This action aligns the timing of certain transportation conformity consequences with the imposition of Clean Air Act highway sanctions for a six-month period. For ozone nonattainment areas with an incomplete 15% emissions-reduction state implementation plan with a protective finding; incomplete ozone attainment/3% rate-of-progress plan; or finding of failure to submit an ozone attainment/3% rate-of- progress plan, and areas whose control strategy implementation plan for ozone, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, or nitrogen dioxide is disapproved with a protective finding, the conformity status of the transportation plan and program will not lapse as a result of such failure until highway sanctions for such failure are effective under other Clean Air Act sections. This action delays the lapse in conformity status, which would otherwise prevent approval of new highway and transit projects, and allows States more time to prevent the lapse by submitting complete control strategy implementation plans. EPA is issuing this interim final rule, effective for a six-month period, without prior proposal in order to prevent previously unforeseeable delays in State ozone implementation plan development from causing widespread conformity lapsing. In a parallel action in this Federal Register, EPA is requesting comment on this interim final rule and on similar but permanent rule changes.