Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request, 61505-61506 [E6-17354]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Indian Affairs
• Indian Affairs Bureau

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 201 (Wednesday, October 18, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61505-61506]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-17354]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development is seeking comments on 
renewal of a reporting system for Public Law 102-477, ``Indian 
Employment, Training and Related Services Demonstration Act of 1992.'' 
The existing data collection, cleared under OMB Control Number 1076-
0135, expires on November 30, 2006. This information collection 
requirement satisfies this statutory requirement.

DATES: Submit comments on or before December 18, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Lynn Forcia, Chief, Division of Workforce 
Development, telefacsimile number (202) 208-6991 or write to Division 
of Workforce Development, Office of Indian Energy and Economic 
Development, 1951 Constitution Avenue, NW., Mail Stop 20-SIB, 
Washington, DC 20240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You may request further information or 
obtain copies of the proposed information collection request from the 
Lynn Forcia, Chief, Division of Workforce Development at the address 
above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A report system for the Public Law 102-477 
initiative expires November 30, 2006. This is a request for an 
extension of a previously approved information collection request.
    The information collection is needed to document satisfactory 
compliance with statutory requirements of the various integrated 
programs. Public Law 102-477 authorizes tribal governments to integrate 
federally funded employment, training and related services programs 
into a single, coordinated, comprehensive service delivery plan. 
Funding agencies include the Department of the Interior, the Department 
of Labor, and the Department of Health and Human Services. The 
Department of the Interior is statutorily required to serve as the lead 
agency. Section II of this Act requires that the Secretary of the 
Interior make available a single universal report format which shall be 
used by a tribal government to report on integrated activities and 
expenditures undertaken by tribes. The Department of the Interior 
shares the information collected from these reports with the Department 
of Labor and the Department of Health and Human Services.
    Public Law 102-477 requires that the tribes report annually. Tribal 
governments voluntarily participating in Public Law 102-477 are 
required to annually complete one financial report, one narrative and 
one program statistical report. When the forms were first developed in 
1993, the 7 pages replaced 166 pages of instructions and applications 
representing three different agencies and twelve different funded but 
related programs. We estimated a 95 percent reduction in reporting, 
which is consistent with the Paperwork Reduction Act. Since that time, 
Federal program additions and changes have affected the data 
collection. The revised proposed forms include 13 pages of forms and 
instructions if a tribal government decides to integrate the Department 
of Health and Human Services, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families 
(TANF) program into Public Law 102-477. If a tribal government does not 
include TANF, the tribe is required to report 8 of the 13 pages. In 
either event, Public Law 102-477 reporting process continues to be a 
major reduction in reporting.

Request for Comments

    The Department of the Interior requests your comments on this 
collection concerning:
    (a) The necessity of this information collection for the proper 
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the 
information will have practical utility;
    (b) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (hours and 
cost) of the collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (c) Ways we could enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (d) Ways we could minimize the burden of the collection of the 
information on the respondents, such as through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Please note that an agency may not sponsor or request, and an 
individual need not respond to, a collection of information unless it 
has a valid OMB Control Number.
    It is our policy to make all comments available to the public for 
review at the location listed in the ADDRESSES section, room 18, during 
the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through 
Friday, except for legal holidays. If you wish to have your name and/or 
address withheld, you must state this prominently at the beginning of 
your comments. We will honor your request according to the requirements 
of the law. All comments from organizations or representatives will be 
available for review. We may withhold comments from review for other 
reasons.

Information Collection Abstract

    OMB Control Number: 1076-0135.
    Type of review: Renewal.
    Title: A Reporting System for Public Law 102-477, Indian 
Employment, Training and Related Services Demonstration Project.
    Brief description of collection: Tribal governments voluntarily 
participating in Public Law 102-477 are statutorily required to 
annually complete one report including: (a) A 1-page program 
statistical form, (b) a 1-page financial report, and (c) a narrative 
which will describe what the tribal government is trying to accomplish 
with its employment, training and related services resources in its own 
circumstances and the extent to which it has succeeded. The narrative 
report may be in any format. In addition, those tribes voluntarily 
integrating the Department of Health and Human Services, Temporary 
Assistance to Needy Families must also complete an additional 1-page 
form. The entire reporting format includes 13 pages of forms and 
instructions.
    Respondents: Respondents are tribal governments, which voluntarily 
participate in Public Law 102-477.
    Number of respondents: We currently have 49 grantees representing 
243 federally-recognized tribes.
    Estimated time per response: We estimate that completion of the 
reporting requirements will require 10 hours per year to complete for 
each grantee, times 49 equals 490 burden hours. If the tribal 
governments have also integrated Department of Health and Human 
Services, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families they must complete one 
additional form. We estimate that this would add an additional hour per 
respondent. If all 49 grantees add the Temporary Assistance to Needy 
Families to their Public Law 102-477 program, the total burden hours 
would equal 49 grantees times 11 hours or 539 total burden hours.
    Frequency of response: All voluntarily participating tribal 
governments in Public Law 102-477 must complete the required reports 
once each year of participation.

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    Total Annual Burden to Respondents: We estimate that the total 
burden hours will be 539 hours or less.
    Total Annual Cost to Respondents: We estimate that the total annual 
cost to respondents is $5,390 per year. This cost includes filing space 
cost and materials. The cost does not include salary.

    Dated: October 2, 2006.
Michael D. Olsen,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
 [FR Doc. E6-17354 Filed 10-17-06; 8:45 am]
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