[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 24, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67771-67772]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-32619]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and Information Administration


Grant Recipient Survey for the Telecommunications and Information 
Infrastructure Assistance Program

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as a 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, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before February 24, 
1997.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Linda Engelmeier, Acting 
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce--Room 
5327, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Gay Shrum, NTIA--Room 4892, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, 
Washington, DC 20230. (202-482-1056)

[[Page 67772]]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The purpose of the Telecommunications and Information 
Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP) is to promote the widespread 
and efficient use of advanced telecommunications services in the public 
and non-profit sectors to serve America's communities. It does this by 
providing matching funds to public and non-profit sector organizations 
to use information infrastructure to provide community-wide 
information, health, life-long learning, public safety and other public 
services.
    The program has the following objectives:
     To increase awareness in public and non-profit sectors of 
the National Information Infrastructure and its benefits.
     To stimulate public and non-profit sector organizations to 
examine potential benefits of, and plan for, investments in the 
information infrastructure.
     To provide a wide variety of model information 
infrastructure projects for public and non-profit sector organizations 
to follow.
     To educate the public and non-profit sectors about best 
practices in implementing a wide variety of information infrastructure 
projects.
     To help reduce disparities in access to, and use of, 
information infrastructure.
    The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA), in administering TIIAP, awards a varying number of awards each 
year, but there are an average of 225 active grantees involved in some, 
or all, of the reporting requirements each year. In order to ensure 
that grant recipients are effectively promoting the efficient and 
widespread use of advanced telecommunications services to serve 
American communities and to comply with the Government Performance and 
Results Act, NTIA will collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative 
data relating to the impacts of the projects TIIAP funds.
    NTIA is interested in the effects that the funded projects are 
having at the local level and, over the long term, at the national 
level. It is NTIA's intention to understand the nature and degree of 
those effects on the organizations implementing the projects, other 
organizations that are involved with the projects, the individuals who 
are served by the projects, and the community as a whole. NTIA is 
especially interested in understanding the difference that the Federal 
grant has had in the creation, scale, and scope of the project.

II. Method of Collection

    The information collection instruments to be used for this study 
will include:
     Administration of telephone survey to 210 grant recipients

III. Data

    OMB Number: NA--to be assigned.
    Form Number: NA.
    Type of Review: Regular Submission.
    Affected Public: State and Local Government and Non-Profit 
Institutions.

                   Burden Hours Calculations/Reporting                  
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                                             Hours/      No.     Burden 
                Requirement                  grantee  grantees    hours 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Administration of telephone survey........         1       210       210
                                           -----------------------------
      Total...............................  ........  ........       210
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    Estimated Total Annual Cost: Cost to respondents is consistent with 
their normal administrative overhead. No material or equipment will 
need to be purchased to provide information.

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 program, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
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 the information 
collection; they also become a matter of public record.

    Dated: December 16, 1996.
Linda Engelmeier,
Acting Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of Management and 
Organization.
[FR Doc. 96-32619 Filed 12-23-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE: 3510-60-P