13, 2024. It is available on the DOT's web page under the Office of the Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs. <sup>5</sup>
Issued in Washington, DC.
Victoria Wassmer,
Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs and Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Department of Transportation.
**Endnotes**
<sup>1</sup> Public Law 115-435, title I, sec. 101(a)(2); 5 U.S.C. 312(a).
<sup>2</sup> DOT (2022), *Learning Agenda: FY 2024-2026, https://www.transportation.gov/mission/budget/learning-agenda-fy-2022-2026; Strategic Plan: FY 2022-2026, https://www.transportation.gov/mission/us-dot-strategic-plan-fy-2022-2026.*
<sup>3</sup> Office of Management and Budget (2024), *Circular A-11: Preparation, Submission and Execution of the Budget,* Section 290.8, *www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/s290.pdf;* (2019), “Memoranda 19-23,” *https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/M-19-23.pdf;* (2021), “Memoranda M-21-27,” *https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/M-21-27.pdf.*
<sup>4</sup> 89 FR 10155 (February 13, 2024), *www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/02/13/2024-02669/office-of-the-chief-financial-officer-and-assistant-secretary-for-budget-and-programs-us-department.*
<sup>5</sup> DOT (2024), *Learning Agenda: FY 2024-2026, https://www.transportation.gov/mission/budget/learning-agenda-fy-24-26.*