(a) A recipient may provide charter service to government officials (Federal, State, and local) for official government business, which can include non-transit related purposes, if the recipient:

(1) Provides the service in its geographic service area;

(2) Does not generate revenue from the charter service, except as required by law; and

(3) After providing such service, records the following:

(i) The government organization's name, address, phone number, and e-mail address;

(ii) The date and time of service;

(iii) The number of passengers (specifically noting the number of government officials on the trip);

(iv) The origin, destination, and trip length (miles and hours);

(v) The fee collected, if any; and

(vi) The vehicle number for the vehicle used to provide the service.

(b) A recipient that provides charter service under this section shall be limited annually to 80 charter service hours for providing trips to government officials for official government business.

(c) A recipient may petition the Administrator for additional charter service hours only if the petition contains the following information:

(1) Date and description of the official government event and the number of charter service hours requested;

(2) Explanation of why registered charter providers in the geographic service area cannot perform the service (e.g., equipment, time constraints, or other extenuating circumstances); and

(3) Evidence that the recipient has sent the request for additional hours to registered charter providers in its geographic service area.

(d) FTA shall post the request for additional charter service hours under this exception in the Government Officials Exception docket, docket number FTA-2007-0020 at http://www.regulations.gov. Interested parties may review the contents of this docket and bring questions or concerns to the attention of the Ombudsman for Charter Services. The written decision of the Administrator regarding the request for additional charter service hours shall be posted in the Government Officials Exception docket and sent to the recipient.