Renewal of Agency Information Collection for Federal Acknowledgment of Indian Tribes, 36092 [2014-14871]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Indian Affairs

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 122 (Wednesday, June 25, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 36092]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14871]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[DR.5A211.IA000413]


Renewal of Agency Information Collection for Federal 
Acknowledgment of Indian Tribes

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs is seeking comments on the renewal 
of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the collection of 
information for Federal Acknowledgment of Indian Tribes authorized by 
OMB Control Number 1076-0104. This information collection expires 
August 31, 2014.

DATES: Submit comments on or before August 25, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the information collection to R. 
Lee Fleming, Director, Office of Federal Acknowledgment, Assistant 
Secretary--Indian Affairs, 1951 Constitution Avenue NW., MS-34B SIB, 
Washington, DC 20240; facsimile: (202) 219-3008; email: 
Lee.Fleming@bia.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: R. Lee Fleming, (202) 513-7650.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs (``Assistant Secretary'') 
held listening sessions in July and August 2013 to receive feedback on 
ways to improve the Department's process for acknowledging an Indian 
tribe, as set forth in 25 CFR part 83. The Assistant Secretary is 
currently in the process of revising the regulations governing the 
process for acknowledging an Indian tribe. The request for extension 
for this information collection request does not include the 
suggestions and feedback on the proposed regulations, but instead will 
allow current or potential petitioners to submit information required 
under the current regulations, pending the finalization and effective 
date of any revisions. For this reason, the Assistant Secretary is 
requesting an extension of the approval for the information collection 
conducted under 25 CFR part 83.
    The information collection is conducted under 25 CFR part 83, to 
establish whether a petitioning group has the characteristics necessary 
to be acknowledged as an Indian tribe for purposes of federal law. 
Federal recognition initiates a government-to-government relationship 
with the United States and makes the group eligible to apply for 
benefits from the Federal Government. Approval for this collection 
expires August 31, 2014. Three forms are used as part of this 
information collection.

II. Request for Comments

    The Assistant Secretary 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.
    Please note that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, 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. Before 
including your address, phone number, email address or other personal 
identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your 
entire comment--including your personal identifying information--may be 
made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your 
comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public 
review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1076-0104.
    Title: Documented Petitions for Federal Acknowledgment as an Indian 
Tribe, 25 CFR 83.
    Brief Description of Collection: Submission of this information 
allows the Office of Federal Acknowledgment (OFA) to review petitions 
for Federal acknowledgment as an Indian tribe for purposes of federal 
law. The acknowledgment regulations at 25 CFR part 83 contain seven 
mandatory criteria that unrecognized groups seeking Federal 
acknowledgment as Indian tribes must demonstrate that they meet. 
Information collected from petitioning groups under these regulations 
provides anthropological, genealogical and historical data used by the 
Assistant Secretary to determine whether a petitioning group has the 
characteristics necessary to be acknowledged as an Indian tribe for 
purposes of federal law. Respondents are not required to retain copies 
of the information submitted to OFA but will probably maintain copies 
for their own use; therefore, there is no recordkeeping requirement 
included in this information collection.
    Type of Review: Extension without change of currently approved 
collection.
    Respondents: Groups petitioning for Federal acknowledgment as 
Indian tribes.
    Number of Respondents: 10 per year, on average.
    Number of Responses: 10 per year, on average.
    Frequency of Response: Once.
    Estimated Time per Response: 2,075 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 20,750 hours.

    Dated: June 19, 2014.
John Ashley,
Acting Assistant Director for Information Resources.
[FR Doc. 2014-14871 Filed 6-24-14; 8:45 am]
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