[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 136 (Friday, July 14, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43776-43777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-17821]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4566-N-08]


Notice of Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; 
Community Development Block Grant Entitlement Program

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development, HUD.

ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The proposed information collection requirement for the 
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement program described 
below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department 
is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal.

DATES: Comments Due Date: September 12, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and/or OMB 
Control Number and should be sent to: Shelia Jones, Reports Liaison 
Officer, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street, 
SW, Room 7232, Washington, DC 20410.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sue Miller, Acting Director, 
Entitlement Communities Division, (202) 708-1577 (this is not a toll-
free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department is submitting the proposed 
information collection to OMB for review, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended).
    This Notice is soliciting comments from members of the public and 
affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of information to: 
(1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) 
Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (3) Enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) Minimize the 
burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, 
including through the use of appropriate automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submission of responses.
    This Notice also lists the following information:
    Title of Proposal: Community Development Block Grant Entitlement 
Program.
    OMB Control Number, if applicable: 2506.0077.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use:
    Agency form numbers, if applicable: Community Development Block 
Grant (CDBG) Entitlement grantees are required by 24 CFR 570.506 to 
retain records necessary to document compliance with statutes, 
regulations, Executive Orders, and OMB Circulars applicable to the CDBG 
Entitlement Program. Also, Description of the need for the information 
and Entitlement grantees are required by Section 104(e) of Title I of 
the Housing and Community Development Act to annually submit a 
performance report, which is necessary for the Secretary to perform an 
annual review of performance required by that section of the law, as 
well as providing the documentation necessary to prepare the Annual 
Report to Congress on the CDBG program.
    Entitlement grantees report on their CDBG activities in the 
Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) (which 
also includes performance report information for the HOME Investment 
Partnership, Emergency Shelter Grants [ESG], and Housing Opportunities 
for Persons with AIDS [HOPWA] programs as well, should the CDBG grantee 
also be a recipient of any funds under these programs).
    The automated Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS) 
is a key component in the production of the CAPER report. Grantees 
input information about their CDBG program activities into IDIS on a 
on-going basis throughout their program year, reducing duplication of 
information and inconsistent reporting. There are no standard forms 
required to be used in the CAPER; therefore, grantees have much 
flexibility with respect to its design and format.
    The proposed information collection requirement includes a revision 
of the currently approved recordkeeping and reporting requirements for 
entitlement grantees in the CDBG program based on an increase in the 
number of eligible grantees over the past three years. The exiting 
approval granted under OMB Number 2506-0077 is due to expire September 
30, 2000.
    Although the IDIS and the CAPER can contain information on a 
grantee's CDBG, HOME, ESG, and HOPWA programs, this information 
collection requirement submitted to OMB requests approval for CDBG 
Entitlement Program recordkeeping and reporting requirements only.
    The Department has converted all of its CDBG entitlement grantees 
into the IDIS and each new grantee begins using IDIS at the time it 
first elects to take its status as an entitlement. Also, since this 
Information Collection was last approved, the required Financial 
Summary report has been integrated into IDIS, although IDIS does not 
yet collect/generate all information necessary to meet all reporting 
requirements for the Entitlement CDBG program. As a result, the 
estimation shown below does not reflect a decrease in the number of 
reporting hours used annually, on average, by each grantee. Grantees 
have to review the financial data and identify any adjustments that 
need to be input prior to generating the Financial Summary, and some 
supplementary documents may have to be submitted with the CAPER to meet 
the CDBG reporting requirements.
    Members of affected public: Entitlement grantees (metropolitan 
cities and urban counties) of the Community Development Block Grant 
program.
    Estimation of the total numbers of hours needed to prepare the 
information collection including number of respondents, frequency of 
response, and hours of response: The Department estimates that each of 
its 1,013 grantees will annually use, on average, 125 hours to keep 
records (non-IDIS recordkeeping) on their CDBG activities, and 305 
hours to prepare reports on activities (both IDIS-generated and non-
IDIS reports).

570.506 (recordkeeping) (on-going): 1,013  x  125 hours = 126,625 
hours.
570.507 (reporting) 1,103  x  305 hours = 308,965 hours

    Total burden hours = 435,590.
    (Quarterly and annual reports from IDIS, annual total) 1,013  x  
284 = 287,692 hours.

[[Page 43777]]

    (Non-IDIS reports, Supplemental Annual): 1,013  x  21 hours = 
21,273.
    Total reporting hours = 308,965.
    Status of the proposed information collection: Reinstatement, with 
change; of a previously approved collection for which approval is near 
expiration and request for OMB renewal for three years. The current OMB 
approval expires in September 2000.
    This report does not include hours spent on Consolidated Plan 
preparation and submission. Those hours are reported with 2606-0117.

    Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 
Chapter 35, as amended.

    Dated: July 10, 2000.
Cardell Cooper,
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development
[FR Doc. 00-17821 Filed 7-13-00; 8:45 am]
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