Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; State and Local Implementation Grant Program 2.0 Closeout Documentation, 20862-20863 [2019-09766]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Telecommunications and Information Administration

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 92 (Monday, May 13, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20862-20863]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-09766]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Information 
Collection; Comment Request; State and Local Implementation Grant 
Program 2.0 Closeout Documentation

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 12, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, (202) 482-0336, 
Department of Commerce, Room 6612, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, 
Washington, DC 20230 (or via email at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instruments and instructions 
should be sent to Natalie Romanoff, Program Director, State and Local 
Implementation Grant Program 2.0, National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 
Constitution Avenue NW, Room 4078, Washington, DC 20230 (or via email 
at [email protected] or phone 202-482-2236).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Act) 
(Pub. L. 112-96, H.R. 3630, 126 Stat. 156) was enacted February 22, 
2012.\1\ The Act meets a long-standing national priority and critical 
infrastructure need to create a single, interoperable, nationwide 
public safety broadband network (NPSBN) that allows law enforcement 
officers, fire fighters, emergency medical service professionals, and 
other public safety officials to effectively communicate with each 
other across

[[Page 20863]]

agencies and jurisdictions. Public safety responders have been hindered 
in their ability to respond in a crisis situation due to incompatible 
communications networks and often outdated communications equipment. 
Therefore, the design and deployment of this NPSBN, established by the 
Act, is critical to provide emergency responders the ability to 
communicate on a secure, reliable, and dedicated interoperable network 
during emergencies and to use technology to improve response time, keep 
communities safe, and save lives.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, Public 
Law 112-96, 126 Stat. 156 (2012) (Act) (codified at 47 U.S.C. 1401 
et seq.).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Act established the First Responder Network Authority 
(FirstNet) as an independent authority within the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and authorized 
it to take all actions necessary to ensure the design, construction, 
and operation of a nationwide NPSBN, based on a single, national 
network architecture.\2\ FirstNet's responsibilities are, at a minimum, 
to ensure nationwide standards for the use of and access to the 
network; issue open, transparent, and competitive requests for 
proposals (RFPs) to build, operate, and maintain the network; encourage 
these RFPs to leverage, to the maximum extent economically desirable, 
existing commercial wireless infrastructure to speed deployment of the 
network; and oversee contracts with non-federal entities to build, 
operate, and maintain the network.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ 47 U.S.C. 1424, 1426(b)(1).
    \3\ 47 U.S.C. 1426(b)(1)(A)-(D).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Act also charged NTIA with establishing a grant program, the 
State and Local Implementation Grant Program (SLIGP), to assist State, 
regional, tribal, and local jurisdictions with identifying, planning, 
and implementing the most efficient and effective means to use and 
integrate the infrastructure, equipment, and other architecture 
associated with the NPSBN to satisfy the wireless broadband and data 
services needs of their jurisdictions.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ 47 U.S.C. 1442(a).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Act's framework outlined that FirstNet closely coordinates its 
activities with State, regional, tribal, and local governments and 
imposed a statutory requirement that FirstNet consult with these 
entities as it takes all actions necessary to build, deploy, and 
operate the NPSBN.\5\ Specifically, the Act requires FirstNet to 
consult with state, regional, tribal, and local governments about the 
distribution and expenditure of any amounts required to carry out its 
responsibilities to plan, build, operate, and maintain the NPSBN.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ 47 U.S.C. 1422(b)(2)(B).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Additionally, the Act specifies that these required consultations 
occur between FirstNet and the single point of contact (SPOC) that the 
state designated in its original SLIGP grant application.\6\ The 
original SLIGP award provided recipients with funding to support their 
engagement in consultations as required of FirstNet under the Act.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ 47 U.S.C. 1426(c)(2)(B); 47 U.S.C. 1442(d).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

SLIGP 2.0

    In 2013, NTIA originally awarded $116.5 million in grant funds to 
54 state and territorial recipients between July 2013 and June 2014. 
The original grants expired February 28, 2018, and many recipients 
spent less than expected, leaving leftover funds. NTIA leveraged excess 
funds of $33.3 million from the original SLIGP grants to make a second 
round of grant awards, SLIGP 2.0. The SLIGP 2.0 provides funding to 
assist State, regional, tribal, and local jurisdictions to engage 
effectively with FirstNet and provide it with information needed to 
continue with planning the NPSBN in an effective and timely manner, as 
required by the Act.
    SLIGP 2.0 recipients' periods of performance are currently 
scheduled to end in early 2020. Following the award end date, 
recipients will be required to complete grant closeout activities 
within 90 days. The purpose of closeout is to capture a final account 
of recipient activities and how these activities contributed to overall 
program goals. To ensure effective grant oversight and management, NTIA 
developed a closeout report form for SLIGP 2.0 recipients to complete 
as part of post-award monitoring and closeout activities at the end of 
the period of performance. The closeout report form serves as a summary 
of grant-funded recipient activities over the entire award period and 
ensures that recipients comply with all necessary closeout procedures. 
The closeout report form will ask recipients to aggregate their 
cumulative progress toward program priority areas identified in their 
quarterly performance progress reports (PPRs), including individuals 
sent to broadband conferences, staff hired, contracts executed, 
governance meetings held, and stakeholder events convened. Recipients 
will also be asked to report on their cumulative expenditures 
throughout the period of performance in each object class category, 
including personnel, fringe, travel, equipment, materials/supplies, 
contractual, other, and indirect costs.
    NTIA will use the collection of information to monitor and evaluate 
how SLIGP 2.0 grant recipients are achieving the core purposes of the 
program established by the Act. The information collected in the 
closeout report form will ensure that final data effectively assesses 
the success of SLIGP 2.0 recipients in implementing their project 
goals. The publication of this notice allows NTIA to begin the process 
to obtain the approval for the standard three years.

II. Method of Collection

    Recipients will complete the closeout report and submit the form to 
the SLIGP 2.0 Program Office via email.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: None.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: State, regional, local, and tribal government 
organizations.
    Frequency: Once (at the end of the period of performance).
    Number of Respondents: 46.
    Average Time per Response: Final closeout report, 25 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,150 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $53.176.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they will also become a matter of public record.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, 
Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2019-09766 Filed 5-10-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-P