[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 91 (Thursday, May 10, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23948-23949]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-11752]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: This notice announces that the Information Collection Request 
for the Housing Assistance Application requires renewal. The proposed 
information collection requirement, with no appreciable changes, 
described below will be submitted to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review after a public comment period, as required by 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The Bureau is soliciting public 
comments on the subject proposal.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 9, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties are invited to submit written comments 
regarding this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name 
and/or OMB Control Number and should be sent to June Henkel, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW, MS-4660-
MIB, Washington, DC 20240. E-mail should be sent to [email protected]. 
Fax: (202) 208-2648. Telephone: (202) 208-3667. (This is not a toll-
free number.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instructions should be directed to 
June Henkel, 202-208-3667.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The information is needed to establish whether an applicant is 
eligible to receive services under the HIP and to establish the 
priority order in which eligible applicants may receive services under 
the program.

II. Method of Collection

    The housing regulations at 25 CFR part 256 contain the program 
eligibility and selection criteria (Secs. 256.6, 256.8, 256.9, 256.10, 
256.14) which prospective applicants seeking program services must 
demonstrate that they meet. Information collected from applicants under 
these regulations provides eligibility and selection data used by the 
local servicing housing office to establish whether an applicant is 
eligible to receive services. The local servicing housing office may be 
a tribal housing office under a Public Law 93-638, Indian Self-
Determination contract or a Self-Governance annual funding agreement, 
or the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Additionally, the data is used by the 
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs to establish whether a request for 
waiver of a specific housing regulation is in the best interest of the 
applicant and the Federal Government.

III. Data

    (1) Title of the Collection of Information: Department of the 
Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Housing Assistance Application.
    OMB Number: 1076-0084.
    Expiration Date: September 30, 2001.
    Type of Review: Renewal of a currently approved information 
collection.
    (2) Summary of the Collection of Information: The collection of 
information provides pertinent data concerning an applicant's 
eligibility to receive services under the Housing Improvement Program 
and includes:
    A. Applicant Information including: Name, Current Address, 
Telephone Number, Date of Birth, Tribe, Roll Number, Marital Status, 
Name of Spouse, Date of Birth (of spouse), Tribe (of spouse), and Roll 
Number (of Spouse).
    B. Family Information including: Name, Date of Birth, Relationship 
to Applicant, and Tribe/Roll Number.
    C. Income Information: Earned and Unearned Income.
    D. Housing Information including: Location of the house to be 
repaired, constructed or purchased; Description of housing assistance 
for which applying; Knowledge of receipt of prior Housing Improvement 
Program assistance, amount, to whom and when; Ownership or rental; 
Availability of electricity and name of electric company; Type of sewer 
system; Water source; Number of bedrooms; Size of house; and, Bathroom 
facilities.

[[Page 23949]]

    E. Land Information including: Land owner; Legal status of land; or 
Type of interest in land.
    F. General Information including: Prior receipt of services under 
the Housing Improvement Program and description of such; Ownership of 
other housing and description of such, Identification of Housing and 
Urban Development (HUD) funded house and current status of project; 
Identification of other sources of housing assistance for which the 
applicant has applied and been denied assistance if applying for a new 
housing unit or purchase of an existing standard unit; and advisement 
and description of any severe health problem, handicap or permanent 
disability.
    G. Applicant Certification including: Signature of Applicant and 
Date, and Signature of Spouse and Date.
    (3) Description of the need for the information and proposed use of 
the information: Submission of this information is required in order to 
receive services under the Housing Improvement Program. The information 
is collected to determine applicant eligibility for services and 
applicant priority order to receive services under the program.
    (4) Description of likely respondents, including the estimated 
number of likely respondents, and proposed frequency of response to the 
collection of information:
    Description of likely respondents: Individual members of Indian 
tribes who are living on or near a tribally, or by law, defined service 
area.
    Estimated number of respondents: 3,500.
    Proposed frequency of response: Annually or less frequently, 
depending on length of waiting list, funding availability and dynamics 
of service population.
    (5) Estimate of total annual reporting and record keeping burden 
that will result from the collection:
    Estimated time per application: The reporting burden for this 
applicant is estimated to average \1/2\ hour per response, including 
the time for reviewing the instructions, gathering and maintaining the 
data, and completing and reviewing the form.
    Estimated Total Annual Reporting Burden Hours: 1,750 hours.
    Estimated record keeping burden per application: The record keeping 
burden for tribes submitting eligible applicant data and not having or 
receiving funds to administer the program is estimated to average \1/2\ 
hour per application, including the time for reviewing the application, 
determining applicant eligibility and priority ranking and summarizing 
data for submission.
    Estimated Total Record Keeping Burden: 156 hours.
    Estimated Total Record Keeping Costs: $2,431 (117.5 hours  x  
$20.69 per hour).

IV. Request for Comments

    The Department of the Interior invites comment on:
    (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary 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 (including 
hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information, including 
the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
    (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 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources 
expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or 
provide information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time 
needed to review instructions; to develop, acquire, install and utilize 
technology and systems for the purpose of collecting, validating, and 
verifying information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to 
a collection of information, to search data sources, to complete and 
review the collection of information; and, to transmit or otherwise 
disclose information.
    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. All 
written comments will be available for public inspection in Room 4660 
of the Main Interior Building, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC, from 
9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal 
holidays. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not 
required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid Office of Management and Budget control number.

    Dated: April 30, 2001.
James H. McDivitt,
Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs (Management).
[FR Doc. 01-11752 Filed 5-9-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-P